Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Colonial Wars (1)
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The winds of decolonization that began in British colonies soon spread to every colonial empire.
France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, who had been watching Britain burn, were horrified when the fire spread to their own backyards.
"Th-those fucking idiot Brits have dragged us into this mess too."
It might have been different if Britain had handled it well, but they hadn't.
Britain was paralyzed by infighting between hardline fascists and imperialists on one side and the moderate Attlee administration on the other, leaving them unable to address the colonial issues.
In the meantime, the colonies declared independence and chaos erupted.
The wave of colonial independence had become the new reality.
Caught in this tide, the colonial empires faced a critical crossroads.
Give up the colonies, or hold on.
France, which was relatively intact(?), pulled out a hardline stance.
"Not one centimeter of French territory will be lost."
France's leader, Pierre de Leotard, rallied his supporters with a pledge to defend every inch of existing territory.
"Great France will not bow to separatists! We will surely triumph and prove to the world that the French nation stands strong!"
France went to war not just in Indochina and Algeria, but across all its restless colonies, from Tunisia to Morocco and beyond.
That mad resolve emboldened the Netherlands and Belgium.
"Look at France. United by iron will, they're not yielding a single centimeter. We can do the same."
"Exactly. It doesn't make sense to back down just because some natives are kicking up a fuss. Think of all the infrastructure we've invested there."
Belgium cracked down on unrest in the Congo, while the Netherlands did the same in Indonesia.
Everyone was stunned by the insanity of these nations reigniting war so soon after World War II.
"They're crazy. What the hell do they think their countries gain from this shit?"
Of course, the colonial empires just snorted at such talk.
In reality, they held a strong advantage in these wars.
In Indonesia, the colonial forces were intact since they hadn't been overrun like some distant outpost. The same went for the Belgian Congo.
Paris was a bit strained, but considering France's overall might, it wasn't at a disadvantage.
While they waged these colonial wars, the communists suddenly jumped in.
"In the name of the Comintern, we will stop the oppression of colonized nations."
The Soviets judged that as long as independence was the rallying cry, America couldn't intervene recklessly.
'If we weaken the free world nations now, we'll have the edge in future rivalries.'
With that in mind, the Soviets funneled weapons and funds to the insurgents.
This turned the colonial wars into ideological battles.
"This is a holy war against retrograde fascists and imperialists!"
"Hey, Washington, big brother. The commies are messing with us—gonna just sit there? If you're the leader of the free world, do something."
It put America in a real bind.
If they didn't help the European nations,
"Wow, loving the free world leader vibe. Your little brothers are getting beat by commies, and big bro just watches?"
If they did help,
"What? Aiding imperialists and fascists to suppress freedom?"
Backlash erupted domestically.
The justification for aiding Britain was that London had embraced decolonization. Covering for thugs openly crushing colonies left them with nothing to say to the public.
While America dithered, the colonial leaders thought:
'America talks a big game about freedom, but they're siding with imperialists after all. Only the Soviets truly back decolonization. The answer is communism.'
Communist influence surged within the independence movements.
As communists expanded and European nations screamed, America had to decide.
"Screw it. Stopping the commie spread is priority one."
America announced the European Recovery Program, the Marshall Plan.
"No matter the hardship, we will stand together."
Under this plan, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, southern Italy, and the American-British-French zones in Germany were included for aid.
It was billed as economic assistance, but it was effectively a declaration to foot their war bills.
The Soviets, who had been watching Western Europe wobble, were shocked by America's massive cash influx.
"Have the Americans lost their minds? Are they seriously trying to buy all of Western Europe?"
"Yeah."
America meant it.
If throwing money at it could halt the communist advance, that's what they'd do.
America's huge capital injection shifted the momentum again.
"You commie bastards had your fun. Now it's our turn."
The Netherlands, Belgium, and France diverted the American funds straight into their colonial wars.
Unlimited bombing and shelling rained down on the rebel heads.
"Huh?"
Colonial communists, who had gained momentum from Soviet aid, were routed back into the jungles without a fight.
The British got excited watching it unfold.
The belief spread that hitting back hard like them could salvage the Indian Empire and key colonies.
"We should've gone hard like our continental friends. Getting all wishy-washy let the Indians rise up."
Support grew for the hardline fascist Mosley's arguments.
"No, fighting a colonial war now will bankrupt us too! Think about your wallets!"
Attlee pleaded desperately, but it fell on deaf ears.
Public opinion surprisingly sided with the conservatives who had upheld the British Empire's dignity in the last war.
Flags of the British Empire Alternative and the Conservative Party fluttered across major cities.
Mosley and Churchill shouted "No more war" and demanded the prime minister's resignation.
"Your Excellency, at this rate, the Empire will truly split in two. Make a decision. If our cabinet doesn't step down, civil war is inevitable."
With the entire cabinet threatening to resign, Attlee saw no choice.
If America had shown a little consideration, he could have smoothly dismantled the Empire and soft-landed the homeland. That chance was gone.
"Cabinet resigns in full, then we hold elections."
Attlee chose the gentlemanly path of accepting defeat.
Attlee's fall marked the end of appeasement.
"We've finally won! Today is the day the British Empire triumphs!"
In elections right after the full cabinet resignation, the Conservative Party + British Empire Alternative coalition toppled Labor and took power.
Churchill, who became prime minister by agreement with Mosley, immediately declared the start of colonial wars.
"The British Empire neither retreats nor yields. A lion is a lion, even in old age. Negotiations with the Indians are void."
Churchill had consistently opposed Indian independence since 1939.
So, revoking Attlee's approval of it was a natural step.
British citizens, already stung by America's betrayal, welcomed the war.
"The British Empire without India isn't an empire."
In truth, Britain could afford this because it had suffered less from World War II fatigue.
From 1939-40, it was mostly a phony war. From '42-45, Korea's involvement had lightened their load.
The issue was high war costs, not rationing crises or massive casualties.
These differences let Britons commit to another war.
They didn't even see it as war.
"This isn't war. It's a special military operation to reclaim imperial territory."
Borrowing Mosley's line, it was just a special military operation.
The British Army began expanding its forces, which had shrunk after the world war's end.
America demanded Britain honor Attlee's approval of Indian independence.
Washington feared poking India now could birth a Soviet-friendly superpower, so it wanted Britain to stop its rash actions.
But Churchill's reply was firm.
"Washington, pick a side. Us or India."
America backed off for now.
With Britain in a frenzy, words wouldn't sway them.
When Britain declared a special military operation in India, the native princes—who had taken independence as a done deal—reconsidered.
"If the British Empire is serious about fighting, we stand with London."
The British Empire had protected princely rights since East India Company days, making it a reliable partner.
Newfangled republics like India or Pakistan threatened to strip those rights anytime.
As camps split, civil war broke out between pro-British and anti-British forces.
On Britain's side were the independent princes and Sikhs; opposing were Hindu and Muslim independence seekers.
The Sikhs sided with Britain out of fear that a Hindu or Muslim state would revive Mughal-era persecutions.
This made India's civil war even more favorable for Britain than expected.
"We need to learn from France. Fight with the resolve not to yield a single inch of remaining territory!"
Following India, Britain declared a special military operation in independence-declaring Burma.
That was the moment the flames of colonial wars engulfed the entire Third World.