Decolonization
Decolonization – Complete GK Module for Railway Exams
1. What is Decolonization?
Decolonization = Process by which colonies become independent from imperial powers.
Began after WW-II (1945) & accelerated through 1960s-70s.
Result: UN membership grew from 51 (1945) → 193 (today).
2. Waves & Routes of Decolonization
| Wave | Period | Main Method | Key Regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1945-50 | Negotiated / WW-II exhaustion | South Asia, SE Asia |
| Second | 1950-65 | Armed struggle / UN pressure | Africa, North Africa |
| Third | 1965-80 | Liberation wars / Cold-War diplomacy | Portuguese Africa, Pacific |
3. Country-wise Independence Time-Table
| Colony | Colonizer | Independence Date | First Prime-President | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Britain | 15 Aug 1947 | J. Nehru | Partition; 2 nations born |
| Pakistan | Britain | 14 Aug 1947 | Liaquat Ali Khan | 1971 → Bangladesh |
| Sri Lanka | Britain | 4 Feb 1948 | D. S. Senanayake | Ceylon → 1972 Sri Lanka |
| Myanmar | Britain | 4 Jan 1948 | U Nu | 1962 military coup |
| Indonesia | Netherlands | 17 Aug 1945 (recognised 27 Dec 1949) | Sukarno | 4-yr war vs Dutch |
| Vietnam | France | 2 Sep 1945 (declaration) / 1954 (Geneva) | Ho Chi Minh | Dien Bien Phu 7 May 1954 |
| Laos | France | 22 Oct 1953 | Souvanna Phouma | Geneva Accords 1954 |
| Cambodia | France | 9 Nov 1953 | Norodom Sihanouk | Khmer Rouge later |
| Malaysia | Britain | 31 Aug 1957 | Tunku Abdul Rahman | “Merdeka” |
| Singapore | Britain | 31 Aug 1963 / 9 Aug 1965 (secede) | Lee Kuan Yew | Expelled from Malaysia |
| Ghana | Britain | 6 Mar 1957 | Kwame Nkrumah | 1st sub-Saharan |
| Nigeria | Britain | 1 Oct 1960 | Nnamdi Azikiwe | Civil war 1967-70 |
| Kenya | Britain | 12 Dec 1963 | Jomo Kenyatta | Mau-Mau revolt |
| Algeria | France | 5 July 1962 | Ahmed Ben Bella | 1 million died |
| Angola | Portugal | 11 Nov 1975 | Agostinho Neto | Civil war till 2002 |
| Mozambique | Portugal | 25 June 1975 | Samora Machel | 1977-92 civil war |
| Zimbabwe | Britain | 18 Apr 1980 | Robert Mugabe | Lancaster House deal |
| Namibia | South Africa (UN mandate) | 21 Mar 1990 | Sam Nujoma | Last colony in Africa |
4. Key Conferences & Declarations
| Year | Event | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Atlantic Charter | Roosevelt-Churchill: self-determination |
| 1945 | UN Charter Art-1 | Right of peoples to self-determination |
| 1955 | Bandung Conference | 29 Asian-African nations → anti-colonial bloc |
| 1960 | UN GA Res-1514 | “Grant Independence to Colonial Countries & Peoples” |
| 1960 | Year of Africa | 17 African states free |
| 1975 | ICJ on W. Sahara | “no sovereignty over terra nullius” → Spain quits |
5. Factors Behind Decolonization
- WW-II devastation – Europe could not afford colonies.
- Atlantic Charter 1941 – moral commitment.
- UN & Super-power pressure – US-USSR both anti-colonial (for own reasons).
- Local nationalist movements – INA, Mau-Mau, FLN, MPLA, Frelimo.
- Global economic shift – colonies no longer profitable.
- Peaceful transfer fear of USSR influence – e.g., Britain in Ghana, Malaysia.
6. Quick-Fire One-Liners (Memory Capsules)
- 1945 → UN born with 51 members; today 193.
- 1947 → India & Pakistan free → midnight of 14-15 Aug.
- 1954 → Dien Bien Phu → France leaves Indochina.
- 1955 → Bandung (Indonesia) → Afro-Asian solidarity.
- 1960 → “Year of Africa” → 17 states independent.
- 1962 → Algeria after 8-yr war; Evian Accords.
- 1975 → Portuguese empire collapses (Carnation Revolution 25 Apr 1974).
- 1980 → Southern-Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe.
- 1990 → Namibia last African colony free.
- 1997 → Hong-Kong reverts to China (not decolonisation but end of empire).
- 2002 → East-Timor (Timor-Leste) last Asian colony (from Portugal→Indonesia→UN).
7. 15+ MCQs for Railway Exams
Q1. Which was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence?
Answer: Ghana (6 March 1957)
Q2. The “Year of Africa” refers to which year when 17 countries became free?
Answer: 1960
Q3. Who was the first Prime Minister of independent Kenya?
Answer: Jomo Kenyatta
Q4. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954) led to the independence of which nation from France?
Answer: Vietnam
Q5. The Atlantic Charter was signed in:
Answer: 1941
Q6. UN General Assembly Resolution 1514 is related to:
Answer: Granting independence to colonial countries
Q7. Which European country was the last to give up its African colonies (Angola & Mozambique)?
Answer: Portugal
Q8. The Bandung Conference of 1955 was held in:
Answer: Indonesia
Q9. Who among the following led the Algerian independence struggle against France?
Answer: FLN (Front de Libération Nationale)
Q10. Zimbabwe became independent in:
Answer: 18 April 1980
Q11. Namibia gained independence from:
Answer: South African mandate (21 Mar 1990)
Q12. The Carnation Revolution of 1974 took place in:
Answer: Portugal
Q13. Which colony was formerly known as Southern Rhodesia?
Answer: Zimbabwe
Q14. The Lancaster House Conference is associated with the independence of:
Answer: Zimbabwe
Q15. Indonesia proclaimed independence on 17 August 1945 but was recognised by the Netherlands in:
Answer: 27 December 1949
Q16. Who was the first President of Ghana after independence?
Answer: Kwame Nkrumah
Q17. The Mau-Mau uprising was fought in:
Answer: Kenya
8. Revision Table – “Must-Dates”
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 15 Aug 1947 | India |
| 4 Feb 1948 | Sri Lanka |
| 6 Mar 1957 | Ghana |
| 7 May 1954 | Dien Bien Phu |
| 5 July 1962 | Algeria |
| 11 Nov 1975 | Angola |
| 21 Mar 1990 | Namibia |
Last Tip: Remember “GAD-90” → Ghana, Algeria, Dien-Bien-Phu, Namibia-1990 – covers 70% decolonisation MCQs!
BETA
