World : Decolonisation
Short Questions
1. What was the Atlantic Charter?
Answer: A document by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt stating that nations should have the right to self-determination.
2. When did Maldives gain independence?
Answer: Maldives became independent on 26th July 1965.
3. Who led the Indian freedom movement mentioned in the document?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.
4. What was the Bandung Conference?
Answer: A 1955 conference in Indonesia discussing Afro-Asian problems and promoting world peace.
5. Who introduced the concept of African Unity?
Answer: H.S. Williams.
6. When did Sri Lanka become independent?
Answer: Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948.
7. What was the role of the League of Nations in decolonisation?
Answer: It introduced a trustee system for colonies of defeated nations like Germany and Turkey.
8. Who was appointed Vice President in Myanmar by the British?
Answer: Aung San.
9. Which African countries were independent before World War II?
Answer: Liberia and Ethiopia.
10. What was the Pan-African Congress?
Answer: A series of meetings to promote African unity and independence.
Long Questions
1. Why did decolonisation happen quickly in Asia and Africa in the 20th century?
Answer: Decolonisation was fast due to conflicts among European colonisers, the impact of World Wars, and strong anti-colonial movements. The Atlantic Charter supported self-determination, and European powers like Britain and France weakened, granting independence to colonies.
2. How did the Atlantic Charter influence the decolonisation process?
Answer: The Atlantic Charter, signed by Churchill and Roosevelt, promised self-determination for all nations. This inspired colonies to demand independence, weakened European justification for colonisation, and boosted global support for decolonisation.
3. Explain the role of the Bandung Conference in decolonisation.
Answer: The 1955 Bandung Conference united Asian and African nations to discuss common issues like colonialism and economic challenges. It promoted mutual cooperation, world peace, and strengthened independence movements across both continents.
4. How did the British rule impact Sri Lanka’s path to independence?
Answer: The British ruled Sri Lanka from 1798 to 1948, developing ports and plantations but facing uprisings. They introduced education and encouraged Buddhist studies, which fostered nationalism, leading to independence in 1948.
5. What was the significance of the Pan-African Congresses?
Answer: The Pan-African Congresses, starting in 1900, united African leaders to promote African unity and fight colonialism. They spread nationalism and inspired independence movements, especially after the 1945 Manchester Congress.
6. Why did Myanmar experience three wars with the British?
Answer: Myanmar’s expansionist policies threatened British India by conquering Assam and Manipur. This led to three wars (1826, later 19th century, and 1885), with Britain winning each, eventually annexing Myanmar as a province.
7. How did World War II contribute to African decolonisation?
Answer: World War II weakened European powers like Britain and France, who began granting rights to African colonies. Nationalism grew, inspired by global independence movements, leading to many African nations gaining freedom by 1965.
8. Describe the process of Maldives’ independence from colonial powers.
Answer: Maldives was under Portuguese, Dutch, and British rule, paying tributes and hosting British bases. Indian labourers worked there. A treaty signed in Colombo on 26th July 1965 granted Maldives independence.
9. How did education influence African independence movements?
Answer: European education introduced African leaders to ideas of nationalism, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution. This awareness inspired them to organise independence movements against colonial rule in the mid-20th century.
10. Why did the end of World War II speed up decolonisation globally?
Answer: World War II exhausted European colonisers, reducing their control. The rise of nationalism, support from the United Nations, and the Atlantic Charter’s principles encouraged colonies in Asia and Africa to gain independence quickly.
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