In this unit, you read about transitions of power and the formation of newly independent nations in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. Some of these transitions were peaceful, while others caused long-term instability. Why do you think some countries were more successful than others with political transitions? What do you think were the biggest challenges facing newly independent countries? Would it have been possible for leaders to prevent these problems before they happened? Why or why not?

In modern History, there are two phases of decolonization: first, an early stage in which Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Americas got their independence at the beginning of the 19th century. Second, after WWII, most British, French, Belgian and other European powers colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East got their independence.

Through this process of decolonization, some countries were relatively more successful than others due to different variables and characteristics. Decolonization, in general terms, is a complex and violent process in which new nations are created. It involves the creation and imposition of nationalities based on ethnic and religious elements, one common language, the suppression of cultural and religious minorities. Moreover, many of the newly independent countries in Africa and the Middle East were established according to the borders created by the European colonizers, which did not have into account the local borders between ethnic groups and local cultures. Also, the fact that decolonization took place during the Cold War added more political conflict to this complex process, many new countries lied on one of the two sides of the global conflict. For all these reasons, it would have been very difficult for leaders to prevent these problems before they happened. Gandhi tried to avoid an eventual conflict between Muslims and Hindus, but he could not and the division between India and Pakistan happened very soon.

Long-term instability born from the formation of newly independent countries can be seen today in the ongoing conflicts between India and Pakistan, Israel and Palestinian people, permanent instability in the Middle East, and failed states in Sub-Saharan Africa.

On the other side, examples of successful transitions can be seen in the Persian Gulf countries, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which could establish strong states and stable societies without going through big challenges and conflicts. In this case, it is due to the fact that these countries lack heterogeneous societies that were present in other Middle Eastern countries, in African countries or India.

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