At the end of World War II, most of the colonial countries found themselves too exhausted to oppose the demands for independence and national sovereignty emanating from the colonized regions of the world. Only France, Portugal, and the Netherlands resisted the independence movements of their colonies. The demise of the British Empire in Asia gave birth to the new nations of India, Pakistan, Bengal, Burma, and Malaysia. The partition of India into two nations, one Hindu and one Muslim, set the stage for recurring conflict between India and Pakistan. A repressive military also shaped Burma's postcolonial experience. Malaysia, despite ethnic tensions, made steady economic progress until late in the twentieth century. Indonesia and Indochina's transitions from colonialism to independence were less peaceful than the formerly British colonies. After a bloody struggle against a communist insurgency, Indonesia made the transition to a more democratic form of government, only to face further troubles from Muslim extremists. Vietnam's search for independence lasted for two and a half decades and involved a war with both the French and the United States.

The colonial powers that had once carved up Africa found themselves confronting a wave of independence movements throughout the continent. These movements would eventually free every African country, despite the resistance of the French, the British, and the Portuguese. The new states founded in the aftermath of the independence struggle confronted the challenge of unifying people of diverse ethnic groups into nations. Many African countries experienced dictatorship, regional conflicts and civil wars, and the difficulties of economic development. In the Middle East, a new sense of identity emerged from the ashes of colonialism, although the contradictions between modernization and Islamic fundamentalism brought tensions to a boil in more than one country. The creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine brought the entire region into conflict with the new state of Israel. The "Age of the Asian and African Revolutions" changed Europe's position in global history; much like the previous "Age of the Atlantic Revolutions" had transformed Europe's position in the Americas.