British Contributions to Current World Order

Commentary on British influence tends to focus on misdeeds regarding Britain’s colonial past. From many points of view there is much to criticise. However taking a wider perspective compared to all the other European nations that had colonial empires Britain has left a much wider and more positive footprint. Consider the following:

Canada became a self-governing Dominion in 1867, Australia in 1901,New Zealand in 1907,South Africa in 1910, India in 1947. Although much water has flowed under the bridge, since 1867, all those countries still exist as stable democracies in one form or another. Have any other countries left a similar legacy? The answer is NO.

France still treats its few remaining overseas possessions as part of Metropolitan France. New Caledonia being the largest one. They are still suffering from conflict between French settlers and the indigenous population. Vietnam and Algeria were consumed by massive conflict before becoming independent.

All Germany’s colonial possessions, as part of the 1919  Treaty of Versailles were mandated to the Allied victors of the First World War

Italy had some dubious claims to Libya and Ethiopia, both still  political disasters.

Belgium disgraced its self with its behaviour in The Congo, which remains a mess to this day.

The Netherlands’ colony Indonesia became independent in 1945. The country has gradually become an independent, unaligned stable democracy.

Portugal’s possessions, Angola and Mozambique, eventually won wars of independence, but are still corrupt and unstable.

And as for Spain, the South American wars of Independence from Spain were mostly fought in the nineteenth century.

Few of those countries are bastions of stability.