Decolonization of Asia
The decolonization of Asia was the gradual growth of independence movements in Asia, leading ultimately to the retreat of foreign powers and the creation of a number of nation-states in the region. Background. The decline of Spain and Portugal in the 17th century paved the way for other European powers, namely the Netherlands, France and England. Portugal would lose influence in all but three of its colonies, Portuguese India, Macau and Timor. By the end of the 17th century, the Dutch had taken over much of the old Portuguese colonies, and had established a strong presence  in present-day Indonesia, with colonies in Aceh, Bantam, Makassar and Jakarta. The Dutch also had trade links with Siam, Japan, China and Bengal. The British had competed with Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch for their interests in Asia since the early 17th century and by the mid-19th century held much of India (via the British East India Company), as well as Burma, Ceylon, Malaya and Singapore. After The Indian Rebellion of 1857, Queen Victoria was declared Empress of India, thus solidifying the British rule on the subcontinent. The last British acquisition in Asia was the New Territories of Hong Kong , which was leased from the Qing emperor in 1897, expanding the British colony originally ceded in the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. The French had little success in India following defeats against the British in the 17th century, though they held onto possessions on the east coast of India (such as Pondicherry and Mahar) until decolonization. The French established their most lucrative and substantial colony in Indochina from 1862, eventually occupying the present-day areas of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia by 1887. Japan's first colony was the island of Taiwan, occupied in 1874 and officially ceded by the Qing  emperor in 1894. Japan continued its early imperialism with the annexation of Korea in 1910. The United States entered the region in 1898 during the Spanish–American War, taking the Philippines as its sole colony through a mock battle in the capital and the purchase of the Philippines from Spain after the declaration of independence and the First Philippine Republic. Asian colonies from the 17th century to the end of the Second World War. The following list shows the colonial powers following the end of World War II in 1945, their colonial or administrative possessions and date of decolonization. Individual  countries. Burma. "See Burma's colonial era." Burma was almost completely occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War. Many Burmese fought alongside Japan in the initial stages of the war, though the Burmese Army and most Burmese switched sides in 1945. A transitional government sponsored by the British government was formed in the years following the Second World War, ultimately leading to Burma's independence in January 1948. Cambodia. "See Cambodia's passage to independence." Following the capitulation of France and the formation of the Vichy regime, France's Indochinese possessions were given to Japan. While  there was some argument that Indochina should not be returned to France, particularly from the United States, Cambodia nevertheless remained under French rule after the end of hostilities. France had placed Norodom Sihanouk on the throne in 1941, and were hoping for a puppet monarch. They were mistaken however, as the King led the way to Cambodian independence in 1953, taking advantage of the background of the First Indochina War being fought in Vietnam. Ceylon. "See Ceylon and independence." Ceylon was an important base of operations for the Western Allies during the Second World War. The British gave in to  popular pressure for independence and in February 1948, the country won its independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. Hong Kong. Hong Kong was returned to the United Kingdom following its occupation by the Japanese during the Second World War. It was controlled directly by a British governor until the expiry of the ninety-nine-year lease of the New Territories, which occurred in 1997. From that date the territory was returned to People's Republic of China and controlled as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Philippines. The Philippines unilaterally declared independence from Spain on  12 June 1898 under the leadership of President Emilio Aguinaldo, culminating the 1896 Revolution. Unbeknownst to the newly established government and the Filipino people in general, the United States of America had secretly arranged to purchase the colony along with several other possessions from Spain through the Treaty of Paris that concluded the Spanish–American War. After staging a mock battle in Manila, the Philippine–American War ensued until the Philippine government capitulated in 1902. The Philippines subsequently underwent successive stages of rule under the United States, first as an unincorporated territory, then as a Commonwealth. It was then occupied  by the Japanese during the Second World War. In 1943, Japan granted its short-lived independence to the Philippines and in 1944, the Allied invasion of the Philippines by combined U.S. and Filipino troops began, which resulted in America regaining full control of the nation. In 1946, the United States gave the Philippines its independence. Timeline. The "colonial power" and "colonial name" columns are merged when required to denote territories, where current countries are established, that have not been decolonised but achieved independence in different ways. Soviet Union. The 9 states may be divided into the following five regional categories . The distinguishing traits of each region result from geographic and cultural factors as well as their respective historical relations with Russia. Not included in these categories are the several de facto independent states presently lacking international recognition (read below: Separatist conflicts). List of European colonies in Asia. British colonies in South Asia, East Asia, And Southeast Asia: French colonies in South and Southeast Asia: Dutch, British, Portuguese colonies and Russian territories in Asia: Asian colonies from the 17th century to the end of the Second World War Japan. The following list shows the colonial powers following the end of World  War II in 1945, their colonial or administrative possessins and date of decolonization. Other occupied World War 2 islands: