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Sri Lanka Navy Journal 13
EFFECT OF COLONIAL ERA IN SHAPING THE GEOPOLITICS IN IOR

4 Colonization of the countries in the South East Asia has an impact on shaping of
present emerging geopolitics in the Indian Ocean region (IOR). The Europeans entered the
Indian Ocean region under the guise of merchants during the sixteenth century and estab-
lished their colonies in the IOR. Portuguese, Dutch and English were the main colonial rul-
ers in IOR. Anyhow, gradual emergence of the political awakening in the countries in IOR
and weakening of the colonial powers such as UK, France, Italy and Germany aftermath
the second world war was influenced for gradual decolonization of the colonies in IOR and
Africa.

5. Decolonization had brought independence to the former colonies in IOR such
as India, Egypt, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia and followed the non-aligned concept
during the cold war era. This decolonization resulted British colonial rulers to withdraw
from their occupation in IOR that impacted on creation power vacuum in IOR. In the wake
of British withdrawal after one and half centuries of control in the IOR, Russia and United
States increased their presence in the IOR. This power vacuum was two folds as military
and political that created newly liberated countries in the IOR defenseless and vulnerable
to foreign invasion. After the British announcement of the withdrawal from the east of the
Suez, Soviet naval entry began to IOR.

POWER RIVALRY BETWEEN US AND SOVIET IN COLD WAR ERA

6. Aftermath of the second world war, super power rivalry between western and com-
munist blocs continued as ‘Cold War’ until soviet collapsed in 1991. Soviet and US had been
close allies during the second world war that turned antagonists to each other aftermath of
the second world war. Both US and Soviet Union began competing each other to getting
attraction of newly independent countries in the Asia, Africa and Latin America by offering
economic and military assistance as incentives. US already created North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) in 1949 with western European countries to defend Europe from the
Soviet threat. Soviet responded by establishing Warsaw treaty Organization. Most countries
situated in the IOR had attained their independence from European colonial powers in the
post world war II period and they were vulnerable to superpower rivalry in IOR. Figure 1
shows the map of IOR

Figure 1:Indian Ocean Region power competition
Source: International Maritime Bureau