END OF EMPIRE

The emergence of dozens of new states since the end of World War II has dramatically increased the scale and complexity of international relations.

Decolonization in Asia encouraged African independence movements, and by 1970 virtually all colonial possessions in these regions had gained their independence. Frustration followed for many in these regions, however, as national governments proved unable to provide either economic or social stability, encouraging older ethnic and sectarian tensions to resurface.

Additionally, the end of the bipolar system created by the cold war has left uncertain the future shape or nature of the international system. While older powers, such as the United States, have retained considerable influence, new actors such as China, India, and Brazil have signaled the emergence of a multi-polar world system, which continues to evolve.

Areas to consider – as you read 654-664■ Make a list before you start reading. Include these places:

– India (and Pakistan)

– Indonesia

– Myanmar

– Vietnam

– Cambodia

– Philippines

– Israel

– Egypt

– Iran

– Iraq

– Afghanistan

Be sure to define: nonaligned. Think

about the Cold War – and how it will

impact relations inside countries.

Try to associate at least one person with

each place.

What issues seem to complicate the

path these places take?

Also define: intifada. Connect it to at

least one place.

Indian Democracy■ On August 15, 1947, India and Pakistan became independent.

– Millions of Hindus and Muslims fled across the new borders, Hindus

toward India and Muslims toward Pakistan. Violence resulted from these

mass migrations, and more than a million people were killed.

■ Jawaharlal Nehru led the Congress Party (formerly the Indian National

Congress.)

– the state took ownership of major industries, utilities, and transportation.

Private enterprise was allowed at the local level, and farmland was left in

private hands.

– He refused to align India with any bloc or alliance.

■ Indian democracy flourishes under Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)

– Daughter of Nehru, no relationship to Mohandas

– During her many years as India's leader, Gandhi faced the challenges of

overpopulation, systematic poverty, and ethnic conflicts.

– “Green revolution” increases agricultural yields…but…

– Assassinated by Sikh bodyguards after attack on Sikh extremists in

Amritsar, 1984 (Militant Sikhs demanded that this province be

independent from India.)

Pakistan and Bangladesh

• East Pakistan and West Pakistan were separate regions, divided by Indian territory.

• Their different geographic characteristics caused them to have different economic interests.

• The government of Pakistan was located in West Pakistan.

• East Pakistan felt ignored and declared independence in 1971.

• East Pakistan became independent Bangladesh after civil war.

What events led to the creation of Bangladesh?

Indonesia

■ The Netherlands initially tried to suppress a new Indonesian

republic proclaimed by Achmed Sukarno.

■ The United States pressured the Netherlands to grant

independence to Sukarno and his non-Communist Nationalist

Party.

■ In 1949 the Netherlands recognized the new Republic of

Indonesia.

■ In the late 1950s, however, Sukarno dissolved the

constitution and tried to rule on his own through what he

called "guided democracy."

– He nationalized foreign-owned enterprises and sought

economic aid from China and the Soviet Union. Military

officers overthrew Sukarno and established a military

government under General Suharto.

Myanmar■ Great Britain granted independence to Burma (Myanmar)

in 1948.

■ The military has been in complete control since the early

1960s.

■ The people of Myanmar have continued to fight for

democracy, however.

– Led by Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San,

Burmese Independence Army officer in 1947.)

■ Educated abroad, Suu Kyi returned to Myanmar in 1988 and

became involved in the movement for democracy.

■ Her party won a landslide victory in 1990, but the military

rulers refused to hand over power. Instead, Suu Kyi was

placed under house arrest for many years. (roughly 1991-

2010).

■ She was released in 2010. In 2015, she won an election

and now leads the country.

Philippines ■ The rule of Ferdinand Marcos from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s

was characterized by corruption and the violent repression of his opponents.

– Marcos was accused of involvement in the killing of a popular opposition leader, Benigno Aquino. He is also alleged to have stolen billions from his country. After Marcos, the Philippines continued to struggle with economic and social problems under democratic rule.

■ Corazon Aquino, wife of the murdered leader, became president in 1986 and worked for democratic reforms.

■ Another Philippine leader was ousted for corruption in 2001. (Joseph Estrada) He was jailed and released, and later ran for President again.

■ Gloria Arroyo promised integrity in government. (2001-2010). At the end of her rule, she too was jailed for corruption. She was eventually released and cleared in 2016.

Nationalist Struggles in Vietnam

■ French reassert control after WWII

■ Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969), communist leader,

mounts guerilla war, defeats France in 1954

■ Vietnam divided at 17th parallel

■ Civil war between north (communist) and south

■ President Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973) begins

increasing U.S. involvement

■ By 1975, North Vietnamese Communist armies

had forcibly reunited Vietnam and begun the

process of rebuilding that shattered land.

The Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1949-1982

The Issue of Palestine

■ After World War II, Arab states increasingly gain

independence

■ Palestine ruled by Great Britain between the wars

■ Proclaims support for Jewish “homeland” in

Palestine (Balfour Declaration, 1917)

■ British attempts to limit the growing Jewish

migration

■ Pan-Arab nationalism; opposition to Jewish state

13

Creation of the State of Israel■ Jewish, Arab pressure drives British to hand Palestine over

to United Nations for a resolution

■ Partition plan of 1947 divides Palestine into two distinct

states– Many people had been shocked at the end of World War II when they learned about the deliberate

killing of 6 million European Jews in Nazi death camps

■ May 1948, Jews declare independence of state of Israel

■ Sparks series of conflicts spanning six decades

– Israel greatly expands territory

– Intifada as a response (uprising – or shaking off) – November 1987

■ burning tires and throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli police and troops.

■ Oslo Peace Accords of 1993, Israel and the PLO agreed that the Palestinians would control a

semi-independent area, and the PLO recognized Israel and renounced terrorism.

Egypt and Arab Nationalism■ Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt, 1918-1970) takes leadership position in Arab world

■ Nasser attempts to nationalize the Suez Canal (1956)

– Gained international prestige

– Confused cold war power politics – how?

■ Pan-Arabism

– Ideology calling for cultural and political unity among Arab states.

– Nasser opposed foreign influence and the creation of Israel as Jewish state.

– Egypt united with Syria as the United Arab Republic in 1958.

– Syria withdrew from the union in 1961.

– Nasser wanted oil wealth more evenly distributed to improve the standard of living

among Arab peoples. Oil-rich Arab nations were suspicious of oil-poor Egypt’s

intentions.

■ Things fall apart…

– In 1967 Nasser imposed a blockade against Israeli shipping through the Gulf of

Aqaba. He declared: "We are now ready to confront Israel … We are [now] ready to

deal with the entire Palestine question.”

– During this Six-Day War, Israel tripled the size of the territory under its control. As a

result, a million Palestinians now lived in areas under Israeli control, most on the

West Bank.

– Nasser died in 1970, and Anwar el-Sadat succeeded him. After losing to Israel, he

makes peace – and is assassinated for that.

The Iranian Revolution■ Iran under the shah: Oil revenue brought prosperity to Iran in the mid-

1900s, when Reza Shah Pahlavi led the country. Many Muslims

resented the shah, however, believing he had created a society too

focused on materialism and too closely connected to the United States.

■ Ayatollah Khomeini: Khomeini was a member of the Muslim clergy who

had been exiled in the 1960s. His ideas became popular with the

masses during the 1970s, leading to the collapse of the shah's

government in 1978. A new Islamic republic, led by Khomeini, moved to

restore Islamic law. Anti-American feelings erupted when militants took

52 Americans in the United States embassy in Tehran. The hostages

were held for more than a year.

■ Iran after Khomeini: After Khomeini's death, a more moderate

government allowed some civil liberties. Many Iranians expressed

disappointment with the nation's economy.

Saddam Hussein and Iraq

■ Iran-Iraq War: Iraq and Iran have had a long history of disputes fueled

by religious differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims. They have

also fought over control of the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the

Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

■ In 1980, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein launched a brutal war against

Iran. In 1988, Iran and Iraq signed a cease-fire without resolving the

war's basic issues. Over 1 million people had died.

■ Persian Gulf War: In 1990, Saddam Hussein sent troops to seize

Kuwait, an oil-rich neighbor of Iraq on the Persian Gulf. The United

States led international forces to free Kuwait, and the allies imposed

harsh economic sanctions against Iraq.

THE FIGHT FOR AFGHANISTAN

■ Ties with Soviet Union: After World War II, Afghanistan developed

close ties with the Soviet Union in hopes of economic assistance.

During internal unrest in Afghanistan in 1979, the Soviets

occupied the country.

■ Mujahideen: Anti-Communist Islamic forces supported by the

United States and Pakistan ousted the Soviets in the late 1980s.

The mujahideen, Islamic groups that included the Taliban, then

battled for control of Afghanistan.

■ Al-Qaeda: While in control of Afghanistan in the late 1990s, the

Taliban allowed Osama bin Laden's anti-Western al-Qaeda terrorist

group to establish bases of operation in the country.