Because it occurred in the context of the Cold War, many of these new nations had to choose between socialist and capitalist influences, which shaped their futures. While many of these new countries eventually adopted some form of democracy, the road there was often rocky. Also, decolonization often involved violence, usually the overthrow of colonial elites. For now, let's turn to the most famous non-violent decolonization, or supposedly so anyway, that of India. So the story begins, more or less, in 1885 with the founding of the Indian National Congress. Congress party leaders and other nationalists in India were usually from the elite classes. Initially, they didn't even demand independence from Britain.