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This is why the European imperialism proved unacceptable for the conquered peoples, which led to dismantling of imperial system by the 1960s. It must be noted, however, that in their fight against European imperialism, leaders of local liberation movements relied on those liberal ideas which they adopted from Europeans. Equality of all people, ideals of national freedom (in other words, nationalism), unacceptability of oppression and exploitation – all these are the ideas that developed within the European liberalism and introduced by European nations into their colonies. Thus, while in the history of European liberalism the liberal ideas were sometimes used to justify traditional imperial projects, at the end of the day imperial projects proved incompatible with the liberal values. The very essence of liberal values cannot tolerate the spread of these values by force. That is why the imperialism, as a doctrine of conquest of weaker nations, is flatly rejected today wherever the liberal worldview dominates.
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