SARA B. AY 2018-2019
History of International Relations – L2
Colonial Empires
The European Great Powers are perhaps best known for their sprawling colonial empires, having dominated most of
the world in the name of imperialism. This colonization process can be tracked back for many centuries, however it
was most prominent in the 19th and early 20th century as a result of industrialization.
Benefits
What made colonies so important to the Great Powers can be separated into two categories.
Firstly, we see the material benefits the colonizers reap. These include resources such as raw materials, commodities
and foodstuffs, as well as a vast supply of manpower to serve as both labor or, in the case of war, as soldiers. These
resources have the added benefit of promoting trade between the colonies and the metropolis, as well as helping
establish a state of autarky, that is, self-sustainability. This helps protect the empire in times of economic hardship or
large-scale war. Indeed, it was largely due to their vast overseas empires that Britain and France managed to outlast
the Central Powers in the First World War.
Secondly, there are also non-material benefits of becoming a colonial power, namely a strong influence on world
affairs as well as a level of prestige among the other Great Powers. The concept of ‘Weltpolitik’ discussed in the
previous lecture links colonial power to a nation’s status as a Great Power in the first place.
Governance
Given how large colonial empires became by the start of the 20th century, it is no surprise that the system of colonial
governance became more complex as well. There are three general methods through which the Great Powers ruled
their colonies.
The most obvious form of control was of course a direct rule over a colony, meaning national and regional
governance was exclusively in the hands of the metropolitan Power. This method was predominantly used in
African colonies where local leaders were deemed too ‘traditional’ and incapable of reliable self-rule.
Secondly, colonies such as India (under the British Empire) operated under a system of indirect rule where regional
matters were allocated to local leaders while the Great Power held a more indirect form of power and dealt only with
larger, national issues. These colonies became known as ‘protectorates’.
Finally, some colonies were provided with complete self-governance, though still having strong ties to the mainland.
These included Canada and South Africa’s status towards Great Britain. These colonies are thus known as
‘dominions’ and operate independently from the metropolis.
The problem with this complex system of governance was that it became overly confusing and inefficient, with
sometimes all three methods of ruling being found within the same general region, as was the case with Malaya.
Additionally, as will be seen later, this gradual shift towards self-governance raised expectations towards ever
greater independence from the colonizer.
Modernization
In order to maximize the benefits attained from their colonies, in the 20th century the Great Powers embarked on a
process of modernization. This took the form of a two-fold change for colonies, namely higher taxes to pay for the
large-scale development, and an enhanced role for the indigenous populations in managing local and regional
affairs.
This in turn eventually led to systems of representative government at all but the national level, and an increase in
education for the local population. This proved to be a self-destructive strategy, as there was now a growing group
of knowledgeable locals with a hunger for greater independence. The resultant wave of nationalism called for
representation at the national level, threatening to destroy the hold the Great Powers had over many of their
