Editing 1950s (section)

===Decolonization and independence===
* [[Decolonization]] of former European [[colonial empire]]s. The [[French Fourth Republic]] in particular faced conflict on two fronts within the [[French Union]], the [[Algerian War]] and the [[First Indochina War]]. The [[Federation of Malaya]] peacefully gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. [[French Algeria|French rule]] ended in [[Algeria]] in 1958, [[Vietnam]] left [[French Indo-china|French Indochina]] in 1954. The rival states of [[North Vietnam]] and [[South Vietnam]] were formed. [[Cambodia under Sihanouk (1954–1970)|Cambodia]] and the [[Kingdom of Laos]] also gained independence, effectively ending French presence in Southeast Asia. Elsewhere, the [[Belgian Congo]] and other African nations gained their independence from France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
* Large-scale decolonization in Africa first began in the 1950s. In 1951, [[Libya]] became the first African country to gain independence in the decade, and in 1954 the [[Algerian War]] began. 1956 saw [[Sudan]], [[Morocco]], and [[Tunisia]] become independent, and the next year [[Ghana]] became the first [[sub-saharan Africa]]n nation to gain independence.