AP European History Flashcards: Decolonization

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Decolonization, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP European History.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What term describes the move of people from former colonies to European metropoles after 1945?

Answer: Postcolonial migration. Labor shortages drew millions from Caribbean, Africa, and Asia to Europe.

Flashcard 2: Which colony gained independence from Britain in 1947 after partition into two states?

Answer: British India (partition into India and Pakistan). Religious tensions led to partition along Hindu-Muslim lines.

Flashcard 3: Identify the European country that granted independence to the Congo in 1960.

Answer: Belgium. Hasty decolonization led to chaos and civil war.

Flashcard 4: What is decolonization in the context of Europe after World War II?

Answer: Transfer of imperial rule to independent states in colonies. Process where European powers granted sovereignty to their overseas territories.

Flashcard 5: Identify the Cold War dynamic that accelerated European decolonization after 1945.

Answer: US–USSR rivalry encouraged anti-imperial nationalism. Both superpowers opposed European colonialism to gain influence in new nations.

Flashcard 6: Which leader is most associated with nonviolent Indian independence from Britain?

Answer: Mohandas K. Gandhi. Led civil disobedience campaigns and promoted satyagraha (truth force).

Flashcard 7: Which Algerian nationalist organization led the struggle against French rule?

Answer: FLN (National Liberation Front). Front de Libération Nationale used guerrilla tactics against French forces.

Flashcard 8: Which 1956 crisis showed Britain and France could not act independently of the superpowers?

Answer: The Suez Crisis. US and USSR forced Anglo-French withdrawal from Egypt.

Flashcard 9: What concept describes continued economic and cultural dependence after formal independence?

Answer: Neocolonialism. Former colonies remain economically dominated by ex-colonizers.

Flashcard 10: What is neocolonialism as a post-independence pattern affecting former colonies?

Answer: Indirect control through economic and political dependence. Former colonial powers maintain influence through trade and debt.

Flashcard 11: Which 1956 crisis showed Britain and France could not act imperially without US support?

Answer: Suez Crisis. Anglo-French invasion failed when US opposed it, marking imperial decline.

Flashcard 12: Which French leader accepted Algerian self-determination and ended the war?

Answer: Charles de Gaulle. Returned to power in 1958, negotiated Evian Accords granting independence.

Flashcard 13: What term describes newly independent states aligning with neither the US nor the USSR?

Answer: Non-Alignment (Non-Aligned Movement). Sought independence from both Cold War blocs' influence.

Flashcard 14: What 1955 conference symbolized Afro-Asian solidarity and anti-colonial cooperation?

Answer: The Bandung Conference. First major gathering of Asian and African leaders against colonialism.

Flashcard 15: What is the term for the forced division of British India into two states in 1947?

Answer: Partition. Religious divisions led to massive displacement and violence during separation.

Flashcard 16: Which French colony fought a war ending with the 1954 defeat of France at Dien Bien Phu?

Answer: French Indochina (Vietnam). Ho Chi Minh's forces defeated French colonial army decisively.

Flashcard 17: What 1947 event marked the end of British rule in the Indian subcontinent?

Answer: Partition and independence of India and Pakistan. Created two nations based on religion, ending British Raj after 200 years.

Flashcard 18: Which 1954–1962 war led to Algeria's independence from France?

Answer: Algerian War of Independence. Brutal conflict with over 1 million deaths before French withdrawal.

Flashcard 19: What global institution created in 1945 provided a forum for anti-colonial claims?

Answer: United Nations (UN). Replaced League of Nations, gave colonized peoples a platform to voice grievances.

Flashcard 20: What 1954 agreement ended the First Indochina War and temporarily divided Vietnam?

Answer: The Geneva Accords (1954). Split Vietnam at 17th parallel pending reunification elections.

Flashcard 21: Identify the European empire that fought long wars to keep Angola and Mozambique until 1975.

Answer: Portugal. Last European power to decolonize, resisted until military coup at home.

Flashcard 22: Which concept best describes the creation of new states based on a shared national identity?

Answer: National self-determination. Wilson's principle became basis for dismantling empires after WWII.

Flashcard 23: Which French colony fought a major independence war from 1954 to 1962?

Answer: Algeria. FLN guerrilla warfare forced France to grant independence.

Flashcard 24: Which country's nationalization of the Suez Canal triggered the 1956 Suez Crisis?

Answer: Egypt. Nasser's action challenged Western control of this vital waterway.

Flashcard 25: What 1962 agreement ended the Algerian War and recognized Algerian independence?

Answer: The Evian Accords. De Gaulle negotiated end to brutal colonial war.

Flashcard 26: What 1954 defeat helped convince France to leave Indochina?

Answer: Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Viet Minh victory ended French colonial rule in Vietnam.

Flashcard 27: What is the term for newly independent states that avoided formal alignment in the Cold War?

Answer: Non-Aligned Movement. Third World countries sought independence from both US and Soviet blocs.

Flashcard 28: What international organization most directly legitimized postwar self-determination claims?

Answer: The United Nations (UN). Its charter supported self-determination and anti-colonial principles.

Flashcard 29: What is decolonization in the context of post-1945 European empires?

Answer: The process by which colonies gained political independence from European rule. Dismantling of European colonial empires after WWII.

Flashcard 30: Which 1974 Portuguese event helped precipitate rapid decolonization in Africa?

Answer: Carnation Revolution. Military coup overthrew dictatorship, ending colonial wars in Africa.

Flashcard 31: Which 1955 conference is commonly linked to Afro-Asian solidarity and nonalignment?

Answer: Bandung Conference. 29 Asian-African nations met in Indonesia to oppose colonialism.