You are mostly right. Most of the colonies did want indepence and it will be impossible for Britain to keep India or for the Netherlands to keep Indonesia. It is impossible for large parts of Africa to remain in European hands. But some (former) colonies actualy want to remain part of their colonizer. For example the Dutch antilles don't want to become independent. There was a referendum a couple of years ago and the majority voted for remaining part of the Netherlands, but with more autonomy. The same thing can happen with a lot of other former colonies. Surinam was basicly pushed into independence by the Netherlands and could have easly become a Dutch variant of French Guyana. I am certain there are a lot of former colonies for which the same is true. I even remember reading in a newspaper that some independent former French colony wanted to become part of France again. These are usualy relatively small colonies, like carribean or pacific islands, not the big colonies like India or Indonesia.
I agree, well sort of. At least I believe that Dutch New Guinea would probably remain part of the Netherlands if it hadn't been forced to become part of Indonesia. They wanted to become independent, but before they would have been ready to become independent, I think they would prefer to remain Dutch, as the Dutch Antilles do now.Indonesia could not as a whole remain though there are areas that would have been willing to remain Dutch, the Malukku islands, New Guinea, Batavia and ommelanden perhaps, perhaps even Soerabaja. Most of Indonesia would have gone independent.
It is true what Hugh Lupus said about most of the colonies ending up being a drag eventually. This is true, and it is a large part of the reason why despite the wishes of Suriname and several others to stay part of their colonial powers why it never happened.
I agree, well sort of. At least I believe that Dutch New Guinea would probably remain part of the Netherlands if it hadn't been forced to become part of Indonesia. They wanted to become independent, but before they would have been ready to become independent, I think they would prefer to remain Dutch, as the Dutch Antilles do now.
I think this would not be the case with the Malukku islands. I believe that if they weren't forced to become Indonesian, they would have become independent in the 60's, unless out of fear of indnesian expansion they would remain part of the Netherlands, but I consider it more likely they would ally as an independent nation with the Netherlands (which would still have New Guinea in the region), Australia and the USA.
I doubt that Batavia, Soerabaja or any part of Java would remain Dutch. I think that too many Indonesian live there for that too happen.
Holding any part of Indonesia with a Javanese majority was never going to happen. The other areas of modern Indonesia though had it been a realistic option might well have stayed part of the Netherlands in order to avoid being dominated by the Javanese as has happened in OTL. Better the devil you know and all that.I doubt that Batavia, Soerabaja or any part of Java would remain Dutch. I think that too many Indonesian live there for that too happen.
France made an effort to absorb as much as it could and it paid off (territory-wise). If it were others, French Guiana, Polynesia, Reunion and most especially Mayotte and New Caledonia would've been long gone.
Summing and complementing what others wrote and keeping a PoD after 1945:
UNITED KINGDOM:
Malta
Singapore
there are so many more they could have kept but at what economic cost?
PORTUGAL:
Cape Verde
São Tomé & Príncipe
hardly but possibly also Cabinda and East Timor. In any case, Portugal needs to go democratic before the Colonial Wars or at least early on.
NETHERLANDS:
Suriname
hardly but possibly also West New Guinea and Muluku islands. One needs an early different approach to the Indonesian War.
SPAIN:
Annobón (would they want it?)
hardly but possibly Fernando Pó/Bioko.
UNITED STATES:
Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands, all of them.
France made an effort to absorb as much as it could and it paid off (territory-wise). If it were others, French Guiana, Polynesia, Reunion and most especially Mayotte and New Caledonia would've been long gone.
Summing and complementing what others wrote and keeping a PoD after 1945:
UNITED KINGDOM:
Malta
Singapore
there are so many more they could have kept but at what economic cost?
Interesting list. But what about Hong Kong?
We should note that Singapore was, at best, a vague possibility. Britain's reputation in SE Asia was next to nothing after WW2. With enough concessions to the locals they might have been able to keep it.