Formation and development of the colonial system. Formation of the world colonial system and “zones of influence”

1. Formation of the colonial system in the world.
The countries of Europe, having carried out modernization, received huge advantages in comparison with the rest of the world, which was based on the principles of traditionalism. This advantage also affected the military potential. Therefore, following the era of great geographical discoveries, associated mainly with reconnaissance expeditions, already in the 17th-18th centuries. colonial expansion to the East of the most developed countries of Europe began. Traditional civilizations, due to the backwardness of their development, were not able to resist this expansion and turned into easy prey for their stronger opponents. The prerequisites for colonialism originated in the era of the great geographical discoveries, namely in the 15th century, when Vasco da Gama opened the way to India, and Columbus reached the shores of America. When confronted with peoples of other cultures, Europeans demonstrated their technological superiority (ocean sailing ships and firearms). The first colonies were founded in the New World by the Spaniards. The robbery of the states of the American Indians contributed to the development of the European banking system, the growth of financial investments in science and stimulated the development of industry, which, in turn, required new raw materials.
The colonial policy of the period of primitive accumulation of capital is characterized by: the desire to establish a monopoly in trade with conquered territories, the seizure and plunder of entire countries, the use or imposition of predatory feudal and slave-owning forms of exploitation of the local population. This policy played a huge role in the process of primitive accumulation. It led to the concentration of large capital in the countries of Europe on the basis of the robbery of the colonies and the slave trade, which especially developed from the 2nd half of the 17th century and served as one of the levers for turning England into the most developed country of that time.
In the enslaved countries, the colonial policy caused the destruction of the productive forces, retarded the economic and political development of these countries, led to the plunder of vast regions and the extermination of entire peoples. Military confiscation methods played a major role in the exploitation of the colonies during that period. A striking example of the use of such methods is the policy of the British East India Company in Bengal, which it conquered in 1757. The consequence of this policy was the famine of 1769-1773, which killed 10 million Bengalis. In Ireland, during the XVI-XVII centuries, the British government confiscated and transferred to the English colonists almost all the land that belonged to the native Irish.
At the first stage of the colonization of traditional societies, Spain and Portugal were in the lead. They managed to conquer most of South America.
Colonialism in modern times. As the transition from manufactory to large-scale factory industry, significant changes took place in colonial policy. The colonies are economically more closely connected with the metropolises, turning into their agrarian and raw material appendages with a monocultural direction of agricultural development, into markets for industrial products and sources of raw materials for the growing capitalist industry of the metropolises. Thus, for example, the export of British cotton fabrics to India from 1814 to 1835 increased 65 times.
The spread of new methods of exploitation, the need to create special organs of colonial administration that could consolidate dominance over the local peoples, as well as the rivalry of various sections of the bourgeoisie in the mother countries led to the liquidation of monopoly colonial trading companies and the transfer of the occupied countries and territories under the state administration of the mother countries.
The change in the forms and methods of exploitation of the colonies was not accompanied by a decrease in its intensity. Huge wealth was exported from the colonies. Their use led to the acceleration of socio-economic development in Europe and North America. Although the colonialists were interested in the growth of the marketability of the peasant economy in the colonies, they often maintained and consolidated feudal and pre-feudal relations, considering the feudal and tribal nobility in the colonized countries as their social support.
With the advent of the industrial age, Great Britain became the largest colonial power. Having defeated France in the course of a long struggle in the 18th and 19th centuries, she increased her possessions at her expense, as well as at the expense of the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. Great Britain subjugated India. In 1840-42, and together with France in 1856-60, she waged the so-called Opium Wars against China, as a result of which she imposed favorable treaties on China. She took possession of Xianggang (Hong Kong), tried to subjugate Afghanistan, captured strongholds in the Persian Gulf, Aden. The colonial monopoly, together with the industrial monopoly, ensured Great Britain the position of the most powerful power throughout almost the entire 19th century. Colonial expansion was also carried out by other powers. France subjugated Algeria (1830-48), Vietnam (50-80s of the 19th century), established its protectorate over Cambodia (1863), Laos (1893). In 1885, the Congo became the possession of the Belgian King Leopold II, and a system of forced labor was established in the country.
In the middle of the XVIII century. Spain and Portugal began to lag behind in economic development and as maritime powers were relegated to the background. Leadership in the colonial conquests passed to England. Beginning in 1757, the trading English East India Company for almost a hundred years captured almost the entire Hindustan. Since 1706, the active colonization of North America by the British began. In parallel, the development of Australia was going on, on the territory of which the British sent criminals convicted to hard labor. The Dutch East India Company took over Indonesia. France established colonial rule in the West Indies, as well as in the New World (Canada).
African continent in the XVII-XVIII centuries. Europeans settled only on the coast and was used mainly as a source of slaves. In the 19th century Europeans moved far into the interior of the continent and by the middle of the 19th century. Africa was almost completely colonized. The exceptions were two countries: Christian Ethiopia, which offered staunch resistance to Italy, and Liberia, created by former slaves, immigrants from the United States.
In Southeast Asia, the French captured most of the territory of Indochina. Only Siam (Thailand) retained relative independence, but a large territory was also taken away from it.
By the middle of the XIX century. The Ottoman Empire was subjected to strong pressure from the developed countries of Europe. The countries of the Levant (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine), which were officially considered part of the Ottoman Empire during this period, became a zone of active penetration of Western powers - France, England, Germany. During the same period, Iran lost not only economic but also political independence. At the end of the XIX century. its territory was divided into spheres of influence between England and Russia. Thus, in the XIX century. practically all the countries of the East fell into one form or another of dependence on the most powerful capitalist countries, turning into colonies or semi-colonies. For Western countries, the colonies were a source of raw materials, financial resources, labor, as well as markets. The exploitation of the colonies by the Western metropolises was of the most cruel, predatory character. At the cost of ruthless exploitation and robbery, the wealth of the western metropolises was created, a relatively high standard of living of their population was maintained.
2. Types of colonies
According to the type of management, settlement and economic development in the history of colonialism, three main types of colonies were distinguished:

immigrant colonies.

Raw colonies (or exploited colonies).

Mixed (resettlement-raw material colonies).

Migration colonialism is a type of colonization management, the main purpose of which was to expand the living space (the so-called Lebensraum) of the titular ethnos of the metropolis to the detriment of the autochthonous peoples. There is a massive influx of immigrants from the metropolis into the resettlement colonies, who usually form a new political and economic elite. The local population is suppressed, forced out, and often physically destroyed (i.e. genocide is carried out). The metropolis often encourages resettlement to a new place as a means of regulating the size of its own population, as well as how it uses new lands to exile undesirable elements (criminals, prostitutes, recalcitrant national minorities - Irish, Basques and others), etc. Israel is an example of a modern migrant colony.
The key points in the creation of resettlement colonies are two conditions: low density of the autochthonous population with a relative abundance of land and other natural resources. Naturally, migrant colonialism leads to a deep structural restructuring of the life and ecology of the region in comparison with resource (raw material colonialism), which, as a rule, ends with decolonization sooner or later. In the world there are examples of mixed migration and raw materials colonies.
The first examples of a mixed-type migrant colony were the colonies of Spain (Mexico, Peru) and Portugal (Brazil). But it was the British Empire, followed by the United States, the Netherlands and Germany, that began to pursue a policy of complete genocide of the autochthonous population in the new occupied lands in order to create uniformly white, English-speaking, Protestant migrant colonies, which later turned into dominions. Having once made a mistake with regard to 13 North American colonies, England softened its attitude towards the new settler colonies. From the very beginning, they were granted administrative and then political autonomy. These were the settlement colonies in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. But the attitude towards the autochthonous population remained extremely cruel. The Road of Tears in the United States and the White Australia policy in Australia gained worldwide fame. No less bloody were the reprisals of the British against their European competitors: the "Great Trouble" in French Acadia and the conquest of Quebec, the French settlement colonies of the New World. At the same time, British India with its rapidly growing population of 300 million, Hong Kong, Malaysia turned out to be unsuitable for British colonization due to its dense population and the presence of aggressive Muslim minorities. In South Africa, the local and migrant (Boer) populations were already quite numerous, but institutional segregation helped the British carve out certain economic niches and land for a small group of privileged British colonists. Often, to marginalize the local population, white settlers also attracted third groups: black slaves from Africa in the USA and Brazil; Jewish refugees from Europe in Canada, laborers from the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe who did not have their own colonies; Hindus, Vietnamese and Javanese coolies in Guiana, South Africa, USA, etc. The conquest of Siberia and America by Russia, as well as their further settlement by Russian and Russian-speaking settlers, also had much in common with resettlement colonialism. In addition to the Russians, Ukrainians, Germans and other peoples took part in this process.
As time passed, the migrant colonies turned into new nations. This is how Argentines, Peruvians, Mexicans, Canadians, Brazilians, US Americans, Guiana Creoles, New Caledonian Caldoches, Breyons, French-Acadians, Cajuns and French-Canadians (Quebecs) arose. They continue to be connected with the former metropolis by language, religion and common culture. The fate of some resettlement colonies ended tragically: the pied-noirs of Algeria (Franco-Algerians), since the end of the 20th century, European settlers and their descendants have been intensively leaving the countries of Central Asia and Africa (repatriation): in South Africa, their share fell from 21% in 1940 to 9% in 2010; in Kyrgyzstan from 40% in 1960 to 10% in 2010. In Windhoek, the share of whites fell from 54% in 1970 to 16% in 2010. Their share is also rapidly declining throughout the New World: in the USA it fell from 88% in 1930 up to about 64% in 2010; in Brazil from 63% in 1960 to 48% in 2010.
3.Features of colony management.
Colonial dominance was administratively expressed either in the form of a "dominion" (direct control of the colony through a viceroy, captain-general or governor-general), or in the form of a "protectorate". The ideological substantiation of colonialism proceeded through the need to spread culture (culturism, modernization, westernization - this is the spread of Western values around the world) - "the burden of the white man."
The Spanish version of colonization meant the expansion of Catholicism, the Spanish language through the encomienda system. Encomienda (from the Spanish encomienda - care, protection) is a form of dependence of the population of the Spanish colonies on the colonizers. Introduced in 1503. Abolished in the 18th century. The Dutch version of the colonization of South Africa meant apartheid, the expulsion of the local population and its imprisonment in reservations or bantustans. The colonists formed communities completely independent of the local population, which were recruited from people of various classes, including criminals and adventurers. Religious communities (New England Puritans and Old West Mormons) were also widespread. The power of the colonial administration was exercised according to the principle of "divide and rule" by pitting local religious communities (Hindus and Muslims in British India) or hostile tribes (in colonial Africa), as well as through apartheid (racial discrimination). Often the colonial administration supported oppressed groups to fight their enemies (the oppressed Hutu in Rwanda) and created armed detachments from the natives (sepoys in India, Gurkhas in Nepal, Zouaves in Algeria).
Initially, European countries did not bring their own political culture and socio-economic relations to the colonies. Faced with the ancient civilizations of the East, which had long developed their own traditions of culture and statehood, the conquerors sought, first of all, their economic subjugation. In territories where statehood did not exist at all, or was at a fairly low level (for example, in North America or Australia), they were forced to create certain state structures, to some extent borrowed from the experience of the metropolitan countries, but with greater national specifics. In North America, for example, power was concentrated in the hands of governors who were appointed by the British government. The governors had advisers, as a rule, from among the colonists, who defended the interests of the local population. Self-government bodies played an important role: an assembly of representatives of the colonies and legislative bodies - legislatures.
In India, the British did not particularly interfere in political life and sought to influence local rulers through economic means of influence (enslaved loans), as well as providing military assistance in internecine struggle.
The economic policy in the various European colonies was largely similar. Spain, Portugal, Holland, France, England initially transferred feudal structures to their colonial possessions. At the same time, plantation farming was widely used. Of course, these were not "slave" plantations of the classical type, as, say, in ancient Rome. They represented a large capitalist economy working for the market, but with the use of crude forms of non-economic coercion and dependence.
Many of the effects of colonization were negative. There was a robbery of national wealth, merciless exploitation of the local population and poor colonists. Trading companies brought stale goods of mass demand to the occupied territories and sold them at high prices. On the contrary, valuable raw materials, gold and silver, were exported from the colonial countries. Under the onslaught of goods from the metropolises, the traditional oriental craft withered, traditional forms of life and value systems were destroyed.
At the same time, Eastern civilizations were increasingly drawn into the new system of world relations and fell under the influence of Western civilization. Gradually there was an assimilation of Western ideas and political institutions, the creation of a capitalist economic infrastructure. Under the influence of these processes, the traditional eastern civilizations are being reformed.
A vivid example of the change in traditional structures under the influence of colonial policy is provided by the history of India. After the liquidation of the East India Trading Company in 1858, India became part of the British Empire. In 1861, a law was passed on the creation of legislative advisory bodies - the Indian Councils, and in 1880 a law on local self-government. Thus, a new phenomenon for Indian civilization was laid - the elected bodies of representation. Although it should be noted that only about 1% of the population of India had the right to take part in these elections.
The British made significant financial investments in the Indian economy. The colonial administration, resorting to loans from English bankers, built railways, irrigation facilities, and enterprises. In addition, private capital also grew in India, which played a large role in the development of the cotton and jute industries, in the production of tea, coffee and sugar. The owners of the enterprises were not only the British, but also the Indians. 1/3 of the share capital was in the hands of the national bourgeoisie.
From the 40s. 19th century The British authorities began to actively work on the formation of a national "Indian" intelligentsia in terms of blood and skin color, tastes, morals and mindset. Such an intelligentsia was formed in the colleges and universities of Calcutta, Madras, Bombay and other cities.
In the 19th century the process of modernization also took place in the countries of the East, which did not directly fall into colonial dependence. In the 40s. 19th century began
etc.................

At the first stage of the colonization of traditional societies, Spain and Portugal were in the lead. They managed to conquer most of South America. In the middle of the XVIII century. Spain and Portugal began to lag behind in economic development and as maritime powers were relegated to the background. Leadership in the colonial conquests passed to England. Beginning in 1757, the trading English East India Company for almost a hundred years captured almost the entire Hindustan. Since 1706, the active colonization of North America by the British began. In parallel, the development of Australia was going on, on the territory of which the British sent criminals convicted to hard labor. The Dutch East India Company took over Indonesia. France established colonial rule in the West Indies, as well as in the New World (Canada).

African continent in the XVII-XVIII centuries. Europeans settled only on the coast and was used mainly as a source of slaves. In the 19th century Europeans moved far into the interior of the continent and by the middle of the 19th century. Africa was almost completely colonized. The exceptions were two countries: Christian Ethiopia, which offered staunch resistance to Italy, and Liberia, created by former slaves, immigrants from the United States.

In Southeast Asia, the French captured most of the territory of Indochina. Only Siam (Thailand) retained relative independence, but a large territory was also taken away from it.

By the middle of the XIX century. The Ottoman Empire was subjected to strong pressure from the developed countries of Europe. The countries of the Levant (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine), which were officially considered part of the Ottoman Empire during this period, became a zone of active penetration of Western powers - France, England, Germany. During the same period, Iran lost not only economic but also political independence. At the end of the XIX century. its territory was divided into spheres of influence between England and Russia. Thus, in the 19th century practically all the countries of the East fell into one form or another of dependence on the most powerful capitalist countries, turning into colonies or semi-colonies. For Western countries, the colonies were a source of raw materials, financial resources, labor, as well as markets. The exploitation of the colonies by the Western metropolises was of the most cruel, predatory nature. At the cost of ruthless exploitation and robbery, the wealth of the western metropolises was created, a relatively high standard of living of their population was maintained.

Initially, European countries did not bring their own political culture and socio-economic relations to the colonies. Faced with the ancient civilizations of the East, which had long developed their own traditions of culture and statehood, the conquerors sought, first of all, their economic subjugation. In territories where statehood did not exist at all, or was at a fairly low level (for example, in North America or Australia), they were forced to create certain state structures, to some extent borrowed from the experience of the metropolitan countries, but with greater national specifics. In North America, for example, power was concentrated in the hands of governors who were appointed by the British government. The governors had advisers, as a rule, from among the colonists, who defended the interests of the local population. Self-government bodies played an important role: an assembly of representatives of the colonies and legislative bodies - legislatures.

In India, the British did not particularly interfere in political life and sought to influence local rulers through economic means of influence (enslaved loans), as well as providing military assistance in internecine struggle.

The economic policy in the various European colonies was largely similar. Spain, Portugal, Holland, France, England initially transferred feudal structures to their colonial possessions. At the same time, plantation farming was widely used. Of course, these were not "slave" plantations of the classical type, as, say, in ancient Rome. They represented a large capitalist economy working for the market, but with the use of crude forms of non-economic coercion and dependence.

Many of the effects of colonization were negative. There was a robbery of national wealth, merciless exploitation of the local population and poor colonists. Trading companies brought stale goods of mass demand to the occupied territories and sold them at high prices. On the contrary, valuable raw materials, gold and silver, were exported from the colonial countries. Under the onslaught of goods from the metropolises, the traditional oriental craft withered, traditional forms of life and value systems were destroyed.

At the same time, Eastern civilizations were increasingly drawn into the new system of world relations and fell under the influence of Western civilization. Gradually there was an assimilation of Western ideas and political institutions, the creation of a capitalist economic infrastructure. Under the influence of these processes, the traditional eastern civilizations are being reformed.

A vivid example of the change in traditional structures under the influence of colonial policy is provided by the history of India. After the liquidation of the East India Trading Company in 1858, India became part of the British Empire. In 1861, a law was passed on the creation of legislative advisory bodies - the Indian Councils, and in 1880 a law on local self-government. Thus, the beginning of a new phenomenon for Indian civilization was laid - the elected bodies of representation. Although it should be noted that only about 1% of the population of India had the right to take part in these elections.

The British made significant financial investments in the Indian economy. The colonial administration, resorting to loans from English bankers, built railways, irrigation facilities, and enterprises. In addition, private capital also grew in India, which played a large role in the development of the cotton and jute industries, in the production of tea, coffee and sugar. The owners of the enterprises were not only the British, but also the Indians. 1/3 of the share capital was in the hands of the national bourgeoisie.

From the 40s. 19th century The British authorities began to actively work on the formation of a national "Indian" intelligentsia in terms of blood and skin color, tastes, morals and mindset. Such an intelligentsia was formed in the colleges and universities of Calcutta, Madras, Bombay and other cities.

In the 19th century the process of modernization also took place in the countries of the East, which did not directly fall into colonial dependence. In the 40s. 19th century reforms began in the Ottoman Empire. The administrative system and the court were transformed, secular schools were created. Non-Muslim communities (Jewish, Greek, Armenian) were officially recognized, and their members received admission to public service. In 1876, a bicameral parliament was created, which somewhat limited the power of the Sultan, the constitution proclaimed the basic rights and freedoms of citizens. However, the democratization of the eastern despotism turned out to be very fragile, and in 1878, after the defeat of Turkey in the war with Russia, a rollback to its original positions occurs. After the coup d'état, despotism again reigned in the empire, the parliament was dissolved, and the democratic rights of citizens were significantly curtailed.

In addition to Turkey, in the Islamic civilization, only two states began to master the European standards of life: Egypt and Iran. The rest of the huge Islamic world until the middle of the XX century. remained subject to the traditional way of life.

China has also made certain efforts to modernize the country. In the 60s. 19th century here, the policy of self-reinforcement gained wide popularity. In China, industrial enterprises, shipyards, arsenals for the rearmament of the army began to be actively created. But this process has not received sufficient impetus. Further attempts to develop in this direction resumed with great interruptions in the 20th century.

Farthest from the countries of the East in the second half of the XIX century. Japan advanced. The peculiarity of Japanese modernization is that in this country the reforms were carried out quite quickly and most consistently. Using the experience of advanced European countries, the Japanese modernized industry, introduced a new system of legal relations, changed the political structure, the education system, expanded civil rights and freedoms.

After the coup d'état of 1868, a series of radical reforms were carried out in Japan, known as the Meiji Restoration. As a result of these reforms, feudalism was ended in Japan. The government abolished feudal allotments and hereditary privileges, princes-daimyo, turning them into officials. who headed the provinces and prefectures. Titles were preserved, but class distinctions were abolished. This means that, with the exception of the highest dignitaries, in terms of class, princes and samurai were equated with other classes.

Land for ransom became the property of the peasants, and this opened the way for the development of capitalism. The prosperous peasantry, exempted from the tax - rent in favor of the princes, got the opportunity to work for the market. Small landowners became impoverished, sold their plots and either turned into farm laborers or went to work in the city.

The state undertook the construction of industrial facilities: shipyards, metallurgical plants, etc. It actively encouraged merchant capital, giving it social and legal guarantees. In 1889, a constitution was adopted in Japan, according to which a constitutional monarchy was established with great rights for the emperor.

As a result of all these reforms, Japan has changed dramatically in a short time. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Japanese capitalism turned out to be quite competitive in relation to the capitalism of the largest Western countries, and the Japanese state turned into a powerful power.

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 has become a thing of the past.

What is a 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).

Dominance 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 it was?

The beginnings of the 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. Later, the United States and Japan joined them.

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.

Belonging to the colonial countries

Metropolitan States	Colonial states	Time to get out of influence
Spain	Countries of Central and South America, Southeast Asia	1898
Portugal	South West Africa	1975
Great Britain	British Isles, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Australia and Oceania
France	Countries of North and Central America, North and Middle East, Oceania, Indochina	Late 40s - early 60s. 20th 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, Far East	1991

There were also smaller colonies, but the table shows that only Antarctica and Antarctica were not influenced by anyone, 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 characteristic features:

All actions are aimed at establishing a monopoly in trade with 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 slave-owning forms of exploitation of the population of the colonial countries, which turned them almost into slaves.

Thanks to this policy, the countries that owned the colonies quickly developed a stock of capital, which allowed them to take a leading position on the world stage. So, it was thanks to the colonies and their financial resources that England became the most developed country of that time.

How did it break up?

The colonial did not disintegrate 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), because people believed that it was possible to live without oppression and control from another country.

Somewhere out of influence took place peacefully, with the help of agreements and the signing of agreements, and somewhere through military and insurgent 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:

a drop in own production capacity due to the possession of the markets and resources of the colonies and, therefore, the 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 care for the colonies.

For colonies:

destruction and loss of traditional culture and way of life, complete extermination of some nationalities;
devastation of natural and cultural reserves;
a decrease in the size of the local population of the colonies due to the attacks of the mother countries, epidemics, famine, etc.;
the emergence of its own industry and intelligentsia;
the emergence of foundations for the future independent development of the country.

Topic: "The formation of the colonial system, the impact of colonialism on the development of Europe"

Specialty 18.02.09. Oil and gas processing.

Performed):

Group student gr.

Checked by teacher
stories:

Volgograd
2016

1.1 Formation of the colonial system in the world………………………….3-7

1.2. Types of colonies……………………………………………………….……8-10

1.3.Features of colony management………………………………….11-16

1.4. The collapse of the colonial system and its consequences……………...…….17-25

List of used literature……………………………………………...26

Application

Formation of the colonial system in the world.

The countries of Europe, having carried out modernization, received huge advantages in comparison with the rest of the world, which was based on the principles of traditionalism. This advantage also affected the military potential. Therefore, following the era of great geographical discoveries, associated mainly with reconnaissance expeditions, already in the 17th-18th centuries. colonial expansion to the East of the most developed countries of Europe began. Traditional civilizations, due to the backwardness of their development, were not able to resist this expansion and turned into easy prey for their stronger opponents. The prerequisites for colonialism originated in the era of the great geographical discoveries, namely in the 15th century, when Vasco da Gama opened the way to India, and Columbus reached the shores of America. When confronted with peoples of other cultures, Europeans demonstrated their technological superiority (ocean sailing ships and firearms). The first colonies were founded in the New World by the Spaniards. The robbery of the states of the American Indians contributed to the development of the European banking system, the growth of financial investments in science and stimulated the development of industry, which, in turn, required new raw materials.

The colonial policy of the period of primitive accumulation of capital is characterized by: the desire to establish a monopoly in trade with conquered territories, the seizure and plunder of entire countries, the use or imposition of predatory feudal and slave-owning forms of exploitation of the local population. This policy played a huge role in the process of primitive accumulation. It led to the concentration of large capital in the countries of Europe on the basis of the robbery of the colonies and the slave trade, which especially developed from the 2nd half of the 17th century and served as one of the levers for turning England into the most developed country of that time.

In the enslaved countries, the colonial policy caused the destruction of the productive forces, retarded the economic and political development of these countries, led to the plunder of vast regions and the extermination of entire peoples. Military confiscation methods played a major role in the exploitation of the colonies during that period. A striking example of the use of such methods is the policy of the British East India Company in Bengal, which it conquered in 1757. The consequence of this policy was the famine of 1769-1773, which killed 10 million Bengalis. In Ireland, during the XVI-XVII centuries, the British government confiscated and transferred to the English colonists almost all the land that belonged to the native Irish.

At the first stage of the colonization of traditional societies, Spain and Portugal were in the lead. They managed to conquer most of South America.

Colonialism in modern times. As the transition from manufactory to large-scale factory industry, significant changes took place in colonial policy. The colonies are economically more closely connected with the metropolises, turning into their agrarian and raw material appendages with a monocultural direction of agricultural development, into markets for industrial products and sources of raw materials for the growing capitalist industry of the metropolises. Thus, for example, the export of British cotton fabrics to India from 1814 to 1835 increased 65 times.

The spread of new methods of exploitation, the need to create special organs of colonial administration that could consolidate dominance over the local peoples, as well as the rivalry of various sections of the bourgeoisie in the mother countries led to the liquidation of monopoly colonial trading companies and the transfer of the occupied countries and territories under the state administration of the mother countries.

The change in the forms and methods of exploitation of the colonies was not accompanied by a decrease in its intensity. Huge wealth was exported from the colonies. Their use led to the acceleration of socio-economic development in Europe and North America. Although the colonialists were interested in the growth of the marketability of the peasant economy in the colonies, they often maintained and consolidated feudal and pre-feudal relations, considering the feudal and tribal nobility in the colonized countries as their social support.

With the advent of the industrial age, Great Britain became the largest colonial power. Having defeated France in the course of a long struggle in the 18th and 19th centuries, she increased her possessions at her expense, as well as at the expense of the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. Great Britain subjugated India. In 1840-42, and together with France in 1856-60, she waged the so-called Opium Wars against China, as a result of which she imposed favorable treaties on China. She took possession of Xianggang (Hong Kong), tried to subjugate Afghanistan, captured strongholds in the Persian Gulf, Aden. The colonial monopoly, together with the industrial monopoly, ensured Great Britain the position of the most powerful power throughout almost the entire 19th century. Colonial expansion was also carried out by other powers. France subjugated Algeria (1830-48), Vietnam (50-80s of the 19th century), established its protectorate over Cambodia (1863), Laos (1893). In 1885, the Congo became the possession of the Belgian King Leopold II, and a system of forced labor was established in the country.

In the middle of the XVIII century. Spain and Portugal began to lag behind in economic development and as maritime powers were relegated to the background. Leadership in the colonial conquests passed to England. Beginning in 1757, the trading English East India Company for almost a hundred years captured almost the entire Hindustan. Since 1706, the active colonization of North America by the British began. In parallel, the development of Australia was going on, on the territory of which the British sent criminals convicted to hard labor. The Dutch East India Company took over Indonesia. France established colonial rule in the West Indies, as well as in the New World (Canada).

In Southeast Asia, the French captured most of the territory of Indochina. Only Siam (Thailand) retained relative independence, but a large territory was also taken away from it.

By the middle of the XIX century. The Ottoman Empire was subjected to strong pressure from the developed countries of Europe. The countries of the Levant (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine), which were officially considered part of the Ottoman Empire during this period, became a zone of active penetration of Western powers - France, England, Germany. During the same period, Iran lost not only economic but also political independence. At the end of the XIX century. its territory was divided into spheres of influence between England and Russia. Thus, in the XIX century. practically all the countries of the East fell into one form or another of dependence on the most powerful capitalist countries, turning into colonies or semi-colonies. For Western countries, the colonies were a source of raw materials, financial resources, labor, as well as markets. The exploitation of the colonies by the Western metropolises was of the most cruel, predatory nature. At the cost of ruthless exploitation and robbery, the wealth of the western metropolises was created, a relatively high standard of living of their population was maintained.

Colony types

According to the type of management, settlement and economic development in the history of colonialism, three main types of colonies were distinguished:

Resettlement colonies.

· Raw colonies (or exploited colonies).

· Mixed (resettlement-raw material colonies).

The key points in the creation of resettlement colonies are two conditions: low density of the autochthonous population with a relative abundance of land and other natural resources. Naturally, migrant colonialism leads to a deep structural restructuring of the life and ecology of the region in comparison with resource (raw material colonialism), which, as a rule, ends with decolonization sooner or later. In the world there are examples of mixed migration and raw materials colonies.

The first examples of a mixed-type migrant colony were the colonies of Spain (Mexico, Peru) and Portugal (Brazil). But it was the British Empire, followed by the United States, the Netherlands and Germany, that began to pursue a policy of complete genocide of the autochthonous population in the new occupied lands in order to create uniformly white, English-speaking, Protestant migrant colonies, which later turned into dominions. Having once made a mistake with regard to 13 North American colonies, England softened its attitude towards the new settler colonies. From the very beginning, they were granted administrative and then political autonomy. These were the settlement colonies in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. But the attitude towards the autochthonous population remained extremely cruel. The Road of Tears in the United States and the White Australia policy in Australia gained worldwide fame. No less bloody were the reprisals of the British against their European competitors: the "Great Trouble" in French Acadia and the conquest of Quebec, the French settlement colonies of the New World. At the same time, British India with its rapidly growing population of 300 million, Hong Kong, Malaysia turned out to be unsuitable for British colonization due to its dense population and the presence of aggressive Muslim minorities. In South Africa, the local and migrant (Boer) populations were already quite numerous, but institutional segregation helped the British carve out certain economic niches and land for a small group of privileged British colonists. Often, to marginalize the local population, white settlers also attracted third groups: black slaves from Africa in the USA and Brazil; Jewish refugees from Europe in Canada, laborers from the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe who did not have their own colonies; Hindus, Vietnamese and Javanese coolies in Guiana, South Africa, USA, etc. The conquest of Siberia and America by Russia, as well as their further settlement by Russian and Russian-speaking settlers, also had much in common with resettlement colonialism. In addition to the Russians, Ukrainians, Germans and other peoples took part in this process.

As time passed, the migrant colonies turned into new nations. This is how Argentines, Peruvians, Mexicans, Canadians, Brazilians, US Americans, Guiana Creoles, New Caledonian Caldoches, Breyons, French-Acadians, Cajuns and French-Canadians (Quebecs) arose. They continue to be connected with the former metropolis by language, religion and common culture. The fate of some resettlement colonies ended tragically: the pied-noirs of Algeria (Franco-Algerians), since the end of the 20th century, European settlers and their descendants have been intensively leaving the countries of Central Asia and Africa (repatriation): in South Africa, their share fell from 21% in 1940 to 9% in 2010; in Kyrgyzstan from 40% in 1960 to 10% in 2010. In Windhoek, the share of whites fell from 54% in 1970 to 16% in 2010. Their share is also rapidly declining throughout the New World: in the USA it fell from 88% in 1930 up to about 64% in 2010; in Brazil from 63% in 1960 to 48% in 2010.

1. Formation of the colonial system in the world.

At the first stage of the colonization of traditional societies, Spain and Portugal were in the lead. They managed to conquer most of South America.

In Southeast Asia, the French captured most of the territory of Indochina. Only Siam (Thailand) retained relative independence, but a large territory was also taken away from it.

By the middle of the XIX century. The Ottoman Empire was subjected to strong pressure from the developed countries of Europe. The countries of the Levant (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine), which were officially considered part of the Ottoman Empire during this period, became a zone of active penetration of Western powers - France, England, Germany. During the same period, Iran lost not only economic but also political independence. At the end of the XIX century. its territory was divided into spheres of influence between England and Russia. Thus, in the XIX century. practically all the countries of the East fell into one form or another of dependence on the most powerful capitalist countries, turning into colonies or semi-colonies. For Western countries, the colonies were a source of raw materials, financial resources, labor, as well as markets. The exploitation of the colonies by the Western metropolises was of the most cruel, predatory nature. At the cost of ruthless exploitation and robbery, the wealth of the western metropolises was created, a relatively high standard of living of their population was maintained.

2. Types of colonies

According to the type of management, settlement and economic development in the history of colonialism, three main types of colonies were distinguished:

immigrant colonies.

Raw colonies (or exploited colonies).

Mixed (resettlement-raw material colonies).

3.Features of colony management.

Colonial dominance was administratively expressed either in the form of a "dominion" (direct control of the colony through a viceroy, captain-general or governor-general), or in the form of a "protectorate". The ideological substantiation of colonialism proceeded through the need to spread culture (culturism, modernization, westernization - this is the spread of Western values around the world) - "the burden of the white man."

The Spanish version of colonization meant the expansion of Catholicism, the Spanish language through the encomienda system. Encomienda (from the Spanish encomienda - care, protection) is a form of dependence of the population of the Spanish colonies on the colonizers. Introduced in 1503. Abolished in the 18th century. The Dutch version of the colonization of South Africa meant apartheid, the expulsion of the local population and its imprisonment in reservations or bantustans. The colonists formed communities completely independent of the local population, which were recruited from people of various classes, including criminals and adventurers. Religious communities (New England Puritans and Old West Mormons) were also widespread. The power of the colonial administration was exercised according to the principle of "divide and rule" by pitting local religious communities (Hindus and Muslims in British India) or hostile tribes (in colonial Africa), as well as through apartheid (racial discrimination). Often the colonial administration supported oppressed groups to fight their enemies (the oppressed Hutu in Rwanda) and created armed detachments from the natives (sepoys in India, Gurkhas in Nepal, Zouaves in Algeria).

A vivid example of the change in traditional structures under the influence of colonial policy is provided by the history of India. After the liquidation of the East India Trading Company in 1858, India became part of the British Empire. In 1861, a law was passed on the creation of legislative advisory bodies - the Indian Councils, and in 1880 a law on local self-government. Thus, a new phenomenon for Indian civilization was laid - the elected bodies of representation. Although it should be noted that only about 1% of the population of India had the right to take part in these elections.

After the coup d'état of 1868, a series of radical reforms were carried out in Japan, known as the Meiji Restoration. As a result of these reforms, feudalism was ended in Japan. The government abolished feudal allotments and hereditary privileges, princes-daimyo, turning them into officials who headed the provinces and prefectures. Titles were preserved, but class distinctions were abolished. This means that, with the exception of the highest dignitaries, in terms of class, princes and samurai were equated with other classes.

4. The collapse of the colonial system and its consequences.

The crisis of Western civilization, so clearly manifested at the beginning of the 20th century. as a result of the First World War and the profound socio-political changes that followed it in the world, influenced the growth of the anti-colonial struggle. However, the victorious countries, by joint efforts, managed to bring down the flaring fire. Nevertheless, the countries of the West, under the conditions of the growing crisis of civilization, were forced to gradually change their idea of the place and future of the peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America subject to them. The latter were gradually drawn into market relations (for example, the trade policy of England in the colonies, starting from the period of the Great Crisis of 1929-1933), as a result of which private property was strengthened in dependent countries, elements of a new non-traditional social structure, Western culture, education, etc. .P. This was manifested in timid, inconsistent attempts to modernize the most outdated traditional relations in a number of semi-colonial countries according to the Western model, which ultimately ran into the paramount problem of gaining political independence, however, the growth of totalitarian tendencies in the Western world was accompanied in the interwar period by the strengthening of the ideology and politics of racism, which , of course, increased the resistance of the mother countries to the anti-colonial movement as a whole. That is why only after the Second World War, with the victory of the forces of democracy over fascism, the emergence of a socialist system alternative to capitalism, which traditionally supported the anti-colonial struggle of the oppressed peoples (for ideological and political reasons), favorable conditions appeared for the collapse and subsequent collapse of the colonial system.

Stages of the collapse of the colonial system

The question of the system of international trusteeship (in other words, the colonial problem), in accordance with the agreement between the heads of government of England, the USSR and the USA, was included in the agenda of the conference in San Francisco, which established the UN in 1945. The Soviet representatives persistently advocated the principle of independence for the colonial peoples, their opponents, and above all the British, who at that time represented the largest colonial empire, sought to have the UN Charter speak only of a movement "in the direction of self-government." As a result, a formula was adopted that was close to that proposed by the Soviet delegation: the UN trusteeship system should lead the trust territories in the direction "toward self-government and independence."

In the ten years that followed, more than 1.2 billion people freed themselves from colonial and semi-colonial dependence. 15 sovereign states appeared on the world map, in which more than 4/5 of the population of the former colonial possessions lived. The largest British colonies of India (1947) and Ceylon (1948), French mandated territories - Syria and Lebanon (1943, withdrawal of troops - 1946) achieved liberation, Vietnam freed itself from Japanese colonial dependence, having won independence from France during the eight-year war (1945-1954). ), defeated socialist revolutions in North Korea and China.

Since the mid 50s. the collapse of the colonial system in its classical forms of direct subordination and diktat began. AT

1960 The UN General Assembly, on the initiative of the USSR, adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to the Former Colonial Countries.

By the end of World War II, about 200 million people lived in 55 territories of the African continent and a number of adjacent islands. Formally independent were considered Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and the dominion of Great Britain - the Union of South Africa, which had their own governments and administrations. A huge part of the territories of Africa was divided between England, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy. 1960 went down in history as the "Year of Africa". Then the independence of 17 countries of the central and western parts of the continent was proclaimed. In general, the process of African liberation was completed by 1975. By this time, 3.7% of the planet's population lived in the surviving colonies all over the world on a territory that was less than 1% of the globe.

In total, more than 2 billion people freed themselves from the colonial yoke after the Second World War. The collapse of the colonial system is, of course, a progressive phenomenon in the modern history of mankind, since for a huge mass of the planet's population the possibilities of independent choice of a path, national self-expression, and access to the achievements of civilization have opened up.

At the same time, a number of very serious problems arose for the liberated countries, called developing countries, or Third World countries. These problems are not only regional, but also global in nature, and therefore can be solved only with the active participation of all countries of the world community.

In accordance with the fairly flexible UN classification, it is customary to classify most countries of the world as developing countries, with the exception of developed industrial countries.

Despite the huge variety of economic life, the countries of the Third World have similar characteristics that allow them to be grouped into this category. The main one is the colonial past, the consequences of which can be found in the economy, politics, and culture of these countries. They have one way to form a functioning industrial structure - the widespread predominance of manual production during the colonial period and a program of transition to industrial methods of production after independence. Therefore, in developing countries, pre-industrial and industrial types of production, as well as production based on the latest achievements of the scientific and technological revolution, closely coexist. But basically the first two types predominate. The economy of all countries of the Third World is characterized by a lack of harmony in the development of sectors of the national economy, which is also explained by the fact that they have not gone through successive phases of economic development in full, as leading countries.

Most developing countries are characterized by a policy of etatism, i.e. direct state intervention in the economy in order to accelerate its growth. The lack of a sufficient amount of private investment and foreign investment forces the state to take on the functions of an investor. True, in recent years many developing countries have begun to implement a policy of denationalization of enterprises - privatization, supported by measures to stimulate the private sector: preferential taxation, import liberalization and protectionism against the most important privately owned enterprises.

Despite the important common characteristics that unite developing countries, they can be conditionally divided into several groups of the same type. At the same time, it is necessary to be guided by such criteria as: the structure of the country's economy, exports and imports, the degree of openness of the country and its involvement in the world economy, some features of the state's economic policy.

Least Developed Countries. The least developed countries include a number of states in Tropical Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Chad, Togo, Tanzania, Somalia, Western Sahara), Asia (Kampuchea, Laos), Latin America (Tahiti, Guatemala, Guiana, Honduras, etc.). These countries are characterized by low or even negative growth rates. The structure of the economy of these countries is dominated by the agricultural sector (up to 80-90%), although it is not able to meet domestic needs for food and raw materials. The low profitability of the main sector of the economy does not allow relying on domestic sources of accumulation for much-needed investments in the development of production, the training of a skilled workforce, the improvement of technology, etc.

Countries with an average level of development. The large group of developing countries with an average level of economic development includes Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Algeria, the Philippines, Indonesia, Peru, Colombia, etc. The structure of the economy of these countries is characterized by a large share of industry compared to the agricultural sector, more developed domestic and foreign trade . This group of countries has great potential for development due to the presence of internal sources of accumulation. These countries do not face the same acute problem of poverty and hunger. Their place in the world economy is determined by a significant technological gap with developed countries and a large external debt.

oil producing countries. The oil-producing countries, such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and others, which previously bore the characteristic features of lagging states, are distinguished by significant specifics of the economy. The world's largest oil reserves, actively exploited in these countries, allowed them to quickly become one of the richest (in terms of annual per capita income) states in the world. However, the structure of the economy as a whole is characterized by extreme one-sidedness, imbalance, and therefore potential vulnerability. Along with the high development of the extractive industry, other industries do not really play a significant role in the economy. In the system of the world economy, these countries firmly occupy the place of the largest oil exporters. Largely due to this, this group of countries is also becoming the largest international banking center.

Newly industrialized countries. Another group of states with high rates of economic growth is made up of newly industrialized countries, which include South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, etc. The state policy of these countries includes a focus on attracting private (domestic and foreign) capital, the reduction of the public sector by expanding the private sector. National measures include raising the level of education of the population, spreading computer literacy. They are characterized by intensive development of industry, including export-oriented science-intensive industries. Their industrial products largely meet the level of world standards. These countries are increasingly strengthening their place in the world market, as evidenced by the numerous modern industries that have emerged and are dynamically developing in these countries with the participation of foreign capital and transnational corporations. The so-called new transnationals, competing with US TNCs, have appeared in such countries as South Korea, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, etc.

Newly industrialized countries develop through skillful borrowing, selection of the undeniable achievements of Western civilization and their skillful application to national traditions and way of life. It should be noted that such an assessment or European vision of the prospects for the development of the liberated countries (whether they belong to the Arab-Islamic, Indo-Buddhist or Chinese-Confucian worlds) is also characteristic of the Marxist school. Thus, the majority of Soviet scientists believed (as well as a significant part of bourgeois researchers) that after the liberation, the countries of the Third World would begin to rapidly catch up with the developed countries. The only difference in this approach was a different, or rather, polar assessment of the merits of the capitalist and socialist models of choice, capable of ensuring the pace and ultimate success of development. And such a difference in approach was to a certain extent justified by the fact that after liberation, the developing countries, as it were, entered the orbit of one or another political camp: socialist or capitalist.

It is known that after the victory of the liberation movements (in the interpretation of Soviet researchers - people's democratic revolutions), a number of developing countries embarked on the path of socialist construction (Vietnam, Laos, North Korea, China). About 20 more developing states, including Algeria, Guinea, Ethiopia, Benin, Congo, Tanzania, Burma, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Mozambique, Angola and others, have chosen the path of socialist orientation (or non-capitalist development). The total territory of this group of states by the beginning of the 80s. was 17 million square meters. km, and the population is about 220 million people. However, most of the newly-liberated countries sought to strengthen their political and economic positions on the path of capitalist modernization, which began as early as the colonial period. And in the 60-80s. a number of these countries have achieved significant success. These are Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, "the countries of the oil elite", new industrial countries and some others.

However, neither orientation towards the West, nor towards socialism ensured for the vast majority of the liberated countries such rates of development that would allow them to catch up with the developed countries. Moreover, many Third World countries not only do not catch up with the advanced ones, but even lag behind them even more. Today it has become obvious that many developing countries are both unwilling and unable to repeat the universal path of development, be it the Western, capitalist version or the socialist model. The understanding of this truth by the vast majority of the countries of the Third World led to the emergence (back in 1961) and the consolidation of the Non-Aligned Movement, which in 1986 united 100 states with a combined population of 1.5 billion people.

Apparently, the illusions about the potential possibilities of the countries of the Third World are becoming obsolete in Europe as well. This is happening as Western civilization emerges from the crisis of the first half of the 20th century. and its return to humanistic values in the post-industrial era.

In other words, there is a growing understanding that the only possible option for the development of world civilization is an equal dialogue, cooperation based on the synthesis of values accumulated by the West and the East (the East refers to various types of civilizations, which include Third World countries). As well as the understanding that the western version of development has led to the emergence of global problems that threaten the existence of mankind, while the eastern version has retained values that can provide invaluable assistance in solving these problems. However, once again it should be emphasized that this dialogue is possible on the basis of the West's complete rejection of the recurrences of the policy of neo-colonialism. And apparently, only on this path is the progress and survival of both Western civilization and the solution of the problems of backwardness, poverty, poverty, hunger, etc. possible. in Third World countries.

In the world-historical process of the XX century. was an era when, at its beginning, the territorial division of the world between the leading powers was completed, and at the end, the colonial system collapsed. The Soviet Union played an important role in granting independence to the colonial countries.

During the same historical period, only the new industrial and oil-producing countries have achieved certain successes in economic development. The countries that developed along the path of socialist orientation after liberation remain among the least developed.

For most countries of the Third World, the problems of hunger, poverty, employment, lack of qualified personnel, illiteracy, and external debt remain acute. Thus, the problems of the Third World countries, where about 2 billion people live, are a global problem of our time.

Formation global economy world economy

Abstract >> Economics

Western countries. Formation mass production contributed ... 60s. collapse colonial systems led to the emergence of a large ... developing peace. An important feature of this stage development ... years - mostly intensive type development. State of the art...

Formation world economy and features of modern stage

Abstract >> Economics

And stages formation modern world economy Formation modern ... market economy". liquidation colonial systems mid 60s... relationship colonial dependencies were replaced by connections of another type: ... population in a developing world. Also predicted...

Formation parliamentarism in Japan and Turkey

Thesis work >> Historical figures

And Turkey Contributing becoming systems parliamentarism, as well as ... countries on stage formation parliamentarism, aggravated ... among colonial powers, ... capitalist economies type. Land ... war and conclude world exercise supreme command...

Portal for the student. Self-training

What is a colonial system?

When it was?

Who belonged to whom?

Characteristic features of the period

How did it break up?

Consequences of the colonial system

Formation global economy world economy

Formation world economy and features of modern stage

Formation parliamentarism in Japan and Turkey

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