Peace In Their Time

Having successfully resisted becoming colonized by the Europeans, Japan was now free to makes its own destiny and pursue new ambitions. But before that nation could look abroad, it first had a couple of "to-dos" on the domestic front. The first was straightforward, make a modern economy. The other was to reform the government and create a constitution. This was a little trickier, and the end result was going evolve in unforeseen ways that would play out over decades. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

After a long break from focusing on one particular nation, today starts the introduction to Japan! They're a special case in history, as they're the only nation outside of Europe to dodge being colonized and become a Great Power in their own right (and even then the other Powers were reluctant to acknowledge that special status). Which for our purposes on this show meant that East Asia was one of the primary hotspots in the world that contributed to global instability. Which was mostly Japan's doing as they pursued an empire of their own. But it was kind of a close-run thing as Japan was actually almost colonized before any of that could happen, and only escaped that fate via social upheaval and the overturning of a centuries-old political system. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. McClain, James L A Modern History of Japan WW Norton & Company Inc, 2002

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

Today we wrap up introducing the colonial empires of France and the UK with the most restive of their conquests, the Middle East. In the wreckage of the Ottoman Empire, the two nations would lay the groundwork for the region's future instability and long years of military occupations for themselves. All the greatest hits are here, with Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq all being affected by the European presence. Plus the UK's further misadventures in Persia! Which wasn't a colony, but the British usually acted like it. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Fromkin, David A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East Holt Paperback 1989

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

We've come to the penultimate episode on our tour of the big world empires, and this week we're covering the sprawling French presence in the western half of the African continent. The experience for the colonized was mixed to say the least, but for France the region was a source of vital raw materials and manpower. That last bit, the manpower, was critical to France's status as a competitive power as African troops were expected to play a big part in France's military. Added to that, the African colonies would be areas of concern for both sides in the darkest days of the war, so we're going to be coming back here more than a few times over the course of this show. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

The British might have had the biggest and most influential of the colonial empires, but they were far from alone. Today we take a look at the Netherland's massive Dutch East Indies colony and France's big holding in East Asia, Indochina. Both were resource-rich areas that made fine possessions for their colonial masters. For the people actually living there though, the change to European rule wasn't nearly so positive and by the end of the 20s nationalist resistance to the foreigners would be developing to undermine them. Which turned out to be important as Japan regarded both places as key parts of their eventual Asian conquests. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Vickers, Adrian A History of Modern Indonesia Cambridge University Press 2013

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

The sun might not have set on the British Empire, but it is on my coverage of it. This week is a sweeping overview of the remaining big pieces of the empire, and their importance to the UK and how they affected the metropole. And also I zero in on Egypt for a bit, because they put up a spirited effort to not be a part of the empire, while the Brits were very insistent on being involved in that country's affairs. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999

With the campaigns for Indian independence in the post-WWI years a bust, India settles into an uneasy kind of calm. The British might not have been able to properly grasp it, but lines had been crossed and the Indian people had placed themselves on a trajectory towards autonomy and separation. This was reflected not just in the political relationship with the UK, but the economic one as well. And despite the failures of the first half of the decade, by the second half of the 20s, a new generation of leaders was emerging to press for another confrontation with the colonial government. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

Imperial overreach happens to everybody eventually, and the British rule in India during and after WWI became oppressive enough that their subjects began agitating for radical changes in their relationship. The independence movement there began in earnest in the post-war years, and yes this is where Ghandi enters the picture. The British don't take it very well and double-down on the very oppression that got them into their predicament in the first place.

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

The British Empire as we knew it wouldn't have been possible without its cornerstone, India. Turns out adding an entire subcontinent's worth of human and material wealth can turn a relatively small island nation into a global power. In both world wars India proved to be critical to Britain's success, and that importance weighed heavily on the minds of the Britons who ruled there. For the next few weeks we'll be looking at the colonial state, the British Raj, and how the most vital imperial asset began going its own way. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Sarkar, Sumit Modern India 1885-1947 Macmillan India Ltd 1983

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]

I've stressed in past episodes the importance of France and the United Kingdom in putting together a peaceful world order in the 1920s. That preeminence was a result of both countries acquiring gigantic empires reaching into every part of the globe, and today we're going to start covering those empires and how they played into the decisions of their rulers. In this episode we're covering the British Dominions, the most un-colonial parts of Britain's empire. They were already starting to go their own way, but were still considered essential components. This'll be more an overview today, as I won't be getting too in depth for such a large group, but this'll give you a good intro to where each of the emerging nations stand in relation to their mother country and what their own priorities were. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Brown, Judith & Louis, Roger The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume IV - The Twentieth Century Oxford University Press 1999

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]