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> The first world war marked the moment when legacies of imperialism in Asia and Africa returned home, exploding into self-destructive carnage in Europe I don'

> The first world war marked the moment when legacies of imperialism in Asia and Africa returned home, exploding into self-destructive carnage in Europe I don't understand how the WW 1 is supposed to be the legacy of colonialism. From what I've read, WW 1 was caused by the local opposition between power blocks in Europe. Also the article spend way too much lines saying nothing of import on its subject; it seems more a political piece regarding #currentEvents than anything else. > entire populations as culturally incompatible with white western peoples Well, perhaps there are some culture that doesn't seem compatible with Western culture, for example regarding personal freedom (of religion, of mariage, of sexuality), on the place of women in society.

pjc50 8y ago
> Well, perhaps there are some culture that doesn't seem compatible with Western culture, for example regarding personal freedom (of religion, of mariage, of sexuality), on the place of women in society. At the time of colonization, women in the West didn't have the vote, and in much of the British empire the prohibition on homosexuality came with the colonizers and their missionaries, not as a result of local prejudice. WW2 was very much colonialist - Germany having failed to colonise Africa was going to colonise Asia by subjugating the Slavic peoples in the same way the other colonial powers had subjugated their colonies.
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tomgp 8y ago
Short version, think of it like this: The European powers had a ton of capital and resources garnered through colonial exploitation of Africa and Asia which was basically fuel burned through in massive bonfire of destruction that was the First World War -- anything left over went into the Second World War leaving the US as the dominant power for the latter half of the 20th century. [edited to fix a spelling mistake]
- baud147258 8y ago
  I did not got this from the article. From what I read, it was more: - In order to have local stability (following industrial revolution and regime changes), Western countries need an exterior outlet, for access to exclusive markets, natural ressources and space to put excess/unwanted popultation. - To be able to colonize, Western countries needed an ideology to justify it: thus white superiority, nationalism and jingoistic propaganda. - Then there was an ideology in place in all countries, which explain the war, not capital and ressources. Of course it's how I understand the article, I might be wrong.
Spooky23 8y ago
The horrors of modern warfare seemed new and surprising to the Europeans. But the brutality wasn't all that different from what was happening in colonial outposts like Namibia, South Africa, India, Russia, Ireland and countless other places. The snobbery and denial of the European powers also missed the reality of modern total warfare that was demonstrated in the US Civil War. The old guard was focused on elan and napoleonic era stuff, and dismissed the American experience.
- baud147258 8y ago
  > The old guard was focused on elan and napoleonic era stuff Still, the napoleonic era stuff was already a bit outdated after Napoleon III lost against Germany in 1870.
deleted 8y ago
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mcguire 8y ago
Much of the article is about soldiers recruited from colonized populations and transported to Europe, and the effects on the atmosphere in Europe. In fact, it argues that the tension between blocs in Europe was exacerbated by their differential success in colonialism.
chengiz 8y ago
One reason for WW1 is Germany wanted to be a colonial power, quickly, didnt have much success except in Africa on the back of a couple of genocides, then they got themselves into a naval race with Britain that they couldnt win. Sort of a violent imperial ambition coming to a boiling point. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I#Imperialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I#Imperial... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weltpolitik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weltpolitik
cmrdporcupine 8y ago
According to many, WWI was in many ways about the colonial powers fighting about access to the colonization game. Germany had little to no colonial reach abroad, and wanted in. That's what drove some of the desperation -- the economic stakes were very high. I mean, this analysis of WWI was what was taught to me in grade school. (It's also similar to the analysis of WWI that Lenin gave in "Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism")

pjc50 8y ago

> Well, perhaps there are some culture that doesn't seem compatible with Western culture, for example regarding personal freedom (of religion, of mariage, of sexuality), on the place of women in society. At the time of colonization, women in the West didn't have the vote, and in much of the British empire the prohibition on homosexuality came with the colonizers and their missionaries, not as a result of local prejudice. WW2 was very much colonialist - Germany having failed to colonise Africa was going to colonise Asia by subjugating the Slavic peoples in the same way the other colonial powers had subjugated their colonies.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

tomgp 8y ago

Short version, think of it like this: The European powers had a ton of capital and resources garnered through colonial exploitation of Africa and Asia which was basically fuel burned through in massive bonfire of destruction that was the First World War -- anything left over went into the Second World War leaving the US as the dominant power for the latter half of the 20th century. [edited to fix a spelling mistake]

baud147258 8y ago
I did not got this from the article. From what I read, it was more: - In order to have local stability (following industrial revolution and regime changes), Western countries need an exterior outlet, for access to exclusive markets, natural ressources and space to put excess/unwanted popultation. - To be able to colonize, Western countries needed an ideology to justify it: thus white superiority, nationalism and jingoistic propaganda. - Then there was an ideology in place in all countries, which explain the war, not capital and ressources. Of course it's how I understand the article, I might be wrong.

Spooky23 8y ago

The horrors of modern warfare seemed new and surprising to the Europeans. But the brutality wasn't all that different from what was happening in colonial outposts like Namibia, South Africa, India, Russia, Ireland and countless other places. The snobbery and denial of the European powers also missed the reality of modern total warfare that was demonstrated in the US Civil War. The old guard was focused on elan and napoleonic era stuff, and dismissed the American experience.

baud147258 8y ago
> The old guard was focused on elan and napoleonic era stuff Still, the napoleonic era stuff was already a bit outdated after Napoleon III lost against Germany in 1870.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

mcguire 8y ago

Much of the article is about soldiers recruited from colonized populations and transported to Europe, and the effects on the atmosphere in Europe. In fact, it argues that the tension between blocs in Europe was exacerbated by their differential success in colonialism.

chengiz 8y ago

One reason for WW1 is Germany wanted to be a colonial power, quickly, didnt have much success except in Africa on the back of a couple of genocides, then they got themselves into a naval race with Britain that they couldnt win. Sort of a violent imperial ambition coming to a boiling point. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I#Imperialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_I#Imperial... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weltpolitik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weltpolitik

cmrdporcupine 8y ago

According to many, WWI was in many ways about the colonial powers fighting about access to the colonization game. Germany had little to no colonial reach abroad, and wanted in. That's what drove some of the desperation -- the economic stakes were very high. I mean, this analysis of WWI was what was taught to me in grade school. (It's also similar to the analysis of WWI that Lenin gave in "Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism")