Actually, some countries already had home rule movements before WWI, like India.No, it was WW1, many african soldiers fought for the entente, some for the central powers... they learned, that they could FIGHT for their right.
The weakness after WW1 helped, latest after WW2, the wrong thing colonisation was doomed...
the only chance is to educate the peole and bring em to your home, create ties and make them friends... if you achieve this, you can integrate em in your country as farfaraway.parts... but not as colonies...
The thing about the Imperial Federation, was that India would become the majority in all decisions, government and the like. Doing that would just make the British Empire, the Indian EmpireThe alternative to inevitable decolonisation, at least in the case of the British Empire, is the Imperial Federation which was an idea proposed at the time.
The thing about the Imperial Federation, was that India would become the majority in all decisions, government and the like. Doing that would just make the British Empire, the Indian Empire![]()
I'm not sure that India was meant to become a fully participating member of any Imperial Federation. As far as I know only the 'white Commonwealth' was meant to be involved in this - Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with a question mark over South Africa. The Brits could quite easily retain control over such a federation.The thing about the Imperial Federation, was that India would become the majority in all decisions, government and the like. Doing that would just make the British Empire, the Indian Empire![]()
The White dominions didn't want to be part of it, though. Canada and Australia had their own national identity.I'm not sure that India was meant to become a fully participating member of any Imperial Federation. As far as I know only the 'white Commonwealth' was meant to be involved in this - Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with a question mark over South Africa. The Brits could quite easily retain control over such a federation.
In any case I don't think it's as easy as it sounds, given the rise of nationalism in the dominions. The most plausible scenario for the survival of European colonial empires was their transmutation into informal empires, as indeed most of them were prior to the late 19th century.
British Caribbean could stay, and the French might hold to Algeria but Africa & Asia, no way, too far away, and no way that those large non-European populations would be accepted as integral (voting) members of the metropole both for racial reasons and the fact that their populations would swamp the "natives" (eg: Europeans)
The White dominions didn't want to be part of it, though. Canada and Australia had their own national identity.
It's really not a 'Yes or No'.
Could Europe maintain the entirety of its Empires without resorting to large scale genocide and crimes against humanity?
No, no it could not.
However at the same time every piece of territory not originally part of the Metropole becoming independent is far from inevitable, and is indeed in some ways the opposite.
The exact size and territories that coul be retained really depends on history.
For instance, France could easily have kept Algeria if they'd actually lived up to the ideals the Republic was founded on; Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood, it was only after the Algerians were refused multiple times political and economic equality that they sought independence.
Another example would be Portugal, now while it's unlikely to retains all of its Empire, had their been a Salazar like ideology of 'Portugal being a Nation of Many People', and a government more open to compromise and developments like those that were occuring in Angola in the 60's and early 70's, then it could have kept a sizable chunk of its territory.
Third is of course the case of the Dutch; Suriname became Independent not because they wanted to be, but because the Dutch government essentially kicked them out as a result of a ridiculous version of extreme anti-colonialism.
As the above is impossible, decolonization indeed seems to be inevitable, except for the smallest colonies. Though I suppose that some European countries could go the route of maximum suppression but that never seems to work in the long term.-Complete equality before the law for all inhabitants of the colonies regardless of race, creed and ethnicity.
-Enfranchisement of the local populations into the coloniser political process. Sich enfranchisement could have been implemented step by step using litteracy requirements for example. In order to avoid double standards they would have to be implemented at home too.
-Massive investments in educational, medical and basic infrastructure in the overseas provinces. We are talkig about schools and hospitals by the hundreds here, kilometres of railway track by the thousands, electrical generation capacity by the gigawatts and so on. Doable if a clear strategic aim of "making the colonies part of a Greater x" is stated very early on, I am talking late 19th century here or even better early to mid 19th century.
-A willingness to compromise since building a "Greater X" would have to be a two way process. Some cultural practices, words, expression and such from the colonised would have to creep up and be considered integral parts of the "Greater X" culture and traditions. Did happen to a degree OTL, but for complete acceptance to happen racism has to be nonexistent.
-Significant free movement of people inside the "Greater X" nation.
The thing about the Imperial Federation, was that India would become the majority in all decisions, government and the like. Doing that would just make the British Empire, the Indian Empire![]()
Well, this is assuming India is a monolithic block and everyone there always agrees with each other.
In a Imperial Federation scenario which involves India I'd imagine India wouldn't be united. The princely states at least would remain.
And then there's to consider that there would probally be procedures in place to reduce India's population advantage much as in many other institutions made up of big members and small members (the EU, the USA, etc...)