Yes, often quite a bit of violence in the run up. Whether the imperialist side wants to try and look good at the point of capitulation or not has little to do w

Yes, often quite a bit of violence in the run up. Whether the imperialist side wants to try and look good at the point of capitulation or not has little to do with how “legal” the effectual parts of fighting for independence are. To suggest that, e.g. Gandhi didn’t have a meaningful role in achieving India’s independence, because the British considered his actions illegal, is very silly.