4. Nations
2018 ◽
pp. 76-103
Keyword(s):
Cold War
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Most of Southeast Asia’s colonies had been created by conquest and coercion. Almost everywhere, Southeast Asians attempted to fend off European rule in every way possible. “Nations” describes the processes of resistance to colonial powers, growing nationalism, and new movements for political reform and independence. Japan’s entry to World War II changed everything. The impact of the war on Southeast Asia is explained along with the move to independence and nation-building that followed. It also outlines the effects of the Cold War, the signing of the ground-breaking Treaty of Amity and Cooperation by the ASEAN members, and the financial booms and crashes of the 1990s and 2000s.