What if their is no Imperialism for the sack of it?

What if the Imperial powers did not just invade all the territories they did just simply for the sake of building up the size of their empires but only invade territories they deemed necessary?
 
That's just it, they deemed building up the size of their empires necessary. You have to change the entire economic and social mindset of the imperializing empires which IMO is heavily dependent on Europe having awful monetary imbalances with the east since forever.
 
And to a great extent they did only invade territories they deemed necessary (ie, they thought could be profitable). The era of colonization and colonial conquest for the sake of pure prestige didn't come until the 1800s.
 
What if the Imperial powers did not just invade all the territories they did just simply for the sake of building up the size of their empires but only invade territories they deemed necessary?

Remember, every empire conquers the world in self defence.

Although I seem to remember there being a report in the mid-19th century which advised Parliament to abandon all its African colonies, most of India and Malay because they weren't economical, leaving only Southern India, the West Indies and the Chinese Treaty Ports.
 

perfectgeneral

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That report sounds like an interesting point to work from. However would France respond in kind or (more likely) move in to colonies abandoned by Britain?
Malay not a good earner? Oh okay, most of Malay.
 
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