I recently read about the Ottoman Empire and its attempts to modernize itself without being dominated by a European power. The source I read claimed that the Ottomans sought a European ally in order to protect them from other powers and help them modernize.
Was it possible for pre-industrial societies, such as decolonized colonies, to modernize in the 20th century without European intervention?
Source (for Ottoman information):
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
It was certainly possible and relatively easy, if the pre-industrial society had well-developed social structures and a strong central government that was determined to modernize the country. This happened in Japan during the Meiji period, starting in 1867. In the course of a several decades Japan went from an isolated backwater to a developed and industrialized country which was able to decisively defeat China in the first Sino-Japanese war.
That was without any intentional European intervention (European powers promoted only their interests, they didn't try to help Japan).
The same happened in a number of Asian countries in the 20th century after decolonization, for example Singapore became one of the richest countries in the world. It was a port, so it wasn't exactly pre-industrial, but during the main wave of decolonization no country was 100% industrial anymore.