British Imperialism Essay

After the Balfour Declaration in 1917– promise national home to the Jews in Palestine in order to gain Jewish support during the war – Britons had to deal with the serious Arab- Jewish clatter. In May, Britain fought with Afghanistan and in Persia she confronted with the nationalist over the treaty. And in the same time, close to home Ireland announced her republic and set up a temporary government meanwhile attacked and fought with the English. Furthermore, the Halibut Treaty was signed in 1923 by Canada without Britain involvement for the first time. The treaty was and economic and political relationship confirmation between Canada and the US. In order to maintain the empire at its stage, military establishment and colonial governments were
required which completely exhausted and weakened the British strength and sources. Both in India and Ireland she conceded with the nationalist so as to support them against the extremist, however, the British unconsidered steps encouraged the moderate ones to demand more radical changes. Even in the 1930s Britain temporized the development of self-government in some colonies as she did not wished to face with the end of the empire. However, that was the period when the word “commonwealth” started to replace the term of “empire” which meant a less imperial image, rather a friendly and co-operated relationship between the states.
Between 1935 and 1939, Neville Chamberlain resorted to the policy of appeasement –meaning Britain gave concession to Germany in order to avoid war. This policy included the reoccupation of the Rhineland, the process of the Anschluss and the Munich agreement thereby area of Sudeten granted autonomy. These factors contributed to the growth of German strength and power that later on Chamberlain had to realize when once consulting with Hitler who demanded for the Sudetenland annexation into Germany. When the Second World War broke out the dominions and colonies once again contributed to the war, sending millions of troops to the battlefields. The East colonies such as Malaya, Hong Kong, Singapore were threatened by both Japan and Germany.
After the Second World War, new “anti-imperialist” world leaders emerged amongst the US, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and the United Nations (UN).
The rivalry and the tension increased between the two world powers during the Cold War thus making a huge impact on the imperial and colonial policy. Even though the US was considered to be anti-imperialist it still “preferred” imperialism over communism therefore the existence of the British Empire could be maintain for a while, which endorsed the opportunity to keep the USSR under check and control. However, the time of decolonisation and independency began throughout the world. Ideologies as antifascism and antiracism became more widespread, in addition, the humanitarian and anti-colonial movements came to be quite popular that favoured the decolonisation. India and Pakistan became independent in 1947 which many nations followed during the following years including Burma, Ceylon etc. That meant the first phase of British decolonisation. In 1949 the association of the Commonwealth have been established which offered to all former British colonies to remain and indeed, most of them stayed. In 1960s after the visit of Harold Macmillan in the Parliament of South Africa, most of the African territories became independent. Along with the decolonisation a new era started for Great Britain and her former
colonies.