Map of colonial possessions in the 19th century. Colonies of France (French colonial empire). French colonies at present

Almost all European countries at different stages of their development tried to increase their power and prosperity by conquering and ruling colonies. The greatest successes in the conquest and development of new lands were achieved by Spain, Portugal and England. Competed with them: the Netherlands, France and Germany. Even countries like Denmark and Sweden owned their own colonies.

The reasons that moved people to equip colonial expeditions were: trade, the search for gold and other minerals, the search for places to live, the neutralization of pirate states, the construction of a prestigious image.

The colonial empire of France arose gradually, it would be more correct to distinguish two long historical stages:

• The first colonial empire (16th-18th centuries) was built mainly by large royal trading companies, such as the French West Indian trading company. At the time of her conquests, the country was joined by a large part of North America, the Caribbean islands and a substantial part of India, a significant part of which passed to England in 1763.
• The second colonial empire (late 19th century) was built primarily to challenge the power of the British Empire, and continued until the 1960s. It included the lands of North Africa, a solid piece of West and Central Africa, Indochina and a significant number of islands around the world.

At its peak, the empire reached a total area of ​​12.3 million square kilometers, which is 25 times the area of ​​the state itself. In terms of scale, it was second only to the capabilities of Great Britain, which had grown with 30 million square kilometers of colonized lands.

French colonies on the world map

Start of expansion

At the initial stage, which originated in the first third of the sixteenth century, military annexation of territories was carried out, which was quite obviously beneficial from a political and economic point of view, which is an indisputable historical fact, not being a real priority for the development of the country.

The early travels of a native Italian serving in France, Giovanni da Verrazano, led to the discovery of new lands. With his light hand, the places of his stay were declared the property of the crown. At the beginning of the 16th century, the discoverer Jacques Cartier made three voyages along North America, which marked the beginning of its development by France.

Fishermen loved to visit the Grand Bank off Newfoundland throughout the century, which marked the beginning of the story of the colonial expansion of North America. In 1534, the first French colonists settled in Canada. Fishing and the search for precious metals inspired the new arrivals. Spain's zealous defense of "its" American monopoly and the internal religious war at the end of the 16th century did not allow for proper consistent efforts to gain a foothold in the region. There were early attempts by France to establish colonies in Brazil in 1555, in San Luis in 1612 and in Florida, but these also failed due to Portuguese and Spanish vigilance.

France's first colonial empire

The history of the empire began in 1605 with the founding of Port Royal in present-day Canadian Nova Scotia. After 3 years, the traveler Samuel Champlain founded the French settlement of Quebec, which was to become the capital of New France, the region rich in furs. By forging profitable alliances with various Native American tribes, the French were free to govern much of the North American continent. For the time being, the areas of French settlement were limited to the valley of the St. Lawrence River. And before the creation of the Sovereign Council in 1663, the territory of New France had the status of a trading colony. But the right to manage it was transferred to the British according to the Utrecht Peace Agreement of 1713.

In the seventeenth century, commercial ambitions lead to conquests in the Caribbean region. The empire was replenished with Martinique, Guadeloupe and Santo Domingo. The system put in place to extract maximum efficiency from occupied land in this case was based on the slave trade and slave labor in the field of processing plantations of sugar cane and tobacco. During the same period, colonists settled Senegal, Africa and Réunion in the Indian Ocean and established some dominance in India.

In parallel with the expansion of the empire in North America, the conquest of the West Indies was carried out. Settlement of the territory along the South American coast, in what is now French Guiana, began in 1624, and the colony at St. Kitts was founded in 1627. Before the peace agreement with the British, the island was divided, and after that it was completely ceded.

The American Island Company established colonies in Guadeloupe and Martinique in 1635, and subsequently in 1650 in Saint Lucie. Plantations were bred by the efforts of slaves taken out of Africa. Indigenous resistance led to bloody ethnic cleansing in 1660.

The French presence abroad was not convincing, and in February 1763 the Treaty of Paris, which marked the end of the Anglo-French War, forced the country to give up its claim to Canada and a presence in Senegal.

The most lucrative expansion of the Caribbean colonies occurred in 1664, with the advent of the country of Saint-Domingue, today's Haiti. The settlement was founded on the western edge of the Spanish island of Hispaniola. By the 18th century, Haiti had become the most profitable sugar plantation in the Caribbean. The eastern half of Hispaniola was for a short period under the jurisdiction of the country, but was transferred to Spain after the Haitian revolution.

The conquests were not limited to acquisitions in the New World. In 1624, the first trading posts appeared in western Africa in Senegal.

In 1664, a company was created that fought for primacy in trade in the east. Controlled lands appeared in: Chandannagar in 1673, Pondicherry, Yanaon, Mahe, Karaikal. The acquisitions formed the basis of French India. They did not ignore the territory of the present Reunion in the Indian Ocean, modern Mauritius and the Seychelles in 1756. Under Napoleon, Egypt was also conquered for a short period, but the rule there extended only to the immediate vicinity of the Nile.

In 1699, territorial claims in North America expanded further with the founding of Louisiana in the Mississippi River basin. An extensive trading network throughout the region, connected to Canada via the Great Lakes, was supported by a network of defensive fortifications centered in Illinois and in what is now Arkansas.

During a series of conflicts between France and England, a large part of the conquered empire was lost.

Second colonial wave (1830-1870)

The second French colonial epic debuted with an attack on Algiers. Under Napoleon III, audacity against Mexico was carried out. Napoleon controlled the south of Vietnam, Cambodia and Saigon. The authorities annexed a number of Pacific islands such as Tahiti and New Caledonia. They tried to establish themselves in Asia.

After the Franco-Prussian war, the country grew into Indochina. Using the newly annexed lands of Vietnam, Tonkin and Annam were captured in 1883, Laos and Kwan-Chou-Wan. The country became the second most powerful colonial power, after England.

In the middle of the 19th century, a concession was established in Shanghai, which existed there until 1946 and a protectorate in Tunisia by the end of the century. At the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century, with great effort, 16 years of struggle, Mauritania became a colony. The crown was replenished with Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Chad, Congo and Morocco.

The last successful colonization interventions came at the end of the First World War.

colony management

There were two ways to regulate the colonies: assimilation or association. On the one hand, during assimilation, the administration in Paris dictates the laws that the controlled lands must obey, on the other hand, the unification path is a more flexible system. The path of association leaves power, but the inhabitants do not become full citizens of the country. Despite the variety of administrative systems, the French government claims its sovereignty. Dominance is reflected at the level of the economy. Indigenous peoples are characterized by a lack of voting rights, a special tax and a lack of fundamental freedoms. Among other things, the European colonial structure is in conflict with local culture and customs. The educational system used in the controlled territories is an effective means of instilling a European way of thinking.

Colonial Exhibition in Paris 1931

The international exposition, which opened on May 6, 1931 in Paris, can be considered a symbol of the prestige and glory of the country in the field of conquering the world. The laying of the first stone took place on November 5, 1928, construction was carried out over a period of more than two years on an area of ​​110 hectares located around Lake Domenil in the east of the capital in the green massif of the Bois de Vincennes. The main entrance was decorated with a golden gate, which has survived to this day. The colonial exhibition represented all the colonies and countries under the French protectorate. For each corner of the world conquered by the country, a special pavilion was provided. Catholic and Protestant churches were represented by mission flags. About 200 buildings were occupied by large companies, restaurants and eateries, exotic food stores. The exposition was complemented by the Colonial Museum, Tropical Aquarium and Zoo. The territory was decorated with majestic illuminated fountains. To move around the park, a five and a half kilometers long railway was built, along which six stations were built. It was also possible to travel by electric vehicles. For the entertainment of visitors, 16 boats, many rowing boats and 30 boats for water attractions on the lake were purchased. Various festivals and exhibitions were held in the park, among which the “Colonial Tourism Day” occupied a separate place.

The exhibition was a huge success: more than 8 million visitors, some of whom came here again. The Museum of the Colonies told visitors about the various stages of the colonial conquests. 5 months after the opening, funding began to be cut, so that the zoo, the museum of the colonies and the pagoda have survived to this day and are popular.

French colonies at present

Colonization was a rather unpopular measure, and was largely considered a waste of money and military effort. At the beginning of the twentieth century, right-wing parties opposed decolonization because they considered it too costly, and the left wing did not support his position, seeing peace, freedom and civilization in abandoning this policy. In the decline of the colonial empire, the left wing advocated decolonization, while the right wing resisted until the civil war of 1960-1961.

Having come to power in 1936, the Popular Front lobbied for reforms designed to increase the independence of the colonies. The economic crisis of the 1930s and the Second World War lead to the end of the era of conquests.

During the conference in Brazzaville in January 1944, the countries together try to develop an administrative system that will give more opportunities for self-determination of indigenous peoples. The first victory that marks the failure of colonial France is the declaration of the independence of Lebanon and Syria in 1941, which took effect in 1943.

Having failed to organize a process of painless decolonization in the middle of the last century, France experienced a difficult situation, especially in Algeria, where the war of independence lasted from 1954 to 1962 and ended in a practically civil war in France. Colonial France begins to collapse and the National Liberation Front is born, which causes an armed uprising in Algeria. The war in Algeria is responsible for the birth of the Fifth Republic. An agreement in 1962 marked the end of the war and the independence of Algeria.

By early 1960, almost all of the former French colonies had become independent countries. Several territories remain part of France. The inhabitants of the former colonies, especially Algeria, demanded the privileged right to become citizens of the country.

Decolonization is taking place in other countries as well. Tunisia became independent in 1956, African countries between 1960 and 1963. Gradually changed the status and other foreign territories.

Belonging to a former empire has become a matter of geopolitics and national pride. The older generation lives with the idea that they are lucky to live in a country that was the second largest empire and brought civilization and democracy to the peoples of nine percent of the surface of the world. Decolonization, organized under the leadership of Charles de Gaulle, was approved by the majority, despite the trauma caused by the Algerian war.

Most of the people who acquire French citizenship today come from the former colonies.

From the history of the political map of the world

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the division of the world between the great powers was basically completed. By this time, the colonial possessions of all the imperialist powers amounted to 73 million km2, i.e., more than half the area of ​​the world, n and this territory was inhabited by 530 million people - more than one-third of the world's population.

Great Britain was the largest colonial power. The British Empire covered almost "D" of the entire area and population of the globe. Almost half of the entire colonial world belonged to Great Britain: the Australian mainland, vast territories in Asia, Africa, America, and also in Europe. The British imperialists boasted of this and liked to say that over their empire “the sun never sets.” The area of ​​the British Empire exceeded the area of ​​Great Britain itself by 109 times, and the population - by almost 9 times.

The second largest colonial power was France. More than 8% of the entire territory of the globe with a population of 50 million people was under its rule. In Africa, she owned more than a third of the continent.
At the end of the XIX century. the imperialists of Germany, Italy and Belgium began to seize the colonies. By the beginning of the XX century. they took over an area of ​​5.5 million km2, mostly in Africa.
Once upon a time, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands had the largest colonies. Subsequently, they lost most of their overseas possessions and became minor powers themselves. However, by 1900, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands still retained significant possessions. They accounted for almost 6% of the territory of the entire colonial world. The area of ​​the colonies, for example, Portugal was 21 times larger than the mother country, and the colonies of the Netherlands - 67 times.
After the final division of the world, the struggle for its redistribution began, which led to a world war.
As a result of the First World Imperialist War and the Great October Revolution in Russia, the political map of the world underwent fundamental changes. For the first time in history, a state of workers and peasants appeared on the map. In its color - the color of the red banner - "/b the land of the globe was painted.

The emergence of the world's first proletarian state marked the first stage of the general crisis of capitalism: the world split into two systems - the system of socialism and the system of capitalism.

The defeated countries - Germany, Bulgaria, Türkiye - lost part of their territories. On the ruins of the multinational "patchwork empire" - Austria-Hungary, new states arose that had not previously been on the map of Europe. Between the young Soviet Republic and Western Europe, a so-called "cordon sanitaire" was created from countries that were supposed to serve as a springboard for actions against the first socialist state.

In accordance with the Versailles system, all former German colonies in Asia, Africa and Oceania and part of the Turkish possessions in the Middle East, which were part of Great Britain was the largest colonial power. The British Empire covered almost "D" of the entire area and population of the globe. Almost half of the entire colonial world belonged to Great Britain: the Australian mainland, vast territories in Asia, Africa, America, and also in Europe. The British imperialists boasted of this and liked to say that over their empire “the sun never sets.” The area of ​​the British Empire exceeded the area of ​​Great Britain itself by 109 times, and the population - by almost 9 times.

The second largest colonial power was France. More than 8% of the entire territory of the globe with a population of 50 million people was under its rule. In Africa, she owned more than a third of the continent.

At the end of the XIX century. the imperialists of Germany, Italy and Belgium began to seize the colonies. K on-

Chalu of the 20th century they took over an area of ​​5.5 million km2, mostly in Africa.

Once upon a time, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands had the largest colonies. Subsequently, they lost most of their overseas possessions and became minor powers themselves. However, by 1900, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands still retained significant possessions. They accounted for almost 6% of the territory of the entire colonial world. The area of ​​the colonies, for example, Portugal was 21 times larger than the mother country, and the colonies of the Netherlands - 67 times.
After the final division of the world, the struggle for its redistribution began, which led to a world war.

As a result of the First World Imperialist War and the Great October Revolution in Russia, the political map of the world underwent fundamental changes. For the first time in history, a state of workers and peasants appeared on the map. In its color - the color of the red banner - "/b the land of the globe was painted.
The emergence of the world's first proletarian state marked the first stage of the general crisis of capitalism: the world split into two systems - the system of socialism and the system of capitalism.
The leading victorious imperialist countries tried to redraw the political map in their own interests. They divided the world according to the Versailles system - a system of interconnected peaceful, but essentially predatory treaties.

The defeated countries - Germany, Bulgaria, Türkiye - lost part of their territories. On the ruins of the multinational "patchwork empire" - Austria-Hungary, new states arose that had not previously been on the map of Europe. Between the young Soviet Republic and Western Europe, a so-called "cordon sanitaire" was created from countries that were supposed to serve as a springboard for actions against the first socialist state.
In accordance with the Versailles system, all the former colonies of Germany in Asia, Africa and Oceania and part of the Turkish possessions in the Middle East, which were part of the bridge, achieved another 18 states, 17 of which were the former colonial countries of Africa.
In the next five years, 18 more colors were needed to mark the new independent states on the political map of the world; 11 of them appeared in Africa, and the rest - in Asia, America, Oceania and Europe.
In 1966-1968. 10 more politically independent states were formed: in Asia, Africa and America. And in January 1969, a small Spanish colony in Africa, Ifni, gained independence.
Thus, over the past quarter century, 68 new independent states have emerged on the political map of the world. The peoples of most of them have chosen a non-capitalist path of development.
If at the beginning of the century the share of the colonial possessions of the imperialist powers accounted for 55% of the territory and 35% of the population of the globe, then after the Second World War (1947) the share of dependent countries and trust territories accounted for a little more than 25% of the area and 8.5% of the population, and in 1968, the size of the colonial possessions amounted to approximately 4.5% of the area and a little more than 1% of the world's population.
The colonial system of imperialism is living its life. The imperialists are forced to retreat under the powerful onslaught of the people's liberation movement in the colonial and dependent countries. But they do not retreat without fierce fighting and are still trying to maintain their colonial rule wherever possible. 1/2 of Africa is still groaning from colonial oppression. Half of this territory is under the rule of Portugal, the rest is under the rule of Spain, Great Britain, France and the reactionary racist government of the Republic of South Africa.
Small colonial possessions of France, Great Britain and Portugal are still preserved in Asia, America and on the islands of Oceania.
The growth of the might of the world socialist system is the decisive force in the development of human society. In the economic competition with capitalism, the world socialist system is gaining the upper hand. Thanks to the outstripping growth rates of industrial production in the socialist countries compared to the capitalist ones, especially in the postwar years, the share of the socialist countries in world industrial production increased markedly and reached approximately 38% in 1968. Our successes inspire the working people of the capitalist countries to fight for the victory of socialism, contribute to development of the national liberation, anti-imperialist movement in the colonial, dependent and developing countries.

The share of socialist countries in world industrial production

State flags of countries that gained independence in 1962-1968

A political map of the World

Yu.M. Vladimirov

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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.

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.

Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871 ended the era of the formation of nation-states in Western Europe. A relative political balance was established on the continent - not a single power had a military, political or economic priority that would allow it to establish its hegemony, thereby for more than forty years Europe, with the exception of its southeastern part, got rid of military conflicts.

From now on, the political energy of the European powers is directed beyond the borders of the continent, concentrating on the partition of undivided territories in Africa and Asia. But at the same time, along with the old colonial powers (England, France, partly Russia), new states of Europe - Germany and Italy, as well as the USA and Japan, which made in the 60s in the 60s, begin to take part in the colonial expansion. 19th century historical choice in favor of political, social and economic modernization (in the USA - the war of the North and the South; in Japan - the Meiji revolution).

Among the reasons for the expansion in the first place were political and military-strategic. The desire to create a world empire was dictated both by considerations of national prestige and the desire to establish military-political control over strategically important regions of the world and prevent the expansion of the possessions of rivals. An important role was played by economic motives - the search for markets and sources of raw materials; however, in many cases, economic development was very slow; often the colonial powers, having established control over a particular territory, actually "buried" it; most often, economic interests turned out to be leading when the relatively developed and richest countries of the East (Persia, China) were subordinated. Finally, demographic factors also had a certain significance: population growth in the metropolises and the presence of “human surpluses” - those who turned out to be socially unclaimed in their homeland and were ready to seek good luck in distant colonies.

England expanded its colonial possessions, capturing more and more new territories. France took possession of Indo-China and significant territories in Africa. Algeria remained the main French colony in North Africa. Germany in the 80s seeks to capture the southwestern coast of Africa (the territory of modern Namibia). German South West Africa soon emerges. However, the advance of Germany further into Africa was prevented by the British. The First World War ended the German colonies in Africa, and Namibia eventually became a mandated territory of the Union of South Africa.

Colonial division of the world at the end of the 19th century. was primarily a section African continent. If in the early 70s. colonial possessions accounted for only a few percent of the territory of Africa, then by the beginning of the 20th century. it was divided almost completely. Two states were considered sovereign: Ethiopia, which in 1896 managed to defeat the Italian army sent to conquer it, and Liberia, founded by black immigrants from America. The rest of the territory of North, Tropical and South Africa was part of the European colonial empires.

The most extensive were the possessions Great Britain. In the southern and central parts of the continent: Cape Colony, Natal, Bechu Analand (now Botswana), Basutoland (Lesotho), Swaziland, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia). In the east: Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar, British Somalia. In the northeast: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, formally considered a co-ownership of England and Egypt. To the west: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia and the Gold Coast. In the Indian Ocean - the island of Mauritius and the Seychelles.

colonial empire France It was not inferior in size to the British one, but the population of its colonies was several times smaller, and the natural resources were poorer. Most of the French possessions were in West and Equatorial Africa and a considerable part of their territory fell on the Sahara, the adjacent semi-desert region of the Sahel and tropical forests: French Guinea (now the Republic of Guinea), Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Upper Volta (Burkina Faso), Dahomey (Benin), Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, French Sudan (Mali), Gabon, Chad, Middle Congo (Republic of the Congo), Ubangi-Shari (Central African Republic), French Coast of Somalia (Djibouti), Madagascar, Comoros, Reunion.

Portugal owned Angola, Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau), which included the islands of Cape Verde (Republic of Cape Verde), Sao Tome and Principe. Belgium owned the Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in 1971 - 1997 - Zaire), Italy - Eritrea and Italian Somalia, Spain - Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara), Germany - German East Africa (now - the continental part of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi ), Cameroon, Togo and German South West Africa (Namibia).

The main reasons that led to the scramble of the European powers for Africa were economic. The desire to exploit the natural wealth and population of Africa was of paramount importance. But it cannot be said that these hopes were immediately justified. The south of the continent, where the world's largest deposits of gold and diamonds were discovered, began to give huge profits. But before generating income, large investments were first needed to explore natural resources, create communications, adapt the local economy to the needs of the metropolis, to suppress the protests of the indigenous people and find effective ways to make them work for the colonial system. All this took time. Another argument of the ideologues of colonialism was not immediately justified either. They argued that the acquisition of colonies would create many jobs in the metropolises themselves and eliminate unemployment, since Africa would become a capacious market for European products and huge construction of railways, ports, and industrial enterprises would unfold there. If these plans were implemented, then more slowly than expected, and on a smaller scale.

In the African colonies, two systems of government gradually developed - direct and indirect. In the first case, the colonial administration appointed African leaders to one or another area, regardless of the local institutions of power and the origin of the applicant. In fact, their position differed little from that of the officials of the colonial apparatus. And under the system of indirect control, the colonialists formally retained the institutions of power that existed in pre-colonial times, but completely changed their content. The leader could only be a person of local origin, usually from the "traditional" nobility. He remained in office all his life if he satisfied the colonial administration, receiving his main livelihood from deductions from the amount of taxes he collected. The system of direct control was more often used in the French colonies, indirect - in the English.

Rapid economic development Japan in the second half of the 19th century. also forced her to look for new markets for products, create new enterprises. In addition, numerous descendants of the samurai, who lost their privileges, retained their militancy and aggressiveness. Japan began implementing its aggressive foreign policy with a struggle to assert its influence in Korea, which could not resist a strong adversary. In 1876, an agreement was signed that provided the Japanese with a number of privileges and rights. In 1885, China accepted Japan's condition for equality of rights and interests in Korea. Japan's victory in the war of 1894 secured its first colonies - Taiwan (Formosa), the Penghuledao Islands. By the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Japan has become one of the most powerful powers.

The strengthening of Japan could not but disturb the European powers that had interests in Asia, in particular in China. At first, Russia, supported by Germany and France, demanded that Japan return Port Arthur to China (soon she rented it for 99 years, and in 1900 occupied the territory of Manchuria). Japan responded to this with a conclusion at the beginning of the 20th century. military alliance with England. Russia became the main opponent of Japan in its aggressive, colonial policy.

At the end of the century, there was an increase USA. Relying on a huge economic and military potential, the United States easily penetrated the economies of other countries, often using military force. At the end of the XIX century. they captured the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Hawaiian Islands, actually turned into a colony

Cuba. In an effort to establish economic and, to a certain extent, political priority in countries that formally remained independent, the United States resorted to unequal treaties, provided loans at high interest rates, and in this way sought to solve the problem of subjugating weak states.

Thus, by the end of the XIX century. the territorial division of the world was completed, the colonial system of capitalism was formed. However, the rivalry and contradictions between the major countries raised the question of the redistribution of the colonies. They tried to resolve this issue with the help of military force. The desire to redistribute the divided world and spheres of influence, as well as the internal contradictions of the leading states, led to an increase in the size of the army and the arms race. The militaristic policy was characteristic of both countries with remnants of feudalism (Russia, Italy) and countries with intensively developing economies that consider themselves deprived colonies (Germany, Japan). In 1887, 17 states of Europe kept 3,030,100 soldiers under arms and spent 1/4 of their income on maintaining the army and navy. From 1869 to 1897, the size of the armed forces of the six great European powers increased by 40%.

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