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Newly Independent States

Driving Question: How did newly independent states respond to post-colonial life?

Big empires rise and fall, pushed and pulled by what's happening inside and outside their borders. Leaders of newly-independent countries faced a variety of problems and used different tools to keep things in order, but their goals, methods, and overall success varied depending on various socio-political and cultural factors.

Learning Objectives

  1. Explain how political changes in the period from c. 1900 led to territorial, demographic, and nationalist developments.
  2. Use close reading skills to analyze the effects of decolonization on newly liberated regions.

Vocab Terms:

  • decolonization
  • ideological
  • pan-nationalism
  • subjugation
  • Zionism
STEP 1

Opener: Newly Independent States

STEP 2

End of Old Regimes

Why did so many great empires lose their colonies after the Second World War? This article gives you a global view of the post-war transformation that brought together all of the different regional stories you have encountered and will encounter in this unit.

STEP 3

Political Decolonization, c. 1945–1997

Between 1945 and 1997, an unprecedented number of former colonies became independent. Explore this worldwide movement—from India and the Middle East to Africa.

STEP 4

Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto was the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country. But her time as Pakistan’s Prime Minister was controversial. Was she an icon of progress for women’s rights? Or is her legacy tarnished by corruption and misrule?

Benazir Bhutto External link

Benazir Bhutto became the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country, Pakistan, although her time as Prime Minister was controversial.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 5

Source Collection: Newly Independent States

Sociopolitical changes help fuel various independence movements around the world. In this exercise, you will use primary sources to find out what those changes are. We recommend you use the Quick-Sourcing Tool to complete this exercise.

STEP 6

Closer: Newly Independent States