The year 1957 was important in the colonized and formerly colonized world as they showed their power against former colonial powers. Malaya and Ghana received their independence.Singapore was promised its independence, while India and Pakistan celebrated the ten year anniversary of their freedom. The promise of working together among formerly colonized people continued as the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Conference took place in Cairo. Former colonies  envisioned a future separate from their former colonizers and a part from the Cold War. The Suez Crisis continued to influence the world as the Egyptians reopened the canal to international shipping. The crisis forced the British Prime Minister Anthony Eden to resign and was replaced by Harold Macmillan.

Between 1947 and 1964, countries throughout Africa and Asia received their independence. Despite the optimism that was associated with independence, the process of decolonization and subsequent self-rule brought violence and bloodshed, along with continued economic exploitation. For many, life did not improve despite  promises from politicians. The Chinese suffered under the rule of Mao, Africans struggled under authoritarian rulers, and many in India and Pakistan wondered what their lives would be like in new countries. Many anti-colonial leaders had studied abroad and were among the most educated in their colonized nations. These leaders were multilingual, possessed strong ties abroad, and developed strategic  connections with each other. Historians have debated if colonies themselves won their independence or imperial countries viewed their possessions as more of a burden than an advantage. Many colonies were politically and economically insignificant or were no longer worth the cost of ruling. In many cases, connections between the conservative colonial elites and the metropole would ensure close ties, including political influence and continued trade after independence, so there was little need to maintain formal political control. Finally, what did independence actually mean to ethnic or racial minorities, women or the poor? Did their lives transform after independence or did economic and political subjection, along with the denial of political power, remain?