05-24-2010, 07:48 AM
[size="6"]Why did the British Empire collapse so suddenly?
I note that even in 1945 it was thought of as a "Superpower" along with the USSR and the USA. Though by this stage it may have been nothing more than an illusion who or what caused the empire to collapse so suddenly? I note that in the space of 15 years most of it gained independance. Is the world a better place since the fall of colonialism, what do you think?
[/size]
Thank you for your help.
Well the main reasons were economic.
WW1, The Great Depression of the 1930's and then WW2, all happened one after the other, and exhausted Britain financially.
In 1945 Britain was still a military Superpower, with a huge Army, Navy and Air Force, but Britain was financially in a ruinous state, and Britain itself badly needed rebuilding, and this was the priority.
Actually, it did not suddenly collapse, but began with the British Mandate ending in the Middle East in 1933 and ending with Hong Kong in 1997.
IMPORTANT POINT -There was also no major military confrontations with the British, apart from with the Mau Mau in Kenya and Communist Rebels in Malaysia, the British won both of these conflicts. Britain decolonised over a period of around 30 years, almost always peacefully, and without any major challenges from the colonials, at least not militarily.
Prior to WW2 Britain ended its control of much of the Middle East, with Iraq, Jordan, Saudi, The Gulf States etc becoming independent. Canada, Australia and New Zealand were already Semi Independent Dominions by then.
Between 1947 and 1950, India, Pakistan, Israel and Burma becoming independent.
Then in the 1950's Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, South Africa,Malaysia, Nepal became independent.
In the 1960's Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Cameroon, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Bahamas, Guyana, Singapore, Brunei, Cyprus, Malta,Belize, Papua, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Mauritius etc all became independent.
In the 1970's Britain pulled out of Aden(Yemen), Sychelles, and various smaller colonies in the South Pacific(Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu) and the Caribbean became independent, or were ceded to Australia or New Zealand in the case of Pacific Territories.
Zimbabwe only technically became independent in 1980, and Hong Kong as late as 1997!
Britain STILL has various colonies; Gibraltar, Bermuda,Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks &Caicos Isles,Barbuda, Falklands, Chagos Islands, Tristan Da Cunha, Asuncion, St Helena, Channel Islands, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territories etc.
Britain introduced an Industrial Base, Organised Economy, Advanced Agriculture, Modern Legal and Judicial Systems, Road and Rail Networks, Electricity, Schools, Hospitals, Civil Service etc in its colonies.
Also, nations such as USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Israel, Iraq etc would simply NOT EXIST without the British Empire having existed first!
So, colonialism had its good points, and importantly, Imperialism was a thing of ITS time, not OUR time, and we must always judge history in the context of the values, culture, politics, norms and attitudes of that time.
Are former colonies now run better than under the British?
Some are, but some arent, particularly in Africa sadly; places like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Sudan etc have gone backwards in almost every way since the British left, so for that matter has Burma, Iraq, Papua New Guinea etc.
2 years ago
I note that even in 1945 it was thought of as a "Superpower" along with the USSR and the USA. Though by this stage it may have been nothing more than an illusion who or what caused the empire to collapse so suddenly? I note that in the space of 15 years most of it gained independance. Is the world a better place since the fall of colonialism, what do you think?
[/size]
Thank you for your help.
Well the main reasons were economic.
WW1, The Great Depression of the 1930's and then WW2, all happened one after the other, and exhausted Britain financially.
In 1945 Britain was still a military Superpower, with a huge Army, Navy and Air Force, but Britain was financially in a ruinous state, and Britain itself badly needed rebuilding, and this was the priority.
Actually, it did not suddenly collapse, but began with the British Mandate ending in the Middle East in 1933 and ending with Hong Kong in 1997.
IMPORTANT POINT -There was also no major military confrontations with the British, apart from with the Mau Mau in Kenya and Communist Rebels in Malaysia, the British won both of these conflicts. Britain decolonised over a period of around 30 years, almost always peacefully, and without any major challenges from the colonials, at least not militarily.
Prior to WW2 Britain ended its control of much of the Middle East, with Iraq, Jordan, Saudi, The Gulf States etc becoming independent. Canada, Australia and New Zealand were already Semi Independent Dominions by then.
Between 1947 and 1950, India, Pakistan, Israel and Burma becoming independent.
Then in the 1950's Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, South Africa,Malaysia, Nepal became independent.
In the 1960's Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Cameroon, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Bahamas, Guyana, Singapore, Brunei, Cyprus, Malta,Belize, Papua, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Mauritius etc all became independent.
In the 1970's Britain pulled out of Aden(Yemen), Sychelles, and various smaller colonies in the South Pacific(Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu) and the Caribbean became independent, or were ceded to Australia or New Zealand in the case of Pacific Territories.
Zimbabwe only technically became independent in 1980, and Hong Kong as late as 1997!
Britain STILL has various colonies; Gibraltar, Bermuda,Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks &Caicos Isles,Barbuda, Falklands, Chagos Islands, Tristan Da Cunha, Asuncion, St Helena, Channel Islands, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territories etc.
Britain introduced an Industrial Base, Organised Economy, Advanced Agriculture, Modern Legal and Judicial Systems, Road and Rail Networks, Electricity, Schools, Hospitals, Civil Service etc in its colonies.
Also, nations such as USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Israel, Iraq etc would simply NOT EXIST without the British Empire having existed first!
So, colonialism had its good points, and importantly, Imperialism was a thing of ITS time, not OUR time, and we must always judge history in the context of the values, culture, politics, norms and attitudes of that time.
Are former colonies now run better than under the British?
Some are, but some arent, particularly in Africa sadly; places like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Sudan etc have gone backwards in almost every way since the British left, so for that matter has Burma, Iraq, Papua New Guinea etc.
2 years ago