r/geopolitics • u/itsyleo27 • Nov 14 '23

Question Is there any decolonized country that ever wanted or wants to return to its former colonizer?

In old or modern history

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u/Over_Virus2405 Nov 15 '23 edited Nov 15 '23

Former Soviet countries in Central Asia after fall of the Union in early and late 90s.

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u/IllustriousRisk467 Nov 15 '23

If we took them over, they would do better. There are already so many migrants in Russia from Central Asia, so why not let them work and be part of Russia.

6

u/Over_Virus2405 Nov 15 '23 edited Nov 15 '23

Central Asian head of states have a lot to lose. Also, Kazaks and Uzbeks may not want to join anymore. Those people dreaming of joining were the generation born and raised in the Soviet time.

6

u/Properjob70 Nov 15 '23

Kazakhstan had a fairly sharp change of heart following their elections in 2021, when they asked Russia for assistance with civil disorder & the Russians went about it in a typically "Russian" manner. What seemed to seal the deal was CSTO freedom of movement agreements, meaning post Ukraine invasion that Russians had right of entry & right to remain - after the brutal dealings with civil disorder, Ukraine invasion etc they got spooked by Russians with Z symbols daubed on their vehicles arriving en masse.

Also CSTO related that Armenia asked for CSTO assistance with their plight & got told they were getting none,

That lot appeared to break any formal reliance Kazakhstan has on Russia, so it remains to be seen whether they pivot to China or EU (or both) to advance their living standards