How bad was colonialism really?

[Heraclitus]

Pshh, we have some of those on poly.

[onodera]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Finally it should be pointed out that the Japanese navy that won the battle of Tushima was built in Britain, and was more modern than the opponent's fleet. Furthermore it had not had to steam more than 20,000 miles before coming into battle and was not desperately low on fuel. The Tsar's navy had decided to go the long way around Africa rather than go through the Suez canal and give away their position. Also, Russia had no naval bases along the way. Many of the ships of the Russian navy were in bad need of repair from the long journey. Russia's position on land was no better. The Siberian railroad was inadequate to support a large army, and Russia's Pacific provinces were woefully underdeveloped. The Japanese army on the other hand had only a very short supply line and plentiful replacements.

Well, we did have a base on Madagascar, but you're right about everything else.

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by onodera

Well, we did have a base on Madagascar, but you're right about everything else.

I thought that Madagascar was French at the time?

[SlowwHand]

I guess that makes it 100%.

[onodera]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove


I thought that Madagascar was French at the time?

Could be. They've let us use their port there in that case.

[David Floyd]

Yes, the French were allowing the Russian Navy limited access to bases/coaling stations, including Madagascar and IIRC French Indochina.

Of course, this is after the Russians shot up a British fishing flotilla, thinking it was the Japanese Navy, in the North ****ing Sea. Should have been something of a sign that maybe the Russians should have just said "**** it", turned around, and steamed home.

[Dinner]

France invaded Madagascar in 1883 in what became known as the first Franco-Hova War seeking to restore property that had been confiscated from French citizens. (Hova is one of three Merina classes: andriana - aristocracy, hova - common people, andevo - slaves. The term hova was wrongly used by the French to mean Merina.) At the wars end, Madagascar ceded Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) on the northern coast to France and paid 560,000 gold stripers francs to the heirs of Joseph-François Lambert. In 1890 the British accepted the full formal imposition of a French protectorate over Madagascar that had been imposed in a milder form in 1885, in return for eventual control over Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) and as part of an overall definition of spheres of influence in the area.

In 1895, a French flying column landed in Mahajanga (Majunga) and marched to the capital, Antananarivo, where the city's defenders were taken by surprise, as they were expecting an attack from the much closer east coast. Twenty French soldiers died fighting and 6,000 died of malaria and other diseases before the second Franco-Hova War ended.

After the conclusion of hostilities, in 1896 the French Parliament voted to annex Madagascar. The 103-year-old Merina monarchy ended with the royal family being sent into exile in Algeria. In December 1904, the Russian Baltic Fleet docked at Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) for coal and provisions before sailing on to its doomed encounter with the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Tsushima. Before leaving port the Russian sailors were required to put ashore the animals they had acquired, including monkeys, boa constrictors and one crocodile.

During World War II, Malagasy troops fought in France, Morocco, and Syria. Just before the fall of France, Germany planned to forcibly deport all of Europe's Jews to Madagascar in what was known as the Madagascar Plan. But action on the plan was never begun. After France fell to Germany, the Vichy government administered Madagascar. During the Battle of Madagascar, British troops occupied the strategic island in 1942 to preclude its seizure by the Japanese, after which the Free French took over.

In 1947, with French prestige at low ebb, a nationalist uprising was suppressed after several months of bitter fighting with 8,000 persons killed. The French later established reformed institutions in 1956 under the Loi Cadre (Overseas Reform Act), and Madagascar moved peacefully towards independence. The Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on October 14, 1958, as an autonomous state within the French Community. A period of provisional government ended with the adoption of a constitution in 1959 and full independence on June 26, 1960.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar

[Dinner]

Attempting to look that little tidbit up also yielded a Russian news site which says a French plantation owner in Madagascar discovered a new species of palm tree and another article about how Russian tourists got tricked into eating Madagascan cockroaches.

http://news.rin.ru/eng/news///3807/

http://news.rin.ru/eng/news///11786/

Oh, and do all Russian websites have links to porn? It sure seems that way.

[onodera]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Oh, and do all Russian websites have links to porn? It sure seems that way.

No, only Russian news sites.

[East Street Trader]

A lion in a zoo gets food delivered without effort, get's treatment from a vet if ill or injured and is quite likely to be provided with a mate.

Offer one a chance to live free - in however unrewarding a situation - and it will leave the comforts of the zoo without a backward glance.

Human beings are no different. Getting to make your own mistakes scores over living in thrall to others every time.

[BeBMan]

Yeah, or as the saying goes: give a lion in a zoo a fish and you feed him for half an hour. Teach him how to fish and he'll look dumb everytime he tries.


*hides behind a big lion*

[LordShiva]

EST

[onodera]

Originally posted by East Street Trader Offer one a chance to live free - in however unrewarding a situation - and it will leave the comforts of the zoo without a backward glance.

Wrong. This lion, used to free and regular meals, will not leave the place completely and will always try to return for his meat.