Decolonization

BeThe decolonization wave during the 20th century was marked by the gradual relinquishment of colonial control by major European powers, including Spain, France, Great Britain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. This process was driven by the rise of national republicanism, geopolitical pressures, and internal strife within the colonial territories.

African decolonization during the Silent War. Map art by JVFreitas

Spain led the decolonization process by releasing its remaining East Indies holdings after the country's transition to a republic in 1929. France was forced to decolonize some of their colonies after the Great War (1935-1939). Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Great Britain, fearing dissatisfaction among its colonies and the spread of national republicanism, granted independence to its territories while maintaining economic and diplomatic influence through trade deals and membership in the Organization of Democratic Nations (ODN). Portugal lost control of Portuguese Guinea, Iorubaland, and Borgu due to civil unrest and political upheaval but managed to retain Angola, Mozambique, and Namibia. The Netherlands faced challenges in its colonial territories as well, with the Cape Republic gaining independence in 1855.

Timeline

Africa

Date	Colonizer	New entity	Description
1855	The Netherlands	Cape Republic	Declared & won independence from the Dutch.
1933	Spain	Morocco	Morocco gained independence after renegotiating its protectorate status with Spain in 1933.
1938	France	Kirignaga-Loloue	Declared in 1938 by the Parti Communard de Kirignaga. Merger of the French colonies of Kirignaga and Loloue in East Africa.
1939	France	Abyssinia	France forced to recognize the independence of its former east African colonies in the aftermath of the Great War.
		Somalia
1942	Britain and Portugal	Malagasy National Republic	Established in 1942, the Malagasy Nat. Rep. would fight against the British and Portuguese, and their Sackalava and St. Lucian allies until they gain full control of the island in 1949.
1943	Britain	Umongo	Also known as the Mongo National Republic. Formerly the British Mongoland Protectorate.
1945	Britain	Uruwa	Also known as the Luba National Republic. Formerly the British Lubaland Protectorate.
1948	Sweden	Guinean Union	Formerly Swedish Guinea. Gained independence as a federation, at the behest of the Swedish Republican government, following the abolition of the Swedish monarchy.
1949	Britain	Natalia	Formerly the Natal Colony. Natalia was given the mandate of the Cislikwa protectorates.
1953	Genoa	Genoese Guinea joins Guinean Union
1953	Britain	Congo Federation	A federation consolidating the former colony of British Congo, and the Baboaland and Legaland protectorates. The new state would soon fall under a British-backed dictatorship.
1953	Britain	Gambia	Gained independence as a republic.
1956	Spain	Spanish Guinea joins Iorubaland
1957	Britain	Algeria	Gained dominionship as separate entities.
		Numidia
1958	Britain	Equatoria	British dominion.
1958	Britain	Sierra Leone
1959	Britain	Dominion of Mandeland	The Colony of Mandeland becomes a self-governing dominion.
1960	Britain	East Africa	Formerly British East Africa.
1961	Portugal	Kongo
1961	Britain	Republic of Gimbala
1961	Britain	Sultanate of Dar Runga
1961	Portugal	Borgu	Formerly Portuguese Guinea. The colony was split into Borgu and Iorubaland.
		Iorubaland
1962	Britain	Salvatia	The Colony of Salvatia becomes a self-governing dominion under the influence of the Anglican Salvatian elite.
1962	Britain	Soudan (then known as Nubia)	Gained independence as a liberal republic, but soon fell under a Russian-backed dictatorship.
1964	Britain	United States of Manden	The Dominion gains full sovereignty as a republic.
1964	East Africa	Unyamwezi	Established at the end of the Nyamwezi revolts (1957-1964) that ended in their independence as the Nyamwezi National Republic (or Unyamwezi).
		Abanyiginia	Gained independence as a National Republic after the Abanyiginia National Republican revolts.
1964	Portugal	Urunda	The inland Portuguese Zambezian protectorates gain independence through the Zambezian accords, signed in 1961.
		Columbemba
		Maravi
		Rozvi
		Butua
		Barotseland
1965	East Africa	Rukwa	Founded by Rukwan national republicans. Recognized independent after East Africa could no longer keep control of Rukwa.
1976	The Netherlands	Accany	Became a dominion in 1967. Gained absolute independence in 1976 as the Republic of Accany.
1976	Portugal	Mozambique	Mozambique was recognized as independent after the 1976 Act of Free Will. After two years, the nationalists took power and established a dictatorship, expelling Portuguese settlers from the country.
		Angola	Became independent after the 1976 Act of Free Will.
		Namibia	Became independent after the 1976 Act of Free Will.

Americas

Date	Colonizer	New entity	Description
1795	TheNetherlands	Netherlands	Declared independence in response to Prince William V's orders to hand over sovereignty to Great Britain during the French occupation of the Netherlands
1793	France	Kingdom of France in the Americas (New France)	Established as the Bourbon Kingdom of France in exile. Recognized the republic of France in 1883.
1839	Spanish Empire	Paraguay	Established as an independent republic in 1839, recognized as independent by Spain in 1846.
1842	Spanish Empire	Colombia	Established as an independent republic after the Colombian revolution.
1845	Portugal	Bahia Republic	Declared independence in 1836 but recognized by Portugal in 1845.
1846	Portugal	Riograndense Republic	Recognized by treaty in 1846.
1852	Britain	Virginia	Declared independence from Great Britain during the 2nd Anglo-Virginian war.
1855	The Netherlands	South Tussenland	Established during the South Tussenland Revolution amid the 2nd Dutch-Spanish war after a successful slave revolt.
1861	The Netherlands	Dominion of Tussenland	Established as a self governing dominion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1861 after the Tussenland upheavals. In 1905 with the writing of a new constitution, declared full independence and cut ties with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
1861	France	Saint-Domingue	Declared independence in 1861, recognized by France in 1862.
1881	Spanish Empire	Mexico	Former Viceroy of New Spain, Jorge González de Güemes y Horcasitas declared the Empire of Mexico following a popular coup.
1914	Britain	New England	Established as a self-governing commonwealth by the Home Rule in America Act. Severed ties with the crown and Great Britain in 1937.
1914	Britain	Carolina	Established as a self-governing commonwealth by the Home Rule in America Act.
1934	Spain	Puerto Rico	Gained independence through a referendum, following the Spanish Republican Revolution.
1948	Britain	Guiana	Established as a self-governing dominion.
1949	Britain	Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos Islands (BTC)
1952	Genoa	Mahe joins Carnatic
1956	Britain	West Indies Union	Martinique and other Francophone islands would later secede and form the Antilles Federation in 1963.

Asia

Date	Colonizer	New entity	Description
1935	Spain	Viet-Nam	Gained independence through referendums in 1935, following the Spanish Republican revolution.
		Philippines
		Timor
1938	Britain	Jambudweep	The Republic of Jambudweep was declared in 1939 in the midst of the Great War. Their war for independence was fought from 1938 until Britain recognized their independence in 1944.
1938	Britain	Erawati	Formerly the Konbaung Protectorate (Burma). Declared independence during the Great War with Siamese and nominal Russian support.
1939	Britain	Tibet	Declared independence in 1939 in the wake of the weakening British presence in India.
		Nepal
		Kamarupa
		Bhotan
		Sikkim
1939	France	Kampuchea	France forced to recognize the independence of its former Asian colonies in the aftermath of the Great War.
1940	Britain	Balochistan	A Balochi khanate led by the Khan of Kalat. Independence was recognized by Britain on 4 March 1940.
1944	Britain	Carnatic

Europe

Date	Colonizer	New entity	Description
1925	Britain	Dominion of Ireland	Established as a self-governing dominion under the British crown.
1945	Britain	Iceland

Oceania

Date	Colonizer	New entity	Description
1936	France	Australie	Declared independence during the Great War. Officially recognized by France in the Congress of Amsterdam (1939).
1948	Britain	Georgia	Established as a self-governing dominion.
1959	Genoa	Niue	Declared independence in 1966 after the economic and political crisis in Genoa (1950s).
		Tonga	Declared independence in 1966 after the economic and political crisis in Genoa (1950s).