how long can colonialsim last

With a POD of anywhere from 1900 onwards how long can colonialism and imperialism last as I know they would eventually die out but how long could they survive
 
Depends what your definition of imperialism/colonialism is and under what terms it ceases to be imperialist/colonialist. Between the formal and informal empires of the 20th century there was a vast difference between them and indeed provinces/areas within a particular empire could be treated very differently from one another.
 
In reference to the classical empires of Europe: decades longer, had WW2 been avoided (the colonies were probably destined for freedom anyway, but the war broke control, and the banks, for most of Europe), and quite possibly the end of this century had WW1 been averted (where the potential capital/political will lost in both wars would have enable a much stronger, longer grip).

If Imperialism went out by 2000 in a world without WW1 and WW2, I'd be willing to bet that it would be a result of low-scale Imperial Warfare, with empires funding insurgents in each other, rather than popular independence/decolonization movement we saw more of in OTL.
 
Technically it could last indefinitely. For example, take Portugal. It held on to it's colonies all the way to the 70's and lost them mostly due to (from what I've heard) either or both the US and USSR funding anti-colonial forces. The costs of holding on to the colonies under such circumstances were more then they were willing to pay and thus they let them go. The best way to keep European colonialism in Africa (at least) running is to make the costs of running said colonies cheap enough to justify continued rule.

The best option for this is to either butterfly away WW1 or make it short so everyone is not in such a dire financial situation. If you can keep this from happening then it's highly likely that disregarding some major unforeseeable butterflies you could see them stay colonies to this day. In fact I dare say that the longer they stay colonies the less likely independence will happen since prior and after both WW1 & 2 all the colonial nations had plans to fully integrate all their colonies into their respective nation in one way or another.
 
The higher investment into colonies the greater desire to keep them. If mother country has a lot of settlers who still have strong cultural ties to mother country then they'd fight more for it than if there are few of them or don't feel much connection, that is they develop separate culture.

With right POD you can have France keep algeria (not strictly a colony as it was considered part of France, but colony anyway). Portugal was mentioned already.

It also depends on relations with natives. If colony isn't treated too badly and natives not exploited too much and colonial country is willing to grant a degree of autonomy, specially relating to economic sphere, they may be willing to settle for some domion-like status.
 
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No WWI?
No WWII?
A quiescent Japan?
No Ghandi?
No Nehru?
No Jinnah?
No Ho Chi Minh?
No Mensheviks?
No Vladimir Lenin?
No Stalin?
No Mao?
No Chou Enlai?
No USSR?
No Cold War?
No European rivalries tearing the overseas empires apart?
The Ottomans hold it together?:p

Look out! It's MOTHRA!!:eek:
 
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