Final answer:
The mandate system was an arrangement following WWI for transferring control of former colonies to European powers, facilitating continued imperialism under the guise of preparing for self-rule but often maintaining control over local economies and political systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mandate system was a method wherein control of a territory was transferred from one government to another under the supervision of the League of Nations following World War I. This system intended to prepare the nations for self-rule but was seen as a form of continued European imperialism. Britain and France, for instance, set up mandates over regions in the Middle East like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan without consulting the inhabitants.
European colonialism greatly affected the geopolitical landscape, drawn borders did not reflect the ethnic and tribal divisions of the local populations, and the European powers fostered divisions among local groups to maintain control. These actions led to enduring political and social ramifications even after independence. The mandate system, though meant to safeguard the interests of the former colonies, often led to European states exercising control in the guise of acting in these regions' best interests.
Subsequent European imperialism, including economic domination and military conquest, was aimed at ensuring resources and markets for the colonizing powers. These policies have left a complex legacy of socio-economic inequality and political tensions in post-colonial states.