The right of a people or nation to choose their own form of government and political status without external interference. This principle became central to international law and politics, especially regarding colonial independence and territorial sovereignty.
From German 'Selbstbestimmung,' popularized by President Woodrow Wilson during WWI. The concept evolved from Enlightenment ideas about popular sovereignty and became a cornerstone of 20th-century decolonization movements.
Wilson's Fourteen Points made self-determination a global rallying cry, but ironically, it was mostly applied to European territories after WWI while colonies remained under imperial control. This selective application would later fuel independence movements across Africa, Asia, and the Americas throughout the 20th century.
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