Why did Great Britain choose to colonize the Pacific region?

Britain was mainly concerned with the activity of its nationals, and it accepted control of Fiji in 1874 primarily because native authority had broken down. Sir Arthur Gordon, the island’s first governor, set aside the vast majority of land for Fijians, but he imported thousands of Indian indentured labourers.

How did colonialism affect the Pacific Islands?

Residual effects initially included radiation sickness, but later increased rates thyroid cancer as well as lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, leukemia and lymphoma (Anderson et al., 2006). Today, these island nations struggle with the legacy of the colonization and westernization of their island homelands.

How did European countries use the Pacific island colonies?

European nations used their Pacific Island colonies in various ways. Some islands were essentially plantations and were dedicated entirely to agricultural production on a large scale. Still other islands served as military bases, nuclear test sites, or trust territories.

Why did Japan want the Pacific Islands?

Although Wake Island and Guam were not rich in natural resources, the Japanese wanted these islands to consolidate their holdings throughout the western Pacific and strengthen their defensive perimeter.

Why did the Japanese go to war to control the Pacific Ocean?

Faced with severe shortages of oil and other natural resources and driven by the ambition to displace the United States as the dominant Pacific power, Japan decided to attack the United States and British forces in Asia and seize the resources of Southeast Asia.

What are the five causes of World War 2?

The major causes of World War II were numerous. They include the impact of the Treaty of Versailles following WWI, the worldwide economic depression, failure of appeasement, the rise of militarism in Germany and Japan, and the failure of the League of Nations.

Why did Great Britain choose to colonize the Pacific region?

Who colonized the Pacific?

In 1668 the Spanish formally incorporated the islands to the Spanish East Indies and founded a colony on Guam as a resting place for the west-bound Manila galleons. The territory was ceded by Spain more than two centuries later, when in 1898 the United States took over the islands following the Spanish–American War.

What Pacific islands did Britain colonize?

Britain’s Western Pacific Territories included Fiji (1877-1970); Tonga (1900-1952); British Solomon Islands (1893-1971); and more.

What country colonized the Pacific islands?

From the mid-nineteenth century onward, the Pacific islands came under the rule of Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States.

What islands were colonized by the British?

The British West Indies (BWI) were the British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Why did Germany lose its colonies in Africa?

The first to go was Togoland to the British, then Dahomey to the French, then the Cameroons to the allied forces. Germany’s colonies put up a stout fight but by 1916 Germany lost all of its colonies. Germany lost all of its overseas colonies due to its lack of forces compared to its enemy.

How many people died from colonialism in Africa?

John Gunther (Inside Africa (1953) estimates 5-8 million deaths. Adam Hochschild (Leopold’s Ghost mentioned above) estimates 10 million, or half the original population from 1885 to 1920.

Which countries did Germany colonize in Africa?

The six principal colonies of German Africa, along with native kingdoms and polities, were the legal precedents of the modern states of Burundi, Cameroon, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Togo.

Why did Germany go to Africa?

In January 1941, Adolf Hitler established the Afrika Korps for the explicit purpose of helping his Italian Axis partner maintain territorial gains in North Africa. “[F]or strategic, political, and psychological reasons, Germany must assist Italy in Africa,” the Fuhrer declared.

What happened to German colonies in Africa?

The German-Herero war led to the first genocide of the 20th century. Most of Germany’s African and Pacific colonies were occupied by other European colonial powers in the early stages of World War I. The German colonial empire ended after its defeat in the war and the Treaty of Versailles on 10 January 1920.

How long did Germany colonize Africa?

While there were only about 35 years of officially documented colonization, Germans played a role in these areas many years before. Nevertheless, one should consider what was done as more important than how long they were there.