Decolonization of Africa
The wave of African independence movements following WWII that transformed 50+ colonies into independent nations between 1945–1994.
Preceding Causes
WWII weakening European powers, African nationalism, UN Charter self-determination principles, Cold War US-Soviet competition for African allies.
Historical Consequences
Creation of 54 independent African states, ongoing legacy of colonial borders and institutions, and continued economic dependency.
South African Independence
South Africa's journey from British dominion (1910) through the apartheid era (1948-1994) to democratic nation, culminating in Nelson Mandela's election as the first Black president in the country's first fully democratic elections (April 1994).
Rwandan Genocide
Over approximately 100 days beginning April 7, 1994, Hutu extremists and militia (Interahamwe) systematically slaughtered an estimated 500,000–800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu civilians.