1947 - Freedom now : when Ghandi showed the world how the masses could successfully defy their colonial masters, thousands across Africa and Asia joined the fight for control of their own destinies - - 1948 - Boom time : afluent post-war America brought aid, skill and technology to the still war-torn western Europe and Japan. Soon they too were to enjoy the fruits of the boom as the consumer society rode in on a wave of mass prosperity - - 1949 - Great leap : the 1949 revolution in China sprang from the countryside, but failed to reach its objectives.