World War II weakened European empires and left the United States and Soviet Union as leading powers. Independence movements pressed for self-rule.
← All units
Unit 08 · c. 1900–present
Cold War and Decolonization
Explore superpower rivalry, communist movements, independence struggles, and the challenges facing new states.
The big picture
What to know
Explore superpower rivalry, communist movements, independence struggles, and the challenges facing new states.
Colonized peoples fought for independence through protest, negotiation, and armed struggle. Strategies and outcomes differed across Africa and Asia.
Connect superpower competition and independence struggles. Explain how local and global causes shaped political change after World War II.
Check your understanding
01 / Multiple choice · 3 questions
Choose one answer for each question. Feedback appears below it.
Question 01
Which topic helps explain this development? World War II weakened European empires and left the United States and Soviet Union as leading powers. Independence movements pressed for self-rule.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
Question 02
Which topic helps explain this development? Colonized peoples fought for independence through protest, negotiation, and armed struggle. Strategies and outcomes differed across Africa and Asia.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
Question 03
Which topic helps explain this development? Connect superpower competition and independence struggles. Explain how local and global causes shaped political change after World War II.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
02 / Write with evidence
Write a short response
How did people seek power and independence after World War II?
- Make a claim that answers the question.
- Use two examples from the review.
- Explain how the examples support your claim.
See a model response
Explore superpower rivalry, communist movements, independence struggles, and the challenges facing new states. Postwar Europe was weakened economically and politically after World War II. India gained independence after a long movement using protest, negotiation, and other tactics.
Resources & review
Quick study check
Before opening another resource, explain these examples from memory. Reveal each explanation to check yourself.
Setting the Stage for the Cold War and Decolonization
World War II weakened European empires and left the United States and Soviet Union as leading powers. Independence movements pressed for self-rule.
Decolonization After 1900
Colonized peoples fought for independence through protest, negotiation, and armed struggle. Strategies and outcomes differed across Africa and Asia.
Causation in the Age of the Cold War and Decolonization
Connect superpower competition and independence struggles. Explain how local and global causes shaped political change after World War II.
Read / watchOER Project · Unit 8 ↗
Find this numbered lesson in the unit’s articles, videos, and activities.
Video / reviewKhan Academy · World History AP ↗A second explanation when you need to see a topic another way.
Official practiceAP Classroom ↗AP Daily videos and teacher-assigned topic questions. Sign in with your school AP account.
OER Project and Khan Academy may organize some lessons differently. Use the topic number on this page to match the material you need.
Explore every topic
TOPIC 8.1
Setting the Stage for the Cold War and Decolonization
World War II weakened European empires and left the United States and Soviet Union as leading powers. Independence movements pressed for self-rule.
TOPIC 8.2The Cold War
The United States and Soviet Union competed through alliances, ideology, weapons, and diplomacy without fighting a direct full-scale war against one another.
TOPIC 8.3Effects of the Cold War
Cold War rivalry shaped regional conflicts and political choices around the world. Local actors pursued their own goals within, and sometimes against, superpower pressures.
TOPIC 8.4Spread of Communism After 1900
Communist movements gained power in different regions through revolution and war. Their governments followed different paths and changed social and economic life.
TOPIC 8.5Decolonization After 1900
Colonized peoples fought for independence through protest, negotiation, and armed struggle. Strategies and outcomes differed across Africa and Asia.
TOPIC 8.6Newly Independent States
New nations faced challenges of governance, development, and national unity. Leaders debated how to build economies and navigate Cold War politics.
TOPIC 8.7Global Resistance to Established Power Structures After 1900
Movements challenged racial discrimination, political repression, and unequal rights. Their tactics and goals varied by local context.
TOPIC 8.8End of the Cold War
Economic strain, reform, and popular movements weakened Soviet control. Communist governments in Eastern Europe fell, and the Soviet Union dissolved.
TOPIC 8.9Causation in the Age of the Cold War and Decolonization
Connect superpower competition and independence struggles. Explain how local and global causes shaped political change after World War II.