Sentence:  Steeped in a military lore from college and from international exposure, the subaltern promised success for shaping an army of modern soldiers from mere peasants and for advancing the schedule to <WSD>self-colonize</WSD> the republic's dark corners. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To regain power (by indigenous people) after having been under colonial rule by another country, typically with the adoption of some of the culture of the former colonizers.