| Unit name | Ends and Aftermaths of Empire (Level H Special Subject) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST37008 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cervantes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Drawing on a major body of new historical literature, and a range of primary sources, this unit will explore a rapidly changing and often contentious field of study. A major theme throughout will be investigation and evaluation of how different kinds of actors in the decolonisation process viewed its origins, course and expected outcomes very differently: the selection of primary sources students will use is intended to exemplify this. Equally, the diverse and often sharply contending interpretations of subsequent analysts will be an explicit focus for investigation. The unit is thus in part a case study in the 'politics of historical controversy'. Another major objective is to situate the history of contemporary Britain and its empire within a broader global and comparative context. Students will also examine the nature of the relationship between the historian's work on decolonisation and contemporary debates about empire, intervention and geopolitics.
1 x 3-400 word essay (50%) and 1 x 2 hour exam (50%)
Abernethy, D.B., The Dynamics of Global Dominance (2000)
Brown, J. and Louis, W.R. (eds.), The Oxford History of the British Empire vol. IV.The Twentieth Century (1999).
Cain, P.J. and Hopkins, A., British Imperialism: Crisis and Deconstruction 1914-90 (1993; 2nd.edn. 2001)
Darwin, J., The End of the British Empire: the Historical Debate (1990)
Marshall, P.J. (ed.), The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire (1996).
Osterhammel, J., Colonialism (1997)
