Answer to Question #263074 in History for GeraldA

Question

1.    What are some of the “contradictions” of European countries trying to maintain their colonial empires after the end of WWII?

2.    How did Gandhi successfully discredit the British Empire and help to force the end of British rule in India?

3.    Summarize in your own words the main points of the UNESCO Statement on Race. Why is this such an important statement at the time?

Answer 1

Question 1

Between 1945 and 1960, three dozen new Asian and African governments gained autonomy or complete independence from European colonial masters. There was no single decolonization process. Some European countries embraced a new relationship with their former colonies, while others militarily opposed decolonization.

Question 2

Gandhi's approach to societal reform was more intriguing than any of these aspects suggest. His capacity to bring together many organizing methods makes him such a remarkable character to study in the history of social movements.

Question 3

The UNESCO Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, issued in 1978, stated that "all peoples of the world possess equal faculties for attaining the highest level in intellectual, technical, social, economic, cultural, and political development," and that "the differences between the achievements of different peoples are entirely unjustified."