How do you get a scenario in which Malays, to avenge British colonization of their country, decide to fight the British? What would it need for this scenario to take place?
Malaysians fighting Britain WW1
- Thread starter ghappy1000
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IIRC in the early 1900s the British initially instituted more centralising policies before changing their minds and decentralising in the 1920s onwards so I suppose you could try using that. It's a rather large challenge though as there doesn't appear to have been all that much discontent, at least amongst the rulers of the Unfederated Malay States who had a fair amount of autonomy, and the Federated Malay States did pay for the building of the battleship HMS Malaya.
How about several secret societies, such as Malay nationalist ones similar to the Kuomintang? Even interesting if they can fight Britain outside Asia, such as in Europe, along the lines of the Polish legions. Or, how about the Malays being treated like the Indians in their home country? Perhaps they can in 1914 bring rebellion [at least after October 1914] or try to sail by ship to Central Europe and persuade the kaisers to build up Malay legions for use on the Western or Middle Eastern Fronts? Or they can get to East Africa, but since they won't like colonization, they would just ignore.
Perhaps this is a possible timeline:
1900S: Secret societies and parties demanding independence from Britain are founded, but they were futile in their aspirations.
1910s:Combat organizations for these parties are established.
July 1914: Anticipating WW1, the combat organizations send some of their members to board steamships to bring the fight against Britain to Europe. Others are to conduct revolts and mutinies and to coordinate with similar movements in Asia.
August 1914:Several members of these organizations board SS Princess Alice and were to go to Hong Kong to spread revolts by the Chinese and to discourage China and Japan, and bring revolution to Korea if possible. On the way, the steamship seeks refuge in the Philippines, but the Malays stay on board and they join the cruiser Emden.
November 1914: The Emden sinks and the Malays sail to Ottoman Turkey to fight with their Muslim brothers. Others were taken prisoner, but they try to incite rebellion.
February 1915: The Malays join the 1915 revolt in Singapore. Others make their way to the northeast to join Tok Janggut.
Note that the Malays can use neutral steamships to get to Europe.
1900S: Secret societies and parties demanding independence from Britain are founded, but they were futile in their aspirations.
1910s:Combat organizations for these parties are established.
July 1914: Anticipating WW1, the combat organizations send some of their members to board steamships to bring the fight against Britain to Europe. Others are to conduct revolts and mutinies and to coordinate with similar movements in Asia.
August 1914:Several members of these organizations board SS Princess Alice and were to go to Hong Kong to spread revolts by the Chinese and to discourage China and Japan, and bring revolution to Korea if possible. On the way, the steamship seeks refuge in the Philippines, but the Malays stay on board and they join the cruiser Emden.
November 1914: The Emden sinks and the Malays sail to Ottoman Turkey to fight with their Muslim brothers. Others were taken prisoner, but they try to incite rebellion.
February 1915: The Malays join the 1915 revolt in Singapore. Others make their way to the northeast to join Tok Janggut.
Note that the Malays can use neutral steamships to get to Europe.
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Not in otl circumstances but if several revolutionary parties are formed to campaign for Malaysian independence, they might contact aid when they revolt. They don't need Ottoman aid, they can get German aid through secret blockade running and smuggling from Thailand and present day Indonesia. [From German and neutral merchant ships and sailing boats]
It's not going to give substantial change to the war I think.
Will it be widespread though? If the general attitude of the Malays became anti-British, the British might favor the Chinese in Malaya instead?
Will it be widespread though? If the general attitude of the Malays became anti-British, the British might favor the Chinese in Malaya instead?
Imagine the historical implications of Malays revolting against Britain or fighting their colonizers, at least in Malaysian history textbooks.
This is already bordering ASB. To revolt versus Britain you need a catalyst. The British were not abusive to the point that the Malays will revolt immediately. British were better colonizers than other Europeans who were brutal compared to the British. Even after WW2 ended, Malays did not even declare their independence like Indonesians did which meant they lacked the conviction, the organization, the resources and the will to fight the British for independence.
The only time the British were defeated by a local population in open field war with lower technology are the Americans. But that required a large land area, with very large, unified, organized population which the Malaysians lacked in OTL.
If you consider the land area of OTL Malaysia, The best possibility I can think of is the White Rajahs in Sarawak unify Borneo, expels the Dutch from East Indies and Spain from the Philippines, Unify all South East Asia under their rule, industrialize as fast as Japan and eventual head to head with Britain by WW1 in Malaya. But Kingdom of Sarawak//Borneo were not predominantly Malays in the 19th Century but rather predominantly Dayak ruled by former British Citizens.