Independence
Self-government and sovereignty over a territory.
Independence describes a nation, country, or state where its people—or a part of them—govern themselves and typically hold sovereignty over their own land. A dependent territory or colony is the opposite. An independence day marks the moment a country is no longer subject to any form of colonialism and can build itself without outside interference.
There is a long-standing debate over whether gaining independence differs from a revolution, often focused on whether violence is a legitimate way to achieve sovereignty. Revolutions generally aim to shift power within a state, sometimes with an element of emancipation like democratization, but the state itself may stay intact. The Mexican Revolution of 1910, for instance, was a multi-sided conflict that produced a new constitution, not the earlier armed struggle against Spain. Yet some wars of independence, such as those in the United States and Indonesia, are also called revolutions. Conversely, some revolutions that changed political structures led to breakaway states: Mongolia and Finland gained independence during revolutions in China and Russia, respectively. The reasons a territory seeks independence are many, but often come from a sense of inequality with the dominant power. Methods range from peaceful protests, as in India, to violent war, as in Algeria. Some countries declare independence but receive only partial recognition—Kosovo, for example, is not formally recognized by Serbia, from which it seceded.
Autonomy is a form of independence granted by a higher authority that still holds ultimate control over the territory (see Devolution). A protectorate is an autonomous region that depends on a larger government for its protection.
In the 20th century, decolonization gave colonies rights to independence through documents like the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, but this right mainly applied to unfree territories such as colonies. Whether these rights extend to all peoples is a key question. The rights to nationality and self-determination allow for self-governance, as with indigenous peoples, but do not generally grant a right to secession except in extreme cases of oppression. Thus, the right to secession is usually determined by the laws of sovereign states, and independence depends on the capacity to function as a state.
A territory seeking indep
- field
- Political science, history
- known_for
- Condition of self-government and sovereignty
- related_concepts
- Autonomy, revolution, decolonization, secession
- earliest_declaration
- Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath (1320)
- major_periods
- 1770s–1830s, post-WWI, 1945–c.1979, early 1990s
Lore & Background
Whether the attainment of independence is different from revolution has long been contested, often debated over the question of violence as legitimate means to achieving sovereignty. Revolutions generally aim to redistribute power within a state, while wars of independence seek to break away. Some wars of independence have been described as revolutions, such as those in the United States (1783) and Indonesia (1949), while some revolutions resulted in breakaway states, as with Mongolia and Finland gaining independence during revolutions in China (1911) and Russia (1917) respectively.
Reader's Guide
Independence is a central concept in modern statehood, marking the transition from colonial or dependent status to self-rule. The right to independence gained prominence during the 20th-century wave of decolonization, codified in documents such as the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, though this right applied mostly to colonies. The right of self-determination allows self-governance but is not generally a right of secession except in extreme oppression. Declarations of independence, from Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath (1320) to more recent examples like Azawad (2012) and Catalonia (2017), symbolize the aspiration for sovereignty, though declaring and attaining independence are distinct. Historically, four major periods of declaring independence occurred: from the 1770s through the 1830s; after World War I; from 1945 to about 1979; and the early 1990s following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
Did You Know?
- The earliest surviving declaration of independence is Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath in 1320.
- The Mexican Revolution (1910) chiefly refers to a multi-factional conflict leading to a new constitution, not the armed struggle against Spain in 1821.
- Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia has not formally recognized it.
- India achieved independence in 1947 through intended peaceful demonstrations, while Algeria's independence in 1962 followed a violent war.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'independence' mean in international relations?
Independence refers to a state's condition of self-governance, where a people exercise sovereignty over their own territory without external control. It stands in direct contrast to being a colony or dependent territory subject to another power's authority.
How is independence different from a revolution?
While both involve a transfer of power, independence specifically concerns a people breaking free from foreign or colonial rule to establish their own sovereign state. A revolution, by contrast, typically targets a change of government within an existing state, and the debate over whether violence is legitimate in pursuing sovereignty often blurs the line between the two.
What is the earliest known declaration of independence?
Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath, written in 1320, is widely recognized as the earliest formal declaration asserting a people's right to self-governance. It argued that the Scottish nation had the legitimate authority to choose its own ruler free from English domination.
What are the major waves of independence in world history?
Scholars generally identify four significant periods: the late 1770s through the 1830s, the aftermath of World War I, the post-1945 decolonization era lasting into the late 1970s, and the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Each wave saw clusters of new sovereign states emerging as colonial empires or superpower blocs dissolved.
How does independence relate to concepts like autonomy or secession?
Independence is the full, final condition of sovereignty, whereas autonomy grants a degree of self-rule while still under a parent state's ultimate authority. Secession is the process by which a region breaks away to achieve that full independence, and decolonization is the broader historical movement through which colonized peoples attained it.
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