Empire Redux: Putin, Xi And Now Trump Ushering In New Imperial Age

Most people assumed that the age of empires had been relegated to the dustbin of history. But this is by no means a straightforward proposition.

Until relatively recently, the rise and fall of empires had dominated much of recorded history. Nation-states only appeared at the end of the 18th century . And as those states rose to prominence many too displayed imperial inclinations.

So the US, fresh from throwing off the yoke of the British empire, wasted little time in expanding its borders westward , acquiring – whether by conquest or purchase – large swaths of new territory in what effectively turned a small group of east coast states into a continental empire.

Meanwhile, other newly minted nation-states such as Italy and Germany also aspired to acquire overseas empires and involved themselves, with varying success, building what turned out to be relatively short-lived colonial empires in Africa and elsewhere.

Most traditional dynastic empires, meanwhile, began to adopt various aspects of the nation-state model, such as conscription, legal equality and political participation. The decades following the Second World War are often seen by historians as a period of decolonization by traditional imperial powers such as Britain and France.

But the transition from empire to nation-states was far from smooth. Most imperial governments hoped to transform their empires into more egalitarian commonwealths, while retaining a degree of influence.

This they did with varying degrees of success and often under extreme duress, as with France in Algeria and Vietnam, or under great economic pressure, such as with Britain and India . The real age of the nation-state didn't begin until the 1960s.

Today, the world consists of about 200 independent countries , the overwhelming majority nation-states. Nonetheless, one could argue that empires – or at least imperial tendencies – have never totally disappeared.

France, for instance, frequently interfered in many of its former colonies in Africa. However, these military interventions were not meant to permanently occupy new territories.

Today, imperial tendencies seem to resurface around the world. The past, however, tends not to repeat itself. Massive wars of conquest or attempts to create new overseas empires are unlikely in the immediate future. Most imperial expansions are currently sought close to home.

What is striking is that Putin, Xi and Trump all use fierce nationalist rhetoric to justify their imperialist designs. Putin, as we have seen, claims the indivisibility of Ukraine and Russia and blames“Nazis” for trying to turn Russia's sister state towards the west. He used it as a justification for invading Ukraine in February 2022.

Xi, in turn, often maintains that Communist China has finally overcome the“century of humiliation“, in which the country was the plaything of foreign powers. They both seem to yearn for past imperial greatness.

Sign up for one of our free newsletters

• The Daily Report Start your day right with Asia Times' top stories
• AT Weekly Report A weekly roundup of Asia Times' most-read stories

The Russian Federation aims to undo the dissolution of the Soviet Union, communist China looks back to the Qing empire . Interestingly, under its increasingly authoritarian leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey – another regional power with imperial inclinations – similarly finds inspiration in the Ottoman Empire .

The US case seems to be more complex, but in fact is very similar. Thus, Trump argues that the Panama Canal, which has long been administered by the US, was foolishly returned to Panama by Jimmy Carter and claims that it is now controlled by China. He will, he says, return it to the US .

Trump also refers to America's “Manifest Destiny” , the 19th-century belief that American settlers were destined to expand to the Pacific coast. These days his aspirations are northwards rather than to the west. The president also wants to plant the US flag on Mars, taking his imperial dreams into outer space.

If the US joins China and Russia in violating recognized borders, the international, rights-based order could be in danger. The signs are not very positive. Taking steps to illegally annex territories could blow up the entire international edifice.

Eric Storm is senior lecturer in general history, Leiden University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

Sign up here to comment on Asia Times stories Or Sign in to an existing accoun

Thank you for registering!

An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link.

• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)