The end of the British Empire in the 20th century
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall that in the latter half of the 20th century the British Empire began to collapse with many nations being granted independence.
Key learning points
- After WW2, the British Empire began to collapse in the face of nationalist and independence movements.
- India was granted independence in 1947 following the violent partition of India and Pakistan.
- In 1956, President Nasser of Egypt took control of the Suez Canal which resulted in a failed invasion from Britain.
- In 1957, Kwame Nkrumah led the successful campaign for Ghanaian independence.
- After a brutal and violent suppression of the Mau Mau Rebellion, Kenya was granted independence in 1963.
Keywords
Decolonisation - the process by which colonies of the British Empire gradually achieved independence from Britain during the course of the 20th century
Nationalist - a person who wants their country to be politically independent
Partition - to divide into parts
Rebellion - an act of rising up against rulers or authority
Common misconception
Decolonisation happened everywhere at once.
Decolonisation happened in different places at different points throughout the 20th century, for reasons specific to each area's context.
Teacher tip
Encourage students to know that decolonisation happened differently in different places at different times, depending on the specific context and history of the region.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was the cause of significant migration from Ireland to Britain in the 19th century?
Q2.Why did some Indian lascars migrate to Britain in the 19th century?
Q3.What negative experiences did some migrants to Britain have to suffer?
Q4.In 1290, what group of migrants were expelled from England?
Q5.What word means treating people badly because of their ethnicity, religion, political beliefs or identity?
Q6.Which colonies did some British citizens migrate to during the 19th and early 20th centuries?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is the best definition of decolonisation?
Q2.What is the word for a person who wants their country to be politically independent?
Q3.What led to Britain withdrawing from the Suez Canal?
Q4.Who won an election in 1951 despite being in prison?
Q5.For how long did the Mau Mau Rebellion last?
Q6.Put the following events in chronological order.
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The end of the British Empire in the 20th century, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The end of the British Empire in the 20th century, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Britain: Migration, empires and the people - c790 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.