Colonialism-wank

Nietzsche

Banned
How long can you make Colonies last? I don't mean "French Guyana" colonies, I mean "Vast tracks of land". You may have no PoD before 1600, and you can do it any way you want. Wipe out the locals, whatever you want.

Go.
 
The only way I could see it is if the colonizers aren't so obviously in it for themselves.

By which I mean they have to actually improve the life of the colonized more than they did; which means, less racism, more social programs in the colonies -- and they'd have to restructure their societies so that the colonies weren't so seen as expendable, and more real parts of the country (so the British Empire feels that Kerala is as much a part of the Empire as Kent, for example).

And even still, the rise of nationalism is going to cause problems for every Empire.
 
Maybe if Imperialism leads directly to Globalism skipping Nationalism in the process, this might work.
 

mobius

Banned
The best chance to have long lasting colonial empires would be no American Revolution and The British Empire gradually evolving into an Anglo-American partnership, without the ARW the Spanish Emprire will gradually reform to give control of the colonies to the local withes under the sovereinity of the Spanish monarch , maybe with the center of the Empire eventually moving to Mexico City.
Having the american manpower, the Brit Empire instead of becoming overstretched, like OTL, will have the manpower to swallow China and reduce Japan to a satellite state, Africa will be divided among European States like OTL, the Ottoman Empire could also be divided/vassalized by several European Powers, after this, there isn`t any non-European state remaining independent beyond Japan, and no case of a sucessful colonial rebellion to provide an inspiration, as the Anglo American Empire will be the hyperpower around the 1890's there also will not be World Wars to disturb the status quo, so the World could stabilize in a very long lasting Belle Epoque
 
Perhaps if the American Revolution fails? Then you don't have the Americans as an inspiration for later revolutions.

What also might help is less democracy... if governments aren't as responsive to the needs of their people and don't have a belief in fundamental human rights, then it'll be easier to justify keeping others under oppression- tactics like Ghandi's wouldn't have been as effective if Britain was a dictatorship.
 

Thande

Donor
Perhaps if the American Revolution fails? Then you don't have the Americans as an inspiration for later revolutions.

What also might help is less democracy... if governments aren't as responsive to the needs of their people and don't have a belief in fundamental human rights, then it'll be easier to justify keeping others under oppression- tactics like Ghandi's wouldn't have been as effective if Britain was a dictatorship.

Sorry for going off topic, but...Imajin's not dead! :eek::cool:
 
It also might help if better communications technologies were developed earlier. For example radio or telegraph (including trans-Atlantic telegraph) would work well. This would allow European governments back in Europe to more effectively rule colonies (and if they so choose allow the colonialists participate in said government). When it takes months just to get a letter back to the homeland or to the colonies this allows great independence on the part of the locals/colonials to solve problems, etc. This makes them independent minded.

If you tie this into no ARW you'd have a good start.
 

Keenir

Banned
and they'd have to restructure their societies so that the colonies weren't so seen as expendable, and more real parts of the country (so the British Empire feels that Kerala is as much a part of the Empire as Kent, for example).

the British Empire cared about Kent?
;)
 
The only way I could see it is if the colonizers aren't so obviously in it for themselves.

By which I mean they have to actually improve the life of the colonized more than they did; which means, less racism, more social programs in the colonies -- and they'd have to restructure their societies so that the colonies weren't so seen as expendable, and more real parts of the country (so the British Empire feels that Kerala is as much a part of the Empire as Kent, for example).

And even still, the rise of nationalism is going to cause problems for every Empire.
Of course, the "problem" with a Kerala=Kent mentality is that soon enough someone's going to say that it makes more sense for the "British" capital to be where most of the people are, and before you know it you have what amounts to uber-India with some strange holdings of the coast of Europe for some reason... :p
 
How long can you make Colonies last? I don't mean "French Guyana" colonies, I mean "Vast tracks of land". You may have no PoD before 1600, and you can do it any way you want. Wipe out the locals, whatever you want.

Go.

You would have to wipe out the locals. Anything else and the natives will eventually be able to adopt the Western rhetoric of nationalism and self-determination, dooming the empires.
 
A Time line where Europe settles into a cold war after somewhat unlikely managing to sidestep WWI or any similar type conflict would likely involve the major colonial powers fighting tooth and nail to maintain their empires for a lot longer. This is probably especially true if Russia does manage to become a real economic behemoth as some have suggested it could become in such a world.
 
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