At the same time that the Cold War was unfolding, a global independence movement was reshaping the world. Colonial rulers gradually relinquished their hold over their overseas possessions. As independence celebrations ended, new countries and governments were faced with the task of nation-building.
After winning independence, Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan pursued separate roads to modernization.
Southeast Asian nations sought independence but also fell into divisive conflicts in the decades after World War II.
As many African nations won independence in the 1950s and 1960s, they held great hopes and faced great challenges.
Three forces shaping the modern Middle East are nationalism, religious and cultural diversity, and access to resources such as oil and water