Causation: The Cold War and Decolonization Practice Test

Nigeria had no colonial experience, so its institutions were centuries old, and the war began solely from foreign media misinformation.

The Soviet Union annexed Biafra as a republic, forcing Nigeria to fight a war of independence against Moscow’s direct territorial expansion.

Colonial-era borders and regional inequalities contributed to ethnic and political tensions, and weak post-independence institutions struggled to manage them peacefully.

The UN immediately redrew Nigeria’s borders to match languages, so secession occurred because boundaries were too accurate and encouraged separatism.

Britain mandated secession in its constitution for Nigeria, requiring Biafra’s independence and making war unavoidable due to legal obligations.