or empires “diverted popular attention away from domestic reform and the need to reduce the great gap between rich and poor” (textbook pg.880). Joseph Conrad published the book “Heart of Darkness” to show the negative aspects of imperialism. He criticizes Europe’s quest for civilizing other countries throughout the story. The character Kurtz, who represents European imperialism in the book, says, “By the simple exercise of our (Europe) will we can exert a power for good practically unbounded”, which is good example of his unfavorable feelings for European civilizing. These critics informed European countries what was really happening in the colonies, but still “most people were sold on the idea that imperialism was economically profitable for homeland” (textbook pg. 880).Colonies served European countries all the way up to WWII. But, the impact of the war and other factors caused many countries to withdraw their influence from the colonies. The war efforts drained European economies and devastated much of the land, which diverted attention away from the colonies and turned countries to focus on domestic problems. Rebuilding the info structure and the living standards became a higher priority after the war than building up overseas empires. The ideas that Europeans were more civilized came crashing down as well, after the Far East suffered mass defeats to Japan. This showed that Europe could be defeated and led many people to believe Europe wasn’t that powerful after all. Hitler’s propaganda and insane views also added to the discredit of European superiority. Futhermore, in the colonies native nationalists gained power to stir up movements for independence, which was another factor that contributed to European decolonization (class notes). Different countries pulled out of their colonies in different ways. For example, Britain withdrew their influence peacef...
