End of British Empire Timeline Britain passed the British North America Act. The provinces of British North America became a federation called Canada. Canada ruled itself, but was closely linked to the British empire through trade and industry and also through strong links between Canadians and their families in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. 1880s The Irish Home Rule Party is campaigning for Home Rule for Ireland. This meant Ireland would still be part of the British empire, but it would have its own Parliament. The vast majority of Irish Catholics supported Home Rule - they thought an Irish Parliament would treat them better than a Parliament based in London. Parliament in London voted on whether to give Home Rule to Ireland but rejected the measure. 1900s Nationalist movement in Ireland now has two strands. One strand the Home Rule party who wanted a Home Rule Parliament for Ireland with Ireland remaining as part of the British empire. The other strand is more radical, wanting complete independence from Britain. This strand has a political wing called Sinn Fein and a secret military wing ( the Irish Republican Brotherhood). 1901 Australia became a federation of territories making up one Dominion. 1910 South Africa became a self-ruling Dominion. 1916 Irish radicals lead a small force of Volunteers into the centre of Dublin and declare that Ireland is now a Republic, free of British rule. After a week the rebels surrendered. The British then executed the leaders, which gained the Republicans sympathy and support in America and Ireland. End of the First World War. British rule still secure in India. However, protests from Indian nationalists had become more common and were sometimes violent. Indians had sent and paid for thousands of troops to fight in the Great War and they felt that this sacrifice should be recognised with more say in running the country.

1920s. British attitudes towards India begin to shift. Partly as a 1920s British attitudes towards India begin to shift. Partly as a result of Gandhi's protests and the work of other nationalist leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru. At the same time, India stops being as important to Britain's economy as it had been in the past. 1921 Britain and Ireland call a truce and reach a Treaty. Most of Ireland (26 counties) was to become the Irish Free State. This was to be a Dominion like Canada. The rest of Ireland (6 counties) was to become Northern Ireland, which was still part of the United Kingdom although it had its own Parliament in Belfast. 1922 Egypt became an independent state. However, British influence in the country remained very strong. Above all, Britain continued to control the Suez Canal, along with France. This annoyed Egyptians, who felt that this valuable asset in their own country should belong to them. 1930s Continued protests against British rule in India. 1931 Britain created the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth conferred what was called dominion status on several colonies that had been heavily settled by British immigrants. This effectively ended British rule over Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 1935 The British Parliament passed the Government of India Act. India was divided into self-ruling territories, which were to be a united federation along the same lines as Australia or Canada. However, India did not have the same levels of independence as these countries. 1939 World War Two. Some British possessions, including Burma, were conquered by Japan. 1946-47 In India as independence grew closer, tensions turned into terrible violence between Muslims and Hindus. 1947 The British withdraw from the India and it was partitioned into two independent countries – India (mostly Hindu) and Pakistan (mostly Muslim). 1948 Kwame Nkrumah leading Ghanaian nationalist was arrested by the British. Nkrumah was released soon after. 1949 Ireland becomes a republic and Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom.

1950s Kenya was rocked by the Mau Mau rebellions against British rule. The British resist the Mau Mau. 1951 Elections were held in Ghana and Nkrumah won, even though he was in prison. The British released him and allowed him to form a new government, although the Gold Coast was still part of the British empire. 1956 Sudan independent Egyptian nationalist leader, Abdul Nasser decides to take control of the Suez canal. Britain and France invaded Egypt and seized back control of the canal. However, the USA and other nations severely criticised Britain and France and pressured them into pulling out. It was a sign that Britain's days as a great imperial power were over. Gold Coast made independent to become Ghana. 1960 Nigeria independent 1961 Sierra Leone independent 1961 Tanganyika (later Tanzania) independent 1962 Uganda independent 1962 Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago independent 1963 Kenya becomes an independent state. 1964 Zambia independent 1964 Malawi independent 1965 Gambia independent 1966 Botswana independent 1968 Swaziland independent 1980 Zimbabwe independent