Category Story of Nations

          Japan was ruled by various emperors and warlords before the 19th century. Things started to change in the 19th century as Japan aimed to expand its borders to become a powerful empire. It waged wars with China and Russia. Japan occupied many territories including Korea by the end of the 1900s.

         The Great Wars of the world marked an important chapter in the history of Japan. In the First World War, Japan sided with the US and attacked German colonies; the country then had trade ties with the US. Things took a turn when Japan chose to side with the Axis powers in World War II; Japan, along with Italy and Germany stood against the Allies and gained control over most of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

         In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. This angered the US and the very next day, it declared war against Japan. The US responded by bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the first ever atomic bombs, killing millions of people and permanently damaging their environment. Japan surrendered in 1945 after the bombing and was occupied by the US till 1952.

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          The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly known as the Soviet Union, was the largest country when it existed. We now have 15 independent states in its place including Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Russia. How did the Soviet Union take shape? Why did it collapse? Let’s take a look.

It all started in today’s Russia. Long before, Russia was a part of the Mongol Empire and was later ruled by the tsars. After long years of tsarist rule, people became unhappy about their rulers which paved the way for a revolution.

          Under the leadership of Lenin, the people of Russia rebelled against their rulers eventually overthrowing the tsarist ruler Nicholas II. This happened in 1917 and is known as the Bolshevik Revolution. Lenin set up a communist rule after the revolution, forming the USSR.

          After Lenin, Joseph Stalin ruled the USSR from 1929 for more than twenty years. His rule was marked by terror and violence. Personal freedom was restricted to a great extent and people were not allowed to protest. The people were fed up of communism.

          In the 1980s, Gorbachev became the president. He granted more freedom to the states and its people. Around the same time, some republics started to demand independence. By the 1990s, most of the states broke free from the Soviet Union and became a part of a Commonwealth of Independent States.

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As their flag shows, Bhutan is known as the Land of Thunder Dragon. Squeezed between India and China, Bhutan is a tiny country in Asia which gives more importance to Gross National Happiness rather than Gross Domestic Product. It is also the first country to ban the production and sale of tobacco.

Bhutan was ruled by the Tibetans in the 1500s. It is one of the last surviving Himalayan kingdoms. The country was protected by the British from the 1800s. Though it gained independence in 1949, Bhutan maintains strong diplomatic ties with India. India manages its foreign affairs and helped develop infrastructure. Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy in 2008 and its king is known as the Dragon King.

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          Mustafa Kemal, a military leader turned president is fondly known as Ataturk or the Father of Turks. Like our Gandhiji, his face is printed on the Turkish currency notes.

          Turkey gained independence and became a republic in 1923. Mustafa Kemal who became the president abolished the existing legal system and made the country secular. Women were granted voting rights. His efforts to raise the country to the status of a modern nation gave him the title ‘Ataturk’.

          Turkey was ruled by several empires including the Greeks, Persians, Romans and Seljuks. Turkey was at the height of its glory during the reign of the Ottoman Empire.

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          The name Persia is familiar to us from the tales of the Arabian Nights. Persian carpet is still a favourite household accessory and Persian architecture and crafts are still very famous. But where actually is Persia? Modern day Iran was called Persia.

          Iran was invaded by Genghis Khan in the 1200s and Mongol rule was later replaced by the Safavid dynasty. Russia and Britain then competed to take control over Persia during the 1800s.

          The country was a monarchy and flourished under the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in the 1900s. The developing oil industry paved way to economic improvements; but not everyone welcomed this development. Under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shah was overthrown. This movement is known as the Iranian Revolution. The revolution was a period of chaos, limited freedom and strict religious laws. Life in Iran during the revolution was portrayed in Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis.

          The 1980s saw a war between Iran and Iraq over oil. After the war, a new government came to power in the 1990s.

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          Saddam Hussein’s rule of Iraq was marked by wars. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait led to the Gulf War which it lost. Oil was a huge element in these invasions and Iraq had caused considerable damage to Kuwait by the end of the war. The UN imposed a ban on oil from Iraq. This was to make sure that Iraq pays reparation to Kuwait. The ban was largely in effect till 2003.

          Iraq is an Arab state which was first ruled by Sumerians. They were followed by the Persians, Greeks, Arabs and Turks who conquered the land and established empires. Britain took some control over Iraq after them. The country got independence in 1932. Oil was discovered after 1950 which brought prosperity to the land.

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          The Arabs of Anaza built a port in Kuwait Bay in the 1700s which is now known as Kuwait city. Until then, this land was uninhabited. The Turks tried to invade the port and the local people sought protection from the British. Britain took the responsibility of Kuwait’s defence up until the 1960s. The country became independent then.

          Oil has brought riches to the country since 1946. It also provided jobs to a lot of migrants, especially from India. The people of Kuwait led a peaceful life till the 90s when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Kuwait was accused of taking away Iraq’s petroleum; this accusation was followed by invasion. The troops from the US and UK drove out the Iraqis. Iraq responded with bombings and many oil wells were set on fire.

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          Some countries in the Middle East suddenly bagged attention as they had rich deposits of oil. Till then, they were largely seen as sandy stretches of barren land, inhabited by tribesmen. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iran enjoyed the oil boom.

          Oil generated huge amounts of money which was used for developing infrastructure, roads, education and health care. Other industries were also important in some of these countries like construction in Yemen and fertilizer manufacture in Qatar.

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          Before the 1970s, the seven emirates under the UAE were separate states in the Persian Gulf, who fought against each other. Some traded spices, pearls and perfumes while the others smuggled them.

          By the 1820s, the British became a major trading power in this region. To avoid competition, they made the emirs sign a truce. They stopped warfare among themselves in return for the protection offered by the British.

          In 1971 the emirs of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain joined under the banner of the United Arab Emirates and gained independence. Ras Al Khaimah later joined the emirates in 1972.

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          Have you ever heard your grandparents talking about Ceylon? Ceylon is the old name of Sri Lanka: the name was given by the British when they colonized it. Lanka is known to all of us from the story of Ramayana.

          The Sinhalese from India conquered the island and named it Sinhala. Later, Tamils also from India invaded Sinhala pushing the Sinhalese southwards. This has been a source of conflict since then. The country was later invaded by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. After World War II, the island gained independence from the British. This happened in 1948 and after two decades, the country adopted its new name – Sri Lanka.

          The old tensions between the Tamils and Sinhalese erupted again in the 1980s leading to a bitter civil war. The war killed thousands and many fled from their motherland.

          The conflict ended in 2009 with the victory over Tamil Tigers.

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