The end of the British Empire

Why the empire largely ended

Tap each cause and follow its arrows. No single one did it alone — they pushed the same way at the same time.

Sort the evidence

Which factor is this evidence showing?

Pick a piece of evidence, then place it under the factor it shows. You’ll get the reason as soon as you commit.

7 of 7 still to sort.

Three factors help explain why some colonies left peacefully and others didn’t.

What you need to know

• Decolonisation is when colonies ruled by an empire win independence. By 1970, the vast majority of Britain’s colonies had done exactly that.
• Significantly weakened by the war, Britain couldn’t afford the empire — limited funds were needed at home, such as for the new NHS.
• Nationalist movements across the empire grew stronger after the war, and their demands for independence intensified.
• The USA encouraged independence movements too. It wanted newly independent countries to join its side in the Cold War.
• Prime ministers such as Attlee and Macmillan were generally more supportive of a peaceful end to empire than their predecessors.
• Macmillan’s 1960 ‘Wind of Change’ speech acknowledged that independence for Britain’s African colonies was inevitable.
• India became independent on 15 August 1947 — a key turning point that led to widespread decolonisation.
• At independence, the country was partitioned into two new states: India (majority Hindu) and Pakistan (majority Muslim).
• Cyril Radcliffe, a British lawyer who had not previously visited India, drew the new borders in just five weeks.
• Have a goRadcliffe had five weeks and had never visited India. Predict: what could go wrong when you draw a border in a hurry?

  It could split communities, families and even villages, causing confusion, violence and displacement.

  Hurried decisions by someone with little knowledge of the country created borders that cut through real communities.

• Decolonisation wasn’t a peaceful handover everywhere. Some colonies became independent relatively peacefully; many others went through violent struggles.
• Factor one: Britain’s economic or strategic interests. Valuable or strategically important territories often saw more resistance from Britain.
• Factor two: how strong and united nationalist movements were. Strong, united movements with public support usually had smoother transitions.
• Factor three: existing conflicts and deep social divisions. These made violence more likely.
• Have a goImagine a colony where Britain has little to gain, the independence movement is strong and united, and there are no deep divisions. What do the three factors predict?

  A smoother, more peaceful transition is more likely.

  Strong, united movements usually had smoother transitions, and with no high British stake or deep divisions, less is pushing towards violence.

• Jamaica gained independence peacefully on 6 August 1962. Kenya’s road was more violent, and it became independent in 1963.
• Ireland, India and Palestine all had deep divisions, and decolonisation there involved controversial partition processes and serious violence.
• Have a goA friend says, ‘Britain handed every colony over peacefully.’ Name two places from this lesson that make that claim look shaky.

  Any two of Kenya, India, Ireland and Palestine — each saw serious violence.

  Calling it peaceful oversimplifies: some colonies left relatively peacefully, but many others went through violent struggles.

• One argument says Britain bears significant responsibility for the violence of decolonisation. Historians debate that judgement.

The big picture

After the Second World War the British Empire largely ended: by 1970 the vast majority of Britain’s colonies were independent. Several causes worked together, and India’s independence in 1947 was a turning point. How each colony left depended on Britain’s interests, the strength and unity of nationalist movements and existing divisions — which is why some endings were largely peaceful and others violent.

⚠ Watch out

Treating decolonisation as one calm handover. Jamaica became independent largely peacefully, but Kenya, India, Ireland and Palestine saw serious violence — so ask the three questions of each colony instead of assuming.

Memory hook

Three questions for any colony — Want it? United? Divided? Did Britain badly want to keep it, was the independence movement strong and united, and were there deep divisions already?

Check yourself

Without scrolling back, name the three factors. Then pick Ireland, India or Palestine and say which factor fits it best — and what you would point to as proof.