Colonial governments strengthened the police, armed forces, judiciary, and senior administration because those institutions enforced imperial rule. They weakened or constrained political bodies that could challenge that authority. A sudden withdrawal could therefore leave coercive institutions stronger than civilian counterweights, making military intervention in politics more likely. Dominion policy offered a slower transfer toward self-government from the late nineteenth century onward. The economic aim was to retain trade, diplomacy, and useful bases while shifting more defence and administrative costs to local governments. Whether that Commonwealth model would hold together remained uncertain.
Notable Point · 4:07:06-4:10:39
Dominion status and the institutional risks of rapid withdrawal
Rapid decolonization could expose colonial institutions that concentrated coercive power, while dominion status and Commonwealth ties offered earlier attempts to reduce imperial costs through shared government and trade.