For the sake of transparency, I'd like to admit that I am a first year college student working on a paper for school. I have read through the rules and am not looking to step on anyone's toes but I would appreciate some help understanding the time period more and developing my thesis. If there is an issue I will move my post to /r/HomeworkHelp but I thought coming to historians first might be more productive.
My class has gone over the colonization of the new world, Africa, and Asia. We recently past WWI and WWII and are discussing decolonization. We also previously discussed arguments in favor of Colonization and the rise of European nationalism. It is now my job to research and develop an argument related to decolonization but tie it back to European nationalism. I am thinking of arguing that the rise in anti-colonial nationalism and the desire for self determination brought about conflict in Asia such as the Vietnam war and the splitting of India and Pakistan.
I have done some research already. I have three books, two of which I feel pertain a bit more with my argument.
A Heroic People: Memoirs from the Revolution. 2d ed. Hanoi: Foreign Languages Pub. House, 1965.
Ho Chi Minh on Revolution: Selected Writings, 1920-66. New York: New American Library, 1968.
Mende, Tibor, and Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru: Conversations on India and World Affairs. New York: G. Braziller, 1956.
these online texts: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/ho-chi-minh/works/1952/01/x01.htm https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/asia-and-africa
and my text book:
Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World, 2nd Ed.,: .. a Brief Global History with Sources. 2nd ed. S.l.: Bedford Bks St Martin'S, 2013.
From what I gather, there was unrest over foreign control and the desire for self determination after how poorly colonies were handled during and after the wars. People wanted autonomy but there was resistance to give up power from Britain, Germany (due to the horrible economic collapse after WWI), and France but the US pressured them to release their hold on their colonies. This then lead to the rise in anti-colonial nationalism which fueled conflict between European powers and their colonies. I can relate this back to European nationalism that spurred competition and encouraged imperialism.
Does this make historical sense or is there something I'm completely off about? Are there any other sources you would encourage me to read? I am not a history major but any criticism is welcome
In pakistan and india (aka southasia), people were rabidly anti english, but they were distracted when the british drew a few lines on a map and ran off.
if you ask most southasians in southasia who the most evil country was in the last two centuries, they'd say britain, hands down. Hitler would be number 9-10 on the list, if not further down.