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🌍ap world history: modern review
8.6 Newly Independent States After 1900
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The 20th century witnessed the emergence of dozens of newly independent states, many formed in the wake of colonial empires’ collapse. These states often arose from political boundaries drawn without regard for ethnic, cultural, or religious cohesion, resulting in lasting instability. New governments struggled to assert national identity, manage population displacement, and establish effective economic systems. In many cases, colonial legacies and Cold War geopolitics directly shaped the nature of independence and state formation.
Israel and the Partition of Palestine
The creation of Israel in 1948 marked a profound political shift in the Middle East and a deeply contested instance of post-colonial state formation.
During the interwar years, Britain held a League of Nations mandate over Palestine, where increasing Jewish immigration—fueled by Zionist movements and the aftermath of the Holocaust—created growing tension with the Arab Palestinian population. Britain, weakened after World War II and facing growing violence from both Arab and Jewish groups, referred the issue to the United Nations, which proposed a partition plan in 1947.
Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but Arab leaders rejected it, seeing it as unjust and imposed. When Israel declared independence in May 1948, several Arab nations launched a war against the new state. Israel survived and expanded its territory beyond the UN’s proposed borders. Meanwhile, over 700,000 Palestinians were displaced, marking the beginning of the Nakba (“catastrophe”).
⭐ The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the most enduring examples of the complications and violence that can arise from externally imposed state creation and unresolved nationalist tensions.
Cambodia and the Rise of the Khmer Rouge
Cambodia’s path to independence and self-rule was shaped by both colonial legacies and Cold War intervention. After gaining independence from France in 1953, Cambodia struggled with political instability, especially as the Vietnam War spilled into its borders.
The rise of the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, was partially fueled by rural dissatisfaction and anti-Western sentiment. After seizing power in 1975, the regime attempted to turn Cambodia into a rural, classless society by abolishing money, closing schools, and forcibly relocating urban populations.
These policies led to the Cambodian Genocide, in which 1.5 to 2 million people—roughly a quarter of the population—died due to starvation, forced labor, and executions.
⭐ Cambodia’s experience shows how Cold War dynamics and the vacuum left by colonialism can lead to radical, violent transformations in newly independent states.
Partition and the Creation of Pakistan
The Partition of British India in 1947 resulted in the creation of two independent states: India and Pakistan. The division was driven by growing Hindu-Muslim tensions, exacerbated by British “divide and rule” strategies and communal politics.
- The Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, advocated for a separate Muslim state to protect Muslim interests.
- The hasty partition led to the largest mass migration in human history, as millions of Muslims moved to Pakistan and Hindus/Sikhs to India.
- The movement of over 14 million people triggered widespread communal violence, with an estimated 2 million deaths.
Partition also left unresolved territorial disputes, especially in Kashmir, fueling ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.
Economic Strategies in Newly Independent States
New states emerging from colonialism often rejected capitalist models associated with Western powers, instead embracing state-led economic planning. These strategies aimed to industrialize economies, reduce inequality, and assert national control over key industries.
| Country | Leader | Economic Policy | Goals and Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Indira Gandhi | Nationalized banks & key industries | Sought equity, but caused inefficiency and slowed growth |
| Egypt | Gamal Abdel Nasser | Nationalized Suez Canal; state planning | Asserted anti-imperialism; provoked Suez Crisis |
| Tanzania | Julius Nyerere | Ujamaa (African socialism) | Boosted literacy; collectivization hurt agricultural output |
| Sri Lanka | Sirimavo Bandaranaike | Balanced nationalization & free market | Reduced inequality; couldn't prevent ethnic conflict |
These approaches often struggled to overcome deep-rooted structural inequalities and the global dominance of capitalist economies.
Migrations After Decolonization
Decolonization also reshaped global migration patterns, as former colonial subjects moved to imperial metropoles in search of opportunity or refuge. These migrations both sustained economic ties and highlighted cultural continuities between former colonies and colonizers.
- South Asians to Britain: Citizens from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh migrated to Britain after independence, contributing to labor markets and reshaping British society.
- Algerians to France: Many Algerians moved to France after independence in 1962, continuing a migration pattern that began during French colonial rule.
- Filipinos to the United States: A legacy of American colonization, many Filipinos moved to the U.S. for work, especially in healthcare and domestic labor sectors.
⭐ These migration flows highlight how colonial relationships often persisted long after independence through economic dependency, labor markets, and diasporic communities.
