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The Dutch lose control over most of Indonesia to the Japanese. When the Japanese withdrew upon their defeat in WWII, Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands, leading to a 4-year war in an attempt to re-establish control over Indonesia.
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After WWII, Italian King Emmanual III attempted to resurrect the monarchy. When the matter was put to a popular referendum vote, the monarchy was abolished.
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Italy officially relinquishes control of Libya.
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United Kingdom grants Indian independence. Partitioned into Hindu and Muslim states (India and Pakistan respectively), which would result in a massive population exchange, and continued violence between the two.
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Communist Yugoslavia breaks from the Soviet Union, refusing to remain part of its integrated economical and military system.
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris
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The Netherlands officially recognize independence in 1949 after the Indonesian War of Independence. At this point, the Dutch Empire consists of only the Netherland Antilles, a small group of islands in the Caribbean off the coast of South America.
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The USSR refuses to allow East Germany to be combined with West Germany. establishing a communist East Germany state. Federal Republic of Germany was set up under the oversight of the Western Allies (U.S., U.K., France), which became known as West Germany, claiming sovereignty over all of Germany, but ruling only the Western Allied-occupied zones.
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United Kingdom Grants Independence to Sudan.
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United Kingdom Grants Independence to Jamaica.
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Before 1961, skilled workers left East Berlin (Soviet-occupied) to find employment in West Berlin, due to higher salaries and to escape political suppression. Berlin was located deep within East Germany, but was divided between the USSR and the Western Allies. The Soviets recognized the problems of losing the majority of the skilled workers in East Berlin, therefore constructed the wall dividing the city in two, and drastically reducing the outflow of East Germans to West Germany.
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The USSR begins to build missile bases in Cuba. The U.S. threatens military action. The USSR backs off with a non-invasion concession from the U.S., and the agreement that U.S. missiles in Turkey would be removed.
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1963 demonstration in which more than 200,000 people rallied for economic equality and civil rights.
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Nuclear powers agree to begin the process of destroying stockpiles of nuclear weapons, as part of non-proliferation agreement.
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Australia and New Zealand also cut last remaining constitutional ties with UK.