CWW2.

1 Decolonization, 1945-1965

Directions: In the same years that the Cold War was developing, there was a great political
change – decolonization. Read each of the following paragraphs, answering the questions at
the end of each section on a separate sheet of paper in order to understand what
decolonization was and how it related to the Cold War.

Background:

Since the age of

imperialism in the 19th
century, imperialist
nations owned almost all
the lands in Africa,
southern Asia, the Middle
East, Southeast Asia and
the Pacific Islands as
colonies. The Western
imperialists had
dominated the
governments of their
colonies, introduced
Sudan. Khartoum. The British military barracks, Matson Photo Service, 1936. western laws, schools, and
Source: Library of Congress,
religions and tried to
[Link]
change the cultures of the
people in the colonies in order to “civilize” them. In other areas, such as Latin America and
China, the imperialists had spheres of influence. Countries in the spheres of influence had their
own governments, but their economies were dominated by the imperialists. Five imperialist
powers, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Russia, held spheres of influence in China.
The economic and military power of the US had a domineering effect on nations in the
Caribbean and Latin America. The imperialist nations used their colonies and the countries in
their spheres of influence as sources of raw materials to fuel Western factories, and as markets
for Western manufactured goods. This system made the imperialist nations extremely wealthy.

1. What was the difference between a colony and a sphere of influence?

2. What benefits did the Western imperialist nations get from their colonies and spheres of
influence?

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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CWW2.1 Decolonization, 1945-1965 (page 2 of 5)

Colonial Independence

In almost all the colonies,

there were anti-colonial,
nationalist movements
which worked for
independence. Between
World Wars I and II, the
Indian National Congress,
led by Mahatma Gandhi and
Jawaharlal Nehru, built up a
mass movement in India to
resist British rule by
boycotts, strikes and other
methods of non-violent
protest. The British colony
of India became two
Jawaharlal Nehru, 1889-1964, full-length portrait, standing, with daughter, Frances
independent nations, India
Bolton, and Mme. Pandit. Photo by Harris and Ewing. Source: Library of Congress,
and Pakistan, in 1947. The [Link]
success of the Indian anti-
colonial movement inspired anti-colonial leaders across Africa and Asia. During World War II,
Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Japan all lost control of their colonies. They also
emerged from the war greatly weakened in power.

The Western colonizers faced increasing national resistance in the colonies in the decades after
1945, and their leaders realized that maintaining control with larger and larger armies was too
expensive. In some imperialist nations, many people had come to believe that the colonies
should become independent.

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.2.1. Decolonization through Maps (Three World Order)

Directions: In the next few pages, you’ll find a number of maps detailing the fate of former colonies in the Cold War era. In groups of two
or three, review each map and answer the accompanying questions.

1. What nations were in the First World?

Which side of the Cold War did the
First World take?

2. What nations were in the Second

World? Which side of the Cold War
did the Second World take?

3. Where were the Third World countries

located? Which side of the Cold War
did the Third World take?

4. In which of the three worlds were most

of the imperialist nations (the
colonizers)? In which of the three
worlds were most of the colonies?

Map Source: Sonali Judari for the California History-Social Science Project.
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
 Map
Source:
CWW2.2.2 Decolonization through Maps (Africa Decolonization) Sonali
Judari
for the
Califor
nia
History
-Social
Science
Project.
Copyrig
ht ©
2013,
The
Regents
of the
Univers
ity of
Califor
nia. All
Rights
Reserve
d.

1. In what decade did most of the African nations become independent?

2. Which colonizer had the largest empire?

3. List 5 nations that had anti-colonial revolts or wars after World War II.

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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CWW2.2.3 Decolonization through Maps (Nigeria & Colonial Africa)

Editor’s Note: Linguistic Groups are groups of people that

speak the same language or languages that are similar to
each other. A linguistic group map gives us some idea of the
cultural and ethnic groups of people. In general, people
identify with those who speak their language and often don’t
want to be ruled by those who speak another language.
Nationalists often want to unify all the people who speak a
certain language together in a nation. Nations with many
linguistic groups are very difficult to unify.

Source: Linguistic Groups in Nigeria in 1979, produced by the

CIA. Courtesy of Perry-Castañeda Library, University of Texas
at Austin,
[Link]
j
1. How many linguistic (ethnic)
groups were combined in the nation-
state of Nigeria?

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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CWW2.2.3 Decolonization through Maps (Nigeria & Colonial Africa)

Colonial Africa 1913

Source: Colonial Africa 1913 Map, with modern borders, created by Eric Gaba (Wikimedia Commons user:
Sting), [Link]

2. Find Nigeria on the Colonial Africa map. What imperialist held Nigeria as a colony? How
do the colony borders compare to the modern national borders of Nigeria? What
problems might that cause?

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.2.4 Decolonization through Maps (Decolonization in Asia and Middle East)

1. Which colonies
became
independent before
the end of World
War II in 1945?

2. Which colonies
became
independent
between 1945 and
1950?

3. Which nations had

anti-colonial revolts
or civil wars?

Map Source: Sonali Judari for the California History-Social Science Project.
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.2.5 Decolonization through Maps (US Red State / Blue State)

1. Imagine you were trying to

“decolonize” the US. Here
is a map of the political
divisions in the nation.
What problems might arise
if you divided the US
according to the Red
State/Blue State Map?

Key

Red = The Republican candidate carried the state in the 2000,

2004, 2008, & 2012 presidential elections

Pink = The Republican candidate carried the state in three of

the four most recent elections.

Purple = The Republican candidate and the Democratic

candidate each carried the state in two of the four most recent
elections.

Light blue = The Democratic candidate carried the state in

three of the four most recent elections.

Map Source: Map of Red States and Blue States in the US, created by Angr. Wikipedia Commons GNU Free Documentation Dark blue = The Democratic candidate carried the state in all
license, [Link] four most recent elections.

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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CWW2.2.6 Decolonization through Maps (Religions in India, 1909)

Editor’s Note: Use the four maps found on CWW2.2.6 – 2.2.8 to answer the questions on CWW2.2.8

Key

Pink: Hindus
Dark Brown: Sikhs
Green: Muslims
Yellow: Buddhists
Blue: Christians
Light Brown:
Animists

Source: Map of “Prevailing Religions of the

British Indian Empire, 1909,” from the Imperial
Gazetteer of India, Oxford University Press, 1909,
scanned by Fowler&fowler, 2007, Wikipedia
Commons,
[Link]
cal_Divisions_of_the_Indian_Empire,_1909.jpg

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.2.7 Decolonization through Maps (Hindus & Muslims in India, 1909)

Source: Map of “Prevailing Religions of the British Indian Empire, 1909,” from the Imperial Gazetteer of India, Oxford University Press, 1909, scanned by Fowler &fowler, 2007, Wikipedia
Commons, [Link] and [Link]

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.2.8 Decolonization through Maps (Partition of India, 1947)

Map Source: Sonali Judari for the California History-Social Science Project.
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.

1. When the British freed their colony of India in 1947, it was divided into two nations, India
and Pakistan, based on the religious identification of the majority of the population in
each area. What areas of India became Pakistan?

2. What problems might this division of South Asia into two nation-states cause?

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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CWW2.2.9 Decolonization through Maps (Three World Order, again)

1. There is another way to

look at world differences in
the period between 1947
and 1991. It is to divide the
world into the North and
the South. Which of the
three worlds would be in
the North? Which would
be in the South?

2. What were some of the

differences between the
North and South?

Map Source: Sonali Judari for the California History-Social Science Project.
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.3.2 Analyzing Country Statistics (Measuring Wealth)

Overview: GDP per capita is a measure of the Gross Domestic Product, the sum of all the goods
and services, of a nation divided by the nation’s total population. Since the GDP includes all the
money earned by all the businesses, farms, banks, etc., it measures how strong the economy of a
nation is.

In 1960, nations that were

industrialized and produced
lots of manufactured goods
had stronger economies, while
nations that produced mainly
crops or raw materials had
weaker economies (because
raw materials are worth much
less than manufactured
goods.) Nations with a larger
population usually have a
higher GDP than nations with
smaller populations, so
comparing the total GDPs for
nations only shows how rich
Egypt. Nile boat on river. Luxor. Nile from Winter Palace Hotel, Matson Photo Service, the nation is, not how rich the
1936. Source: Library of Congress,
people in the nation are.
[Link]

To get an idea of how rich the people in a nation are, statisticians divide the GDP by the
population of the nation. A high number means that the nation produces a lot and its people
have more wealth. A low number means that the nation does not produce much (in comparison
to its population), or that the goods it produces are agricultural or raw materials. A low number
can indicate that many people in the nation are poor.

Directions: Review the following chart, 1960 GDP and Population Statistics, in order to answer
questions that follow.

Editor’s note: N/A means that the country did not report this statistic to the World Bank and the
international community. Notice as well that none of the countries in the Second World
reported GDP per capita, because they considered GDP to be a capitalist measure.

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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CWW2.3.2 Analyzing Country Statistics (1960 GDP & Population)

GDP Per Passenger Population Popula- Mortality Children in

Capita Cars in Use tion Rate of Primary &
(current (in Growth Children Secondary
US$) thousands) (annual Under 5 School
%) (per 1,000
live births)
Afghanistan 56 4,600 13,800,000 N/A 358.6 187,000
Algeria 252 170,000 10,800,000 N/A 248.1 841,000
Angola N/A 30,000 4,800,000 N/A N/A 112,000
Burma/Myanmar N/A 18,000 22,300,000 N/A N/A 1,735,000
Cambodia 117 11,000 5,300,000 N/A N/A 595,000
Chile 550 58,000 7,500,000 N/A 162.7 1,405,000
China 92 N/A 662,000,000 N/A N/A 109,000,000
Congo, Dem. Rep. 223 45,000 14,000,000 2.5 N/A 1,864,000
Cuba N/A 18,000 7,000,000 N/A 50.7 1,120,000
Czechoslovakia N/A 247,000 13,600,000 1.3 N/A 2,465,000
East Germany N/A 299,000 17,200,000 N/A N/A 2,005,000
Egypt 149 71,000 25,900,000 2.6 N/A 2,663,000
Ethiopia N/A 15,000 20,700,000 2.2 N/A 250,000
France 1,343 5,546,000 45,600,000 1.2 28.9 7,201,000
Guatemala 251 26,000 3,900,000 2.7 211.2 324,000
Hungary N/A 31,300 9,900,000 0.26 60.2 1,633,000
India N/A 282,000 432,700,000 1.99 238.9 44,500,000
Indonesia N/A 103,000 92,700,000 2.42 217.8 9,697,000
Iran N/A 92,000 21,500,000 2.5 265.1 1,712,000
Japan 479 440,000 94,000,000 0.88 39.4 21,766,000
Kenya 98 39,000 8,000,000 3.06 201.4 801,000
North Korea N/A N/A 10,500,000 2.67 N/A 2,419,000
South Korea 155 13,000 25,000,000 3.15 145.8 4,455,000
Nicaragua 128 8,600 1,400,000 3.17 196.1 175,000
North Vietnam N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Pakistan 81 62,000 42,300,000 2.33 208.5 2,667,000
Philippines 257 88,000 27,300,000 3.34 N/A 4,870,000
South Africa 422 895,000 17,100,000 2.45 N/A 2,627,000
South Vietnam N/A N/A 34,000,000 1.63 N/A 1,547,000
Soviet Union N/A N/A N/A 1.46 N/A N/A

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.3.2 Analyzing Country Statistics (1960 GDP & Population, cont.)

GDP Per Passenger Population Popula- Mortality Children in

Capita Cars in Use tion Rate of Primary &
(current (in Growth Children Secondary
US$) thousands) (annual Under 5 School
%) (per 1,000
live births)
United States 2,881 61,682,000 180,600,000 1.7 30.1 39,485,000
West Germany N/A 4,489,000 55,400,000 0.78 N/A 6,513,000
Zimbabwe 281 80,000 3,800,000 3.21 154.2 541,000

Sources:
B.R. Mitchell, International Historical Statistics: The Americas, 1750-1988, Second Edition (Stockton Press, 1993).
B.R. Mitchell, International Historical Statistics: Europe, 1750-1993, Fourth Edition (Macmillan Reference Ltd, 1998).
B.R. Mitchell, International Historical Statistics: Africa, Asia & Oceania, 1750-1988, Second Revised Edition (Stockton
Press, 1995).
Peter D. Johnson and Paul R. Campbell, Detailed Statistics on the Population of South Africa, by Race and
Urban/Rural Residence: 1950-2010 (International Demographic Data Center, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington,
D.C., 1982).
World Bank Education Statistics, last updated August 2012, found at [Link]
stats.
World Bank, China: Issues and Prospects in Education (Washington, D.C., 1985).

Measuring Wealth

1. What nation had the highest GDP per capita in 1960? (Give the name of nation and the
statistic.)

2. What nation had the lowest GDP per capita? (Give the name of nation and the statistic.)

3. Make a rough average of the GDP per capita for the First and Third worlds. Then rank the
three worlds from highest GDP per capita to the lowest GDP per capita. (Put the Second
world in the middle.)

4. What does the ranking indicate about the strength of economies and the amount of wealth
in each of the Three Worlds in 1960?

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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CWW2.3.3 Analyzing Country Statistics (Passenger Cars)

Passenger Cars

The number of passenger cars in a

nation is one measure of how many
people in that nation had enough
money to buy a car, which indicates
that they were either rich or middle
class. The number of cars has to be
divided by the total population of the
nation. For example, Japan had
440,000 cars and 94,000,000 people.
We can represent these figures in the
following ratio: U.S.S.R., Moscow, temporary exhibit of Russian material, Thomas O’Halloran,
Photographer. August 5, 1959. Source: Library of Congress,
[Link]
440,000 / 94,000,000 = .005

In other words, Japan had 5 cars for every 1,000 people or 1 car for every 200 people.

1. Make a ratio of cars to population for the US in 1960.

2. Make a ratio of cars to population for East Germany in 1960.

3. Make a ratio of cars to population for Egypt in 1960.

4. Assuming the US is representative of the first world, East Germany is representative of

the second world, and Egypt is representative of the third world, what do these ratios tell
you about wealth distribution between the three world orders in 1960?

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
CWW2.3.4 Analyzing Country Statistics (Population)

Population
1. What nation had the largest population in 1960? (Give the name of nation and the
statistic.)

2. What nation (on the list) had the smallest population in 1960? What was that statistic?

3. Add together the population for each member of the first, then second, and finally third
world orders. Rank the orders from most populated (#1) to least populated (#3).

a. First World ____________

b. Second World ____________
c. Third World __________

The population growth rate measures how fast the

number of people in the nation is increasing.
Statisticians count up the number of births, deaths,
entering immigrants, and departing emigrants, and
divide that by the population to create a percentage.
A percentage around 0% means that population is
not growing. A percentage between .5 and 1.5%
means that the population is growing moderately.
2% means that the population is growing very
quickly, and there will be twice as many people in
that nation in 20 or 30 years. The higher the
percentage is, the faster the population is growing.
The lower the percentage is, the slower the
population is growing. Some nations have negative
population growth rates. This means that the
number of deaths and people leaving is greater than
the number of births.
Chicago, Illinois. Provident Hospital. Miss Irene Hill,
nurse technician, taking baby to be x-rayed, Jack
Delano, Photographer. March, 1942. Source: Library
of Congress,
[Link]

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved
 CWW2.3.4 Analyzing Country Statistics (1960 GDP & Population, cont.)

Population (continued)

4. What nation had the highest population growth rate in 1960? (Give the name of nation
and the statistic.)

5. What nation had the lowest population growth rate in 1960? (Give the name of nation
and the statistic.)

6. What nations had a growth rate of more than 2%? (Give the names of nations and the
statistics.)

7. Which world had the worst problems with population growth?

The mortality rate of children under 5

statistic measures the quality of health
care in a nation. For every 1000 babies
born alive (not including stillborn babies),
the mortality rate (or infant mortality rate)
records how many children died before
they were 5 years old. A low number
indicates good health care, and a high
number indicates poor health care
(meaning that many people do not have
access to doctors and hospitals). N/A
means that the statistic for that country
Mother with two young children in sleeping area of dwelling in
was not available, because the nation
the Kiangsu Province or Yunnan Province in China, Arthur
either did not gather the statistic, or did
Rothstein, Photographer, 1946. Source: Library of Congress,
[Link] not report it to the World Bank and other
international institutions.

8. What nation had the lowest mortality rate of children under 5 in 1960? (Give the name
of nation and the statistic.)

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
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 CWW2.3.4 Analyzing Country Statistics (1960 GDP & Population, cont.)

Population (continued)

9. What nation had the highest mortality rate of children under 5 in 1960? (Give the name
of nation and the statistic.)

10. Make a rough average of the mortality rate for each of the three worlds. Then rank the
three worlds from lowest mortality rate to highest mortality rate.
First World ________
Second World _________
Third World _________

The children in primary and secondary

school statistic is one way to measure the
quality of and access to education in a
nation. A high number of children in school
(compared to the nation’s population) means
that the nation has a good educational
system and most children attend school. A
low number of children in school (compared
to the nation’s population) means that many
children do not have access to education. It
is a difficult statistic to compare among

nations, however, because it depends on the

School children at the Paljor Namgyal Girls School, Sikkim, Alice S.
total population and the percentage of
Kandall, Photographer. January 1969. Source: Library of Congress,
children in that population. To get a rough [Link]
comparison, scan back and forth between
the population statistic and the children in school statistic.

11. List 3 nations that seem to have a high number of children in school. (Give the names of
nations and the statistic.)

12. List 3 nations that seem to have a low number of children in school. (Give the names of
nations and the statistic.)

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Cold War World Lesson #2: Decolonization
Copyright © 2013, The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved