World history contains a huge number of events, names, dates, which are placed in several tens or even hundreds of different textbooks. Different authors have different views on certain circumstances, but they are united by facts that must be told one way or another. In the history of the world, phenomena are known that have appeared once and for a long time, and others that have appeared several times, but for short periods. One such phenomenon is the colonial system. In the article we will tell you what it is, where it was distributed and how it went into the past.
What is the colonial system?
The world colonial system, or colonialism, is a situation where industrially, culturally, economically developed countries dominate the rest of the world (less developed countries, or third world countries).
Domination was usually established after armed attacks and subjugation of the state. It was expressed in the imposition of economic and political principles and rules of existence.
When was that?
RudimentsThe colonial system appeared in the 15th century during the Age of Discovery along with the discovery of India and America. Then the indigenous peoples of the open territories had to recognize the technological superiority of foreigners. The first real colonies were formed by Spain in the 17th century. Gradually, Great Britain, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands began to seize and spread their influence. The US and Japan later joined.
By the end of the 19th century, most of the world was divided among the great powers. Russia did not actively participate in the colonization, but also subjugated some neighboring territories.
Who belonged to whom?
Belonging to a particular country determined the course of development of the colony. How widespread the colonial system was, the table below will tell you best.
| Metropolitan States | Colonial States | Time to get out of influence |
| Spain | Countries of Central and South America, Southeast Asia | 1898 |
| Portugal | Countries of South America, South West Africa | 1975 |
| UK | British Isles, North America, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Australia and Oceania | Late 40s - early 60s. XX century. |
| France | Countries of North and Central America, North and Central Africa,Middle East, Oceania, Indochina | Late 40s - early 60s. XX century. |
| USA | Countries of Central and South America, Oceania, Africa | The end of the 20th century, some countries have not come out of influence so far |
| Russia | Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Far East | 1991 |
There were also smaller colonies, but the table shows that they were not influenced by anyone except perhaps Antarctica and Antarctica, because they did not have raw materials and a platform for the development of industry, the economy, and life in general. The colonies were governed through governors appointed by the ruler of the metropolitan country or through constant visits to the colonies by him.
Characteristic features of the period
The period of colonialism has its own characteristics:
- All actions are aimed at establishing a monopoly in trade with the colonial territories, i.e. the metropolitan countries wanted the colonies to establish trade relations only with them and with no one else,
- armed attacks and plunder of entire states, and then subjugation of them,
- the use of feudal and slaveholding forms of exploitation of the population of colonial countries, which turned them almost into slaves.
Thanks to this policy, the countries that owned the colonies quickly developed capital stocks, which allowed them to take the lead on the world stage. So, it is thanks to the colonies and their financial meansEngland became the most developed country of that time.
How did you break up?
The colonial system of the world did not fall apart immediately, at once. This process took place gradually. The main period of loss of influence over the colonial countries came at the end of World War II (1941-1945), as people believed that it was possible to live without oppression and control from another country.
Somewhere the way out of influence took place peacefully, with the help of agreements and the signing of agreements, and somewhere - through military and rebel actions. Some countries in Africa and Oceania are still under the rule of the United States, but they no longer experience such oppression as they did in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Consequences of the colonial system
The colonial system can hardly be called an unambiguously positive or negative phenomenon in the life of the world community. It had both positive and negative sides both for the metropolitan states and for the colonies. The collapse of the colonial system led to certain consequences.
For metropolitan areas they were as follows:
- decrease in own production capacity due to possession of the markets and resources of the colonies and therefore lack of incentives,
- investment in colonies to the detriment of the mother country,
- lagging behind in competition and development from other countries due to increased concern for the colonies.
For colonies:
- destruction and loss of traditional culture and way of life, completeextermination of some nationalities;
- devastation of natural and cultural reserves;
- decrease in the local population of the colonies due to the attacks of the metropolises, epidemics, famine, etc.;
- appearance of own industry and intelligentsia;
- emergence of foundations for the future independent development of the country.
