South East Asia 1960 CE

What is happening in South East Asia in 1960CE

This region has experienced a huge amount of upheaval over the past few decades. Colonial rule by the European powers and the USA lasted intact until World War 2. Then, the Japanese occupied most of South East Asia, and many areas saw fierce fighting between the Allies and the Japanese.

After the war, European efforts to re-establish control over their colonies failed. Indonesia became independent from the Dutch in 1949, and nationalist insurrections in French Indochina led to Cambodia and Laos being granted independence by France in 1949, and Vietnam being divided between the communist North and anti-communist South (1954). The British gave Burma independence in 1948, and after putting down a major communist insurgency, Malaya in 1957. Singapore became a British crown colony in 1959, with self rule. The Philippines had been granted self-government by the USA in 1934, but full independence had to wait until until 1946, after the Japanese occupation during World War 2.

Next map, South East Asia in 2005