Effects of U.S. colonialism
                     Effects of U.S. 
colonialism
2
Introduction
The modern Middle Eastern crisis searing 
today was created the moment Europeans 
drew the boundaries at the end of the First 
World War. With the inconsiderate divisions, 
the Middle Easterners are rendered in a 
perpetual state of war over ethnic lineages 
and religious differences — a characteristic 
shrewdly reinforced by colonial masters. 
Source: http://loyolaphoenix.com/
3
Dominance of 
British Empire 
Before the First World War began, the British 
Empire was the epitome of power as the 
largest colonial empire in the world, 
controlling nearly a quarter of the globe. 
Britain had kept feeding its desire for 
dominance and continued to ignore its 
responsibilities toward its colonies for over 
two centuries. 
Source: http://loyolaphoenix.com/
4
Exploitation
The British took extensive measures to exploit 
their colonies’ resources and manpower for 
the benefit of their motherland. 
They collected taxes that met Britain’s 
financial requirements and forced production 
of raw materials needed for Britain’s 
industries and exports, thereby ruining the 
colonies’ integrated and self-sustaining 
economies.
Source: http://loyolaphoenix.com/
5
Colonial 
Expansion
Western colonial expansion began during the 
15th century when Spanish and Portuguese 
explorers conquered "new" lands in the West 
Indies and the Americas. It continued for over 
400 years, and ended with the start of the 
first World War. 
Source: www.beyondintractability.org
6
Soviet 
Expansionism
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) 
likewise embarked on an expansionist period 
that took place during the first half of the 20th 
century. 
Source: www.beyondintractability.org
7
Issues Affecting 
Postcolonial 
States
By the 1960s, after years of fighting for 
independence, most Western colonial 
territories (e.g., India, Indonesia, Algeria) had 
gained self-rule. Sovereignty, however, did 
not bring with it freedom from imperialist 
influences.
Source: www.beyondintractability.org
8
Post-Soviet 
states
Many post-Soviet states (e.g., Azerbaijan, 
Chechnya, Georgia) experienced similar 
problems. After the collapse of the Soviet 
Union in the early 1990s, conflicts involving 
borders, ethnic rivalry, human-rights 
violations, and the uneven distribution of 
resources raged through former Soviet 
regions. 
Source: www.beyondintractability.org
9
Ethnic 
Rivalry/Group 
Status
Colonial and Soviet powers often created 
situations that encouraged ethnic rivalry. 
For example, when the Soviets took control of 
the Ferghana Valley in Central Asia, they 
created boundaries that separated members 
of the same ethnic group (i.e. the Tajiks) into 
different multiethnic regions.
Source: www.beyondintractability.org
10
Unequal 
Distribution of 
Resources
The practice of favoring one ethnic, religious, 
racial, or other cultural group over others in 
colonial society, or of giving them a higher 
status, helped to promote inter-group 
rivalries, and often contributed to the unequal 
distribution of resources. 
Source: www.beyondintractability.org
11
Human 
Rights
The status, privilege, and wealth of colonial 
and Soviet ruling populations were often 
maintained and upheld through the use of 
policies that violated the human rights of 
those living in the colonized areas.
Source: www.beyondintractability.org