India in the Post-Colonial Era

During the post World War II period, many one-time colonies achieved political independence. However, these newborn nations were still dependent on powerful allies to survive. A nation is truly independent when it is able to survive culturally, economically, and militarily without the aid of any other nations. As long as a nation is dependent on its ally's support, it can be manipulated into undesirable decisions. India gained political independence from Britain, but it had to …

…era, India's fight for independence was one of the most difficult ever faced by a nation. However, India achieved political independence from Britain, only to require support from the Soviet Union. India was unable to get complete independence and thrive on it's own. Had it not had the USSR to back it up, it could have experienced serious trouble from Pakistan. India is a clear example of the difference between political independence, and complete independence.