How did the world react when India became independent in 1947? #history #india #ww2

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]How did the world react when India became independent in 1947? Britain's loss of India shocked the world because it marked the beginning of the end for the British Empire. America was mostly supportive since India became a democracy and Washington hoped it could help limit communist influence in Asia.

[00:00:14]But the US later grew frustrated when India refused to fully side with either block during the Cold War and chose non-alignment instead. France quietly enjoyed seeing Britain weaken, but also feared India's independence would inspire anti-colonial movements across its own empire. China was still in the middle of a civil war at the time, but after the communists took power in 1949, Beijing began viewing India as a regional rival competing for influence in Asia. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union was initially cautious about India's democratic system, but eventually built closer ties with New Delhi as relations between India and the West became more complicated.