Editing History of Asia (section)

==Contemporary==
{{further|Contemporary history}}
[[File:Asia (late 19th century- early 20th century).jpg|thumb|380px|Map of Asia for early 20th century]]

The European powers had control of other parts of Asia by the early 20th century, such as [[British Raj|British India]], [[French Indochina]], [[Spanish East Indies]], and Portuguese [[Macau]] and [[Goa]]. The [[Great Game]] between Russia and Britain was the struggle for power in the Central Asian region in the nineteenth century. The [[Trans-Siberian Railway]], crossing Asia by train, was complete by 1916. Parts of Asia remained free from European control, although not influence, such as [[Persia]], [[Thailand]] and most of China. In the twentieth century, [[Imperial Japan]] expanded into China and Southeast Asia during [[World War II]]. After the war, many Asian countries became independent from European powers. During the [[Cold War]], the northern parts of Asia were communist controlled with the [[Soviet Union]] and People's Republic of China, while western allies formed pacts such as [[CENTO]] and [[SEATO]]. Conflicts such as the [[Korean War]], [[Vietnam War]] and [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]] were fought between communists and anti-communists. In the decades after the Second World War, a massive restructuring plan drove Japan to become the world's second-largest economy, a phenomenon known as the [[Japanese post-war economic miracle]]. The [[Arab–Israeli conflict]] has dominated much of the recent history of the Middle East. After the [[Soviet Union]]'s collapse in 1991, there were many new independent nations in Central Asia.

===China===
{{main|History of the Republic of China|History of the People's Republic of China}}
Prior to [[World War II]], China faced a civil war between [[Mao Zedong]]'s Communist party and [[Chiang Kai-shek]]'s nationalist party; the nationalists appeared to be in the lead. However, once the [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Japanese invaded]] in 1937, the two parties were forced to form a temporary cease-fire in order to defend China. The nationalists faced many military failures that caused them to lose territory and subsequently, respect from the Chinese masses. In contrast, the communists' use of guerilla warfare (led by [[Lin Biao]]) proved effective against the Japanese's conventional methods and put the Communist Party on top by 1945. They also gained popularity for the reforms they were already applying in controlled areas, including land redistribution, education reforms, and widespread health care. For the next four years, the nationalists would be forced to retreat to the small island east of Fujian province, known as [[Geography of Taiwan|Taiwan]] (formerly known as Formosa), where they remain today. In mainland China, [[China|People's Republic of China]] was established by the Communist Party, with [[Mao Zedong]] as its [[President of the People's Republic of China|state chairman]].

The communist government in China was defined by the party [[Professional revolutionaries|cadres]]. These hard-line officers controlled the [[People's Liberation Army]], which itself controlled large amounts of the bureaucracy. This system was further controlled by the [[Central Committee of the Communist Party of China|Central Committee]], which additionally supported the state chairman who was considered the head of the government. The People's Republic's foreign policies included the repressing of [[secession]] attempts in Mongolia and Tibet and supporting of [[North Korea]] and [[North Vietnam]] in the [[Korean War]] and [[Vietnam War]], respectively. By 1960 China and the USSR became adversaries, battling worldwide for control of local communist movements.

Today China plays important roles in world economics and politics. China today is the world's second largest economy and the second fastest growing economy.

=== Indian Subcontinent ===
{{See also|South Asia#Contemporary era}}[[Image:Partition of India.PNG|thumb|Britain's holdings on the [[Indian subcontinent]] were granted independence in 1947 and 1948, becoming five new independent states: [[Dominion of India|India]], [[Post-independence Burma, 1948–1962|Burma]], [[Dominion of Ceylon|Ceylon]], [[Kingdom of Sikkim|Sikkim]], and [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] (including [[East Bengal]], from 1971 [[Bangladesh]]).]]
From the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century, large regions of India were gradually annexed by the [[East India Company]], a chartered company acting as a sovereign power on behalf of the British government. Dissatisfaction with [[company rule in India]] led to the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], which rocked parts of north and central India, and led to the dissolution of the company. India was afterwards ruled directly by the [[The Crown|British Crown]], in the [[British Raj]]. After [[World War I]], a nationwide struggle for independence was launched by the [[Indian National Congress]], led by [[Mahatma Gandhi]], and noted for [[nonviolent resistance|nonviolence]]. Later, the [[All-India Muslim League]] would advocate for a separate Muslim-majority [[nation state]].

In August 1947, the British Indian Empire was [[Partition of India|partitioned]] into the [[Dominion of India|Union of India]] and [[Dominion of Pakistan]]. In particular, the partition of [[Punjab (British India)|Punjab]] and Bengal led to rioting between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs in these provinces and spread to other nearby regions, leaving some 500,000 dead. The police and army units were largely ineffective. The British officers were gone, and the units were beginning to tolerate if not actually indulge in violence against their religious enemies.<ref>Philip Ziegler, ''Mountbatten''(1985) p. 401.</ref><ref name=symonds>{{cite book| last = Symonds | first = Richard | author-link=Richard Symonds (academic) | title = The Making of Pakistan | year = 1950 | publisher = Faber and Faber | location = London | oclc = 1462689 | page = 74| quote = At the lowest estimate, half a million people perished and twelve millions became homeless.}}</ref><ref name="Abid2014">{{cite web |last1=Abid |first1=Abdul Majeed |title=The forgotten massacre |url=https://nation.com.pk/29-Dec-2014/the-forgotten-massacre |website=The Nation |date=29 December 2014|quote=On the same dates [4 and 5 March 1947], Muslim League-led mobs fell with determination and full preparations on the helpless Hindus and Sikhs scattered in the villages of Multan, Rawalpindi, Campbellpur, Jhelum and Sargodha. The murderous mobs were well supplied with arms, such as daggers, swords, spears and fire-arms. (A former civil servant mentioned in his autobiography that weapon supplies had been sent from NWFP and money was supplied by Delhi-based politicians.)}}</ref> Also, this period saw one of the largest mass migrations anywhere in modern history, with a total of 12&nbsp;million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims moving between the newly created nations of India and Pakistan (which gained independence on 15 and 14 August 1947 respectively).<ref name=symonds /> In 1971, [[Bangladesh]], formerly [[East Pakistan]] and [[East Bengal]], seceded from Pakistan<ref name="Raghavan2013">{{cite book|author=Srinath Raghavan|title=1971|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2S-wAQAAQBAJ|date=12 November 2013|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-73129-5}}</ref> through an [[Bangladesh Liberation War|armed conflict]] sparked by the rise of the [[Bengali nationalism|Bengali nationalist]] and [[self-determination]] movement.

===Korea===
[[File:2018 inter-Korean summit 01.jpg|thumb|right|The third Inter-Korean Summit, which was held in 2018, between South Korean president [[Moon Jae-in]] and North Korean supreme leader [[Kim Jong Un]]. It was a historical event that symbolized the peace of Asia.]]
During the period when the [[Korean War]] occurred, Korea divided into North and South. [[Syngman Rhee]] became the first president of [[South Korea]], and [[Kim Il Sung]] became the supreme leader of [[North Korea]]. After the war, the president of South Korea, Syngman Rhee tries to become a dictator. So the [[April Revolution]] occurred, eventually [[Syngman Rhee]] was exiled from his country. 
In 1963, [[Park Chung Hee]] was empowered with a military coup d'état. He dispatched [[Republic of Korea Army]] to [[Vietnam War]]. And during this age, the economy of [[South Korea]] outran that of [[North Korea]].

Although [[Park Chung Hee]] improved the nation's economy, he was a dictator, so people didn't like him. Eventually, he was murdered by [[Kim Jae-gyu]]. In 1979, [[Chun Doo-hwan]] was empowered by another coup d’état by military. He oppressed the resistances in the city of [[Gwangju]]. That event is called 'Gwangju Uprising'. Despite the Gwangju Uprising, [[Chun Doo-hwan]] became the president. But the people resisted again in 1987. This movement is called '[[June Struggle]]'. As a result of [[Gwangju Uprising]] and [[June Struggle]], South Korea finally became a democratic republic in 1987.

[[Roh Tae-woo]] (1988–93), [[Kim Young-sam]] (1993–98), [[Kim Dae-jung]] (1998–2003), [[Roh Moo-hyun]] (2003–2008), [[Lee Myung-bak]] (2008–2013), [[Park Geun-hye]] (2013–2017), [[Moon Jae-in]] (2017–) were elected as a president in order after 1987. In 1960, [[North Korea]] was far wealthier than [[South Korea]]. But in 1970, South Korea begins to outrun the North Korean economy. In 2018, South Korea is ranked #10 in world [[GDP]] ranking.