Setting the Stage for the Cold War and Decolonization
We would consider it our moral duty to lend all support to the ending of colonialism and imperialism so that people everywhere are free to mould
their own destiny.
—Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indian independence movement leader in the 1920s
Learning Objectives
- A: Explain the historical context of the Cold War after 1945.
After the global conflict of World War II, the largely unfulfilled hopes for
greater colonial self-government after World War I were revived. Shastri’s anti-imperialist sentiments helped explain how global affairs changed after the war ended in 1945. Colonies’ desire for independence became intertwined with a global ideological conflict between capitalist countries (led by the United States) and communist countries (led by the Soviet Union).
Sections
Bringing the War to an End
Shifting Balance of Power
The Start of the Cold War
Breakdown of Empires
Think As a Historian: THINK AS A HISTORIAN: SITUATE THE COLD WAR IN CONTEXT
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Reflect
REFLECT ON THE TOPIC ESSENTIAL QUESTION
1. In one to three paragraphs, describe the historical context for the Cold War after World War II.
AP Exam Practice
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