Editing Commonwealth of Nations

{{Infobox country|name=Commonwealth of Nations|image_flag=Commonwealth Flag 2013.svg|image_coat=Commonwealth of Nations logo.svg|capital=Marlborough House, [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]|leader_title1=Head|leader_name1=[[Charles III]]|leader_title2=Secretary-General|leader_name2=[[Patricia Scotland]]|leader_title3=Chair-in-Office|leader_name3=[[Paul Kagame]]|coa_size=200px|image_map=Carte des pays du Commonwealth.png|map_width=320px|map_caption=Dark Blue: Current member state<br>Green: Suspended member state<br>Orange: Former member states<br>Light Blue: British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies|capital_type=Headquarters|established_event1=Balfour Declaration|established_date1=19 November 1926|established_event2=Statute of Westminster|established_date2=11 December 1931|established_event3=London Declaration|established_date3=28 April 1949|area_km2=29,958,050}}

'''The Commonwealth''', officially the '''Commonwealth of Nations''', is an [[Imperialism|imperialist]] intergovernmental organisation made up mostly of former [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|British]] colonies. The organisation is used by the British to tie itself to its former colonies, and maintain the [[Liberal international order|liberal world order]], with 15 out of the 56 members still using the British monarch as head of state.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Sara Flounders|newspaper=Workers World|title=How royalty reinforces imperialism through Commonwealth of Nations|date=2022-09-13|url=https://www.workers.org/2022/09/66639/}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Foundation ===
In the 19th century Britain started reforming its most important colonies into dominions, allowing them to be semi-autonomous. From 1887 leaders of these dominions attended conferences with Britain with the 1926 Imperial Conference being attended by the leaders of [[Commonwealth of Australia|Australia]], [[Canada]], [[British Raj (1858–1947)|India]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Newfoundland]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Republic of South Africa|South Africa]]. At the 1926 conference the [[Balfour Declaration]] was made which declared that supposedly all members were "equal members of the community of the British Empire", thus beginning the reformation of the Empire into the Commonwealth.<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|newspaper=thecommonwealth.org|title=Our History|date=2024|url=https://thecommonwealth.org/history}}</ref>

=== Modern Commonwealth ===
In 1949 following the independence of India in 1947, a meeting was held in London where the [[London Declaration]] was made. Following independence India wanted to remove the monarch as head of state but remain in the commonwealth, this declaration allowed republics to remain in the commonwealth, and under British Imperialist control. Following this, as former British colonies declared their independence they joined the Commonwealth.

In 1957 [[Republic of Ghana|Ghana]], and [[Malaysia]] joined followed by [[Federal Republic of Nigeria|Nigeria]] in 1960. 

In 1961 South Africa leaves the Commonwealth due to its [[Apartheid]] laws.

In 1961 [[Republic of Sierra Leone|Sierra Leone]], [[Republic of Cyprus|Cyprus]], and [[United Republic of Tanzania|Tanzania]] joined. In 1962 [[Jamaica]], [[Republic of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]], and [[Republic of Uganda|Uganda]] joined. In 1963 [[Republic of Kenya|Kenya]] joined. In 1964 [[Malawi]], [[Republic of Malta|Malta]], and [[Republic of Zambia|Zambia]] joined. In 1975 [[Republic of The Gambia|Gambia]], and [[Republic of Singapore|Singapore]] joined. In 1966 [[Co-operative Republic of Guyana|Guyana]], [[Republic of Botswana|Botswana]], [[Lesotho]], and [[Barbados]] joined. In 1968 [[Mauritius]], [[Kingdom of Eswatini|Eswatini]], and [[Nauru]] joined. In 1970 [[Tonga]], [[Samoa]], and [[Republic of Fiji|Fiji]] joined.

In 1972 [[Islamic Republic of Pakistan|Pakistan]] withdrew from the Commonwealth in protest at the Commonwealth's recognition, and acceptance of [[People's Republic of Bangladesh|Bangladesh]] into the organisation.

In 1973 [[the Bahamas]] joined. In 1974 [[Grenada]] joined. In 1975 [[Independent State of Papua New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]] joins. In 1976 [[Republic of Seychelles|Seychelles]] joined. In 1978 [[Solomon Islands]], [[Tuvalu]], and [[Commonwealth of Dominica|Dominica]] joined. In 1979 [[St Lucia]], [[Republic of Kiribati|Kiribati]] and, [[St Vincent]] joined. In 1980 [[Republic of Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe]], and [[Vanuatu]] joined. In 1981 [[Belize]], and [[Antigua and Barbuda]] joined. In 1982 [[Maldives]] joined. In 1983 [[St Kitts and Nevis]] joined. In 1984 [[Brunei]] joined.

In 1987 Fiji left following a coup.

In 1989 Pakistan re-joined, and in 1990 [[Republic of Namibia|Namibia]] joined.

In 1994 South Africa re-joined following the official end of apartheid.

In 1995 [[Republic of Cameroon|Cameroon]], and [[Republic of Mozambique|Mozambique]] joined.

In 1995 Nigeria suspended following the execution of [[Ken Saro-Wiwa]].

In 1997 Fiji re-joined before being suspended in 2000 following another coup.

In 1999 Nigeria was reinstated, and Pakistan was suspended following a military coup.

In 2001 Fiji was reinstated following bourgeois elections before being suspended again in 2009 following another coup.<ref name=":1" />

=== Suspension of Zimbabwe ===
In 2002 Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth and in 2003 withdrew,<ref name=":1" /> following its land reform act. This act redistributed land to subsistence farmers from the estates of wealthy white corporate farmers who had expropriated the land. Naturally this was treated as a threat by British Capitalism, and it expelled Zimbabwe from the organisation, ordering all members to cut ties with Zimbabwe. Following the expulsion the UK enforced harsh sanctions, backed by the [[United States of America|US]], which caused hyperinflation and economic chaos. British capitalism used Zimbabwe as an example for the rest of the Commonwealth of what would happen if they dared to defy the wishes of the Liberal World order.<ref name=":0" />

=== 21st Century ===
2004 Pakistan was reinstated before being suspended again in 2007 following a declared state of emergency and suspension of the constiution. It was reinstated once more in 2008.

In 2009 [[Republic of Rwanda|Rwanda]] joined, and in 2013 Gambia left.

In 2014 Fiji was reinstated

In 2016 Maldives left.

In 2018 Gambia re-joined and in 2020 Maldives followed it in re-joining.

In 2022 [[Gabonese Republic|Gabon]], and [[Togolese Republic|Togo]] joined.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Imperialist intergovernmental organizations]]