Decolonization Quiz

Decolonization Quiz: 86 Questions on the Independence Movements of 1945–1975

From the independence of British India on August 15, 1947, to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, decolonization profoundly redrew the map of the world over three decades. The weakening of European colonial powers after World War II, the principle of self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter, and the rise of nationalist movements all converged to bring an end to the great colonial empires. This Decolonization Quiz offers 86 fact-checked questions to help you review, test yourself, or dig deeper. It's part of our History Quiz category, which covers every era from antiquity to today.

Asia: India, Indochina, Indonesia

Decolonization begins in Asia. British India gains independence on August 15, 1947, at the cost of a painful partition between India (Nehru) and Pakistan (Jinnah) that claims hundreds of thousands of lives. Sukarno's Indonesia proclaims its independence as early as August 17, 1945, recognized by the Netherlands in 1949. France becomes mired in Indochina for eight years (1946–1954) before the defeat at Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954) and the Geneva Accords, which divide Vietnam at the 17th parallel. Our easy level covers these major milestones.

The French Maghreb: Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria

Morocco and Tunisia win independence through negotiation in March 1956. Algeria, considered part of French national territory, follows a far more tragic path: the "Red All Saints' Day" of November 1, 1954, opens an eight-year war marked by the Battle of Algiers (1957), General de Gaulle's return to power (May 13, 1958), the generals' putsch (April 21, 1961), and OAS terrorist attacks, culminating in the Evian Accords (March 18, 1962) and independence (July 5, 1962). Our medium level explores these key moments.

Sub-Saharan Africa: 1960, the Year of Africa

In 1958, the referendum on the French Community lets France's sub-Saharan colonies choose their own destiny: only Sékou Touré's Guinea votes "no" and gains immediate independence. In 1960, seventeen African countries, including fourteen former French colonies, become sovereign states: Senghor's Senegal, Houphouët-Boigny's Ivory Coast, Mali, Chad, Cameroon, Madagascar. The Belgian Congo, independent as of June 30, 1960, plunges almost immediately into the Katanga crisis and the assassination of Lumumba.

Suez 1956: The End of the Great Colonial Powers

Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal on July 26, 1956, triggers a joint military intervention by France (Guy Mollet), the United Kingdom (Anthony Eden), and Israel. Combined pressure from the United States (Eisenhower) and the USSR (Khrushchev) forces an end to the operation in November 1956. It's a major diplomatic humiliation for Paris and London: decolonization is now unstoppable. Our hard level tackles these geopolitical stakes.

Bandung, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Third World

The Bandung Conference (Indonesia, April 18–24, 1955) brings together 29 newly independent Afro-Asian states. It condemns colonialism and lays the groundwork for an alternative path between the two Cold War blocs. The Non-Aligned Movement is officially founded in Belgrade in September 1961 by Tito, Nehru, and Nasser. The term "Third World," coined by demographer Alfred Sauvy in 1952, refers to these poor, newly decolonized countries, by analogy with the Third Estate of the French Revolution.

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