Observations on Colonialism
1. Of the examples of colonialism we studied, most began as a result of an articulated
belief on the part of the colonizer that it was pursuing a civilizing mission – whether
that was bringing Christianity, cultural uplift, progress, civilization, or Asian solidarity
to the colonized - ending barbarism, promoting education enlightenment, and
sanitation, and in general providing the colonized peoples with access to a higher
level of development than that at which they were found.
2. Almost universally the colonized peoples opposed their colonizers through revolts,
sabotage, and resistance. This was true of the Filipinos, who opposed both their
Spanish overlords and their American replacements, the Angolans who never
willingly submitted to the Portuguese and the Congolese who, through decades of
Belgian oppression, continued to resist. It was true of the Indonesians, who opposed
the Dutch and fought their return, and the Indians, whose sense of nationalism and
dissatisfaction with British rule grew to an unstoppable flood following the two
World Wars. It was true, too, of the Koreans, who lost their independence to the
Japanese following the Russo Japanese War only to regain it after Japan’s defeat in
World War II amid fierce Korean resistance during that War., Similarly, Algerians
resisted French colonization from the very beginning and finally ousted the French in
a fiercely contested war for independence. Finally, the Cuban people resisted the
Spanish and rose in open revolt against them on many occasions, finally succeeding
only to fall into a semi-colonial relationship with the United States.
3. Post-independence, relations between the former colonizers and the formerly
colonized have varied greatly. The U.S. and the Philippines have generally enjoyed
good relations, albeit a still subservient one, much to the annoyance of Filipinos and
obliviousness on the part of Americans. Portugal extricated itself from all of its
colonies in Africa and Asia and became more of a European nation than it ever was
in the previous centuries, but in its recent economic difficulties, it has looked to its
former colony, the now oil-rich Angola, for financial assistance.
Belgium, riven by separatism at home between its Flemish and Walloon population,
continues to have major economic interests in its former colony, the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Congo itself is a mess. Its infrastructure has crumbled, its level of
corruption and ineffectiveness makes it close to being a failed state, but somehow it
manages to hang on. It never really overcame its legacy of colonialism. Indonesia, on
the other hand, a nation of 250 million, is not hung up on its colonial past and
foresees its future as a leader among Muslim and Southeast Asian nations.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands, its former colonizer, continues to prosper even
without its former colony, integrated as it is in the EU as a major trading nation.
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For Great Britain, the loss of India was a blow from which many thought it would not
survive – but it did. India is a rising power that has followed its own path but
remains a member of the British Commonwealth. Britain now sees itself as an
Atlantic/European power with important interests throughout the world. Japan and
Korea greatly distrust each other. Both arose from the ashes of World War II and the
Korean War to become economic powerhouses. Each is proud of its culture and is a
trend-setter in fashion and technology, but their colonial cohabitation evokes
diametrically opposed narratives in each country.
France and Algeria fought a bloody war for independence which altered France’s
view of itself, turning more to re-integrating with Europe. Algeria emerged as a
strong country with rich resources but a large, poor, young population, several
million of whom have emigrated to France, stoking a nationalist backlash there – but
the two countries maintain extensive commercial relations to their mutual benefit.
Finally, Spain’s loss of Cuba was the final unravelling of its empire in the Americas,
leaving it psychologically damaged, while providing little comfort for the Cubans,
who fell under the sway of the United States. Spain’s civil war in the 1930’s
traumatized it, leading to self-isolation, and finally re-integration into Europe. Cuba’s
independence did not come for 60 years after its independence from Spain. It is still
struggling with the effects of the American embargo.
The effects of colonialism on both colonizers and the colonized remain with us. We
may think that the past no longer matters, but as William Shakespeare prophetically
noted in his play, The Tempest “What’s past is prologue.”
Martin Charwat
CLS
October 28, 2014
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