Iraq

In 1918, the territory that is now Iraq became controlled by Britain decreed the
creation of the State of Iraq and Transjordan and appointed as its ruler King Faysal
I who, in 1932, managed to negotiate the independence of the country was admitted
as member State in the League of Nations.

In the next two decades, Iraq faced political instability by clashes between
nationalists and pro-British leaders. Finally, in 1958, the Iraqi military led by Abd alKarim Qasim gave a coup and established the Iraqi Republic aligned itself with the
Soviet Union and adopted a policy against the West.

India

India was the largest colony of the British Empire and therefore Sepoy Mutiny after
1857, came under the direct control of the British Crown. However, Hindus and
Muslims who lived there began to demand their independence and as a result
emerged in 1885, the Indian National Congress Party.

Initially, this party defended the need for democratic reforms under British rule. Then
in 1905 he asked Swaraj or self-government and, in 1920, adopted the strategy,
devised by Mahatma Gandhi, to seek independence. Gradually, the party won more
followers

and

since

1929

was

led

by

Sri

Pandit

Jawaharlal

Nehru.

Between 1930 and 1945, Gandhi and Nehru mobilized millions of people, with the
strategy of passive resistance campaigns colonial rule, through tactics of
noncooperation and civil disobedience. The British responded to these actions by
arrests and repression of the civilian population. Even Gandhi was arrested on
several

occasions

from

1922

to

1924,

1930-1931,

1932,

1942-1944.

With the end of World War II, the British Empire said that power would be transferred
to Indian hands. At this point, Gandhi ordered a halt to the fight, which he managed
to release about 100,000 political prisoners and, on July 1, 1947, India gained its
independence. However, the discord between Hindus and Muslims made the
country split in August of that year and the emergence of the state of Pakistan.