New colonies after 1900?

About how possible was it for any new colonies to be acquired between the turn of the century and WWI? WWII?

If so, how? Who would acquire such territory? And what territory would it be? Which continent would the territory be located in? Could a lesser colonial power possibly acquire the territory?

If not, what is the reasoning for this? What and/or who is preventing it? Was colonialism doomed by 1900?
 
Italy acquired Libya (and Dodecanese) in 1912. France did so with Morocco in the same year. Most of Somalia was brought under colonial control, either Italian or British, after 1908, though the coastal cities had been colonized before.
New Hebrides colonized around 1906.
Most of innermost Sahel was only brought under any kind of French authority only after 1900.
Belgian Congo only became such in 1909, and Bosnia was annexed by Austria that year if you count it as a colony.
Ethiopia became a colony in 1936.
Not to mention the mandates in the Arab Middle East, that were colonies for all intents and purposes, with the partial exception of Iraq after the thirties.
I'd say that up to WWI at least, and possibly WWII, colonialism was quite alive and well.
With no WWI, it is conceivable that most of the Ottoman Empire, parts of Persia and China, Siam and possibly Ethiopia get carved gradually in a couple of decades. If the trend continues, we may even see stuff happening in South America, though I think it is way less likely.
Colonies of lesser powers like Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands might be distributed among the bigger guys.
 
Were there any unclaimed lands at this time? It would be interesting to see some post 1900 colonies built/settled from scratch :)
 
Siam and Persia arguably are 'safe' by being in the teeth of two Great Powers, there by balancing them out. France and Britain in the former case, Russia and Britain in the latter. The need for equal influence means actual colonisation is unlikely for those two, at least without a major war to settle it and that seems unlikely.

Ethiopia, given what happened in 1896, I'm surprised it took til 1935 for Italy to go for a second round. Perhaps without WWI, a jingoistic PM, trying to 'up' the gains of 1912, pushes for a new invasion?

China is the other biggun'. There were plenty of plans afoot for the Great Powers to take decent size chunks out of the Qing Empire. Escalate the Boxer Rebellion and who knows...
 
Italy acquired Libya (and Dodecanese) in 1912. France did so with Morocco in the same year. Most of Somalia was brought under colonial control, either Italian or British, after 1908, though the coastal cities had been colonized before.
New Hebrides colonized around 1906.
Most of innermost Sahel was only brought under any kind of French authority only after 1900.
Belgian Congo only became such in 1909, and Bosnia was annexed by Austria that year if you count it as a colony.
Ethiopia became a colony in 1936.
Not to mention the mandates in the Arab Middle East, that were colonies for all intents and purposes, with the partial exception of Iraq after the thirties.
I'd say that up to WWI at least, and possibly WWII, colonialism was quite alive and well.
With no WWI, it is conceivable that most of the Ottoman Empire, parts of Persia and China, Siam and possibly Ethiopia get carved gradually in a couple of decades. If the trend continues, we may even see stuff happening in South America, though I think it is way less likely.
Colonies of lesser powers like Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands might be distributed among the bigger guys.

I don't think anything like that is happening with South America, since that would put European powers into conflict with the United States, which is a pretty dangerous foe to have.
 
Italy acquired Libya (and Dodecanese) in 1912. France did so with Morocco in the same year. Most of Somalia was brought under colonial control, either Italian or British, after 1908, though the coastal cities had been colonized before.
New Hebrides colonized around 1906.
Most of innermost Sahel was only brought under any kind of French authority only after 1900.
Belgian Congo only became such in 1909, and Bosnia was annexed by Austria that year if you count it as a colony.
Ethiopia became a colony in 1936.
Good list.
I would also add Korea. It became a de facto Japanese protectorate in 1905, and an outright colony in 1910.
 
Ummmm....

How about Liberia bounces a check to England? That seems the surest way to create a new colony since everybody was looking at Liberia like it was the last cookie in the jar.
 
Yeah, but wasn't it a Qing Chinese protectorate before that?

Not directly before, anyway. The Qing Empire was forced to recognize the independence of Korea as a result of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895. After that, Korea was able to maintain a rough sort of independence for the next decade as it was balanced between Japan and Russia. The Independence Gate in Seoul is assumed by many people to have been built to celebrate Korean independence from Japan. In truth, it was actually built to celebrate their independence from China.
 
I think the Dutch only pacified Aceh in the early years of the 20th century, and of course the US in the S Philippines and Sulu

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Were there any unclaimed lands at this time? It would be interesting to see some post 1900 colonies built/settled from scratch :)

The whole of Antarctica until 1908. Mary Byrd Land is still unclaimed.
Everything else had a claimant except this or that forgotten rock/islet.
 
How about Liberia bounces a check to England? That seems the surest way to create a new colony since everybody was looking at Liberia like it was the last cookie in the jar.
They didn't want it. Not only was it a de facto American protectorate and was brought about for the same purpose as Sierra Leone was (for freed slaves, be it from plantation or ship), but they simply didn't need more land. They gave up German Samoa to New Zealand, the Cameroon, Syria, and half of Togo went to France to keep good relations. It also was costly, with the preferring soft power such as was used alongside the Americans in South America.
 
Top