Twentieth Century : Oxford History of the British Empire (01 Edition)

The fourth installment in this distinguished and unprecedented series brings us to the twentieth century. As with the other volumes, this book includes the work of leading scholars.

Here, readers confront the many facets of the imperial experience in the final century of the British Empire, above all the rapid processes of decolonization that began at mid-century. Volume IV attempts to understand the men who managed the empire, their priorities and visions as leaders, and the mechanisms of control which held the empire together. There are chapters on imperial centers of activity, on the geographical periphery of the empire, and on the entirety of its connecting mechanisms, including institutions and the flow of people, money, goods, and services. Contributors also explore the experiences of Britain's imperial subjects in culture, politics, and economics — those experiences which fostered the growth of vibrant, and often new, national identities and movements as well as — ultimately — new nation-states. It concludes with decolonization and the reshaping of the political map of the world.

"[H]ighly impressive....an indispensable resource." Choice

The Oxford History of the British Empire is a major new assessment of the Empire in the light of recent scholarship and the progressive opening of historical records. It deals with the interaction of British and non-western societies from the Elizabethan era to the late twentieth century, provides a balanced treatment of the ruled as well as the rulers, and takes into account the significance of the Empire for the peoples of the British Isles. All five of the volumes in this series fully explore economic and social as well as political trends.

The fourth installment in this distinguished and unprecedented series brings us to the twentieth century. As with the other volumes, this book includes the work of leading scholars.

Here, readers confront the many facets of the imperial experience in the final century of the British Empire, above all the rapid processes of decolonization that began at mid-century. Volume IV attempts to understand the men who managed the empire, their priorities and visions as leaders, and the mechanisms of control which held the empire together. There are chapters on imperial centers of activity, on the geographical periphery of the empire, and on the entirety of its connecting mechanisms, including institutions and the flow of people, money, goods, and services. Contributors also explore the experiences of Britain's imperial subjects in culture, politics, and economics--those experiences which fostered the growth of vibrant, and often new, national identities and movements as well as--ultimately--new nation-states. It concludes with decolonization and the reshaping of the political map of the world.

About the Series:

The Oxford History of the British Empire is a major new assessment of the Empire in the light of recent scholarship and the progressive opening of historical records. It deals with the interaction of British and non-western societies from the Elizabethan era to the late twentieth century, provides a balanced treatment of the ruled as well as the rulers, and takes into account the significance of the Empire for the peoples of the British Isles. All five of the volumes in this series fully explore economic and social as well as political trends.

Judith Brown is Beit Professor of Commonwealth History, and Fellow of Balliol College, at Oxford University.

Wm. Roger Louis is Kerr Professor of English History and Culture and Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

List of Maps, List of Figures, List of Tables, Abbreviations and Location of Manuscript Sources, List of Contributors

1. Introduction, Wm. Roger Louis

2. The British Empire in the Edwardian Era, Ronald Hyam

3. A Third British Empire? The Dominion Idea in Imperial Politics, John Darwin

4. The Metropolitan Economics of Empire, D. K. Fieldhouse

5. The British Empire and the Great War, 1914-1918, Robert Holland

6. Ireland and the Empire-Commonwealth, 1900-1948, Deirdre McMahon

7. Migrants and Settlers, Stephen Constantine

8. Critics of Empire, Nicholas Owen

9. The Popular Culture of Empire in Britain, John M. MacKenzie

10. Colonial Rule, John W. Cell

11. Bureaucracy and `Trusteeship' in the Colonial Empire, Ronald Hyam

12. `Deceptive Might': Imperial Defence and Security, 1900-1968, Anthony Clayton

13. The Second World War, Keith Jeffery

14. The Dissolution of the British Empire, Wm. Roger Louis

15. Imperialism and After: The Economy of the Empire on the Periphery, B. R. Tomlinson

16. Gender in the British Empire, Rosalind O' Hanlon

17. The British Empire and the Muslim Worlds, Francis Robinson

18. India, Judith M. Brown

19. Ceylon, Stephen Ashton

20. Imperialism and Nationalism in South-East Asia, A. J. Stockwell

21. Britain's Informal Empire in the Middle East, Glen Balfour-Paul

22. West Africa, Toyin Falola and A. D. Roberts

23. East Africa, John Lonsdale

24. Southern Africa, Shula Marks

25. Canada, the North Atlantic Triangle, and the Empire, David MacKenzie

26. The British Caribbean from Demobilization to Constitutional Decolonization, Howard Johnson

27. Latin America, Alan Knight

28. China, Jürgen Osterhammel

29. Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, W. David McIntyre

30. Commonwealth Legacy, W. David McIntyre

31. Epilogue, Judith M. Brown

Chronology, Index