Collapse of Empires, May, 1990

This article examines the end of the Imperial system, both for Eastern and Western nations, as a result of World War II.

The European nations, and America, had basically taken over a good part of the world's nations, Europe holding most of Africa and much of Asia, and the US holding a few places in Asia.

The Europeans ruled all of South and Southeast Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangaladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

The US controlled the Philippines, (and a combination of big-business interests were responsible for overthrowing the legitimate monarchy in Hawaii, bringing that area under US control.)

The article talks about the idea that the European rule had been in place for so long that it seemed “the natural order of things.” Another point to consider is that the Europeans themselves were definitely minorities in countries they controlled. The few leading and controlling the many.

Things were not perfect, of course. Japan had beaten Russia in a war in 1905. World War I had definitely shaken things up. India was pushing for more self-control. The nations under European control were seeing that Europe was not as all-powerful as had been thought, and at least some of them thought the Japanese could help them gain their freedom.

The article also talks about the white-man's feelings of racial superiority over the Japanese, and the “ferocious” training programs of the Imperial Japanese Army.

Of course, here is a perfect example of “be careful what you wish for.” The Japanese “helped” the nations get rid of European and American colonial domination, but in doing so they because worse rulers themselves. Once the Japanese were driven out and the war was ended, though, the countries did not want to return to European rule and eventually ended up being freed.

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