Approaches Flashcards
(17 cards)
How does Dane Kennedy define decolonisation?
“A complex and contentious process that appeared to offer a range of outcomes”
Dane Kennedy main arguments
World Wars precipitated decolonisation by weakening administration
Priya Satia main argument
British imperialists used the narrative of progress to rationalise colonial domination, portraying colonised as “backwards” and in need of guidance
How does Priya Satia see decolonisation?
not as a break from empire but a reconfiguration of its power and legacy
Thomas and Thompson main argument
decolonisation was a global phenomenon.
lasting effects of WW2, Cold War & new and accelerating forms of globalisation, migration, human rights.
argue for a focus on what followed decolonisation - continuities of imperial influence (economic, military alliances, cultural influences, neocolonialism)
John Darwin overarching argument
Decolonisation was a strategic and managed withdrawal. it was not a sudden collapse or a moral awakening
Why does darwin say they chose an organised retreat?
- economic interests
- global prestige
- geopolitical reconfiguration
What does Darwin argue empire depends on?
- peace in europe
- stable economy
- uncontested imperial authority
Darwin on the effects of WW2
crucial but not sole reason. Fall of Singapore was brutal, financial exhaustion, dependence on US loans and policy.
argues structural weaknesses predated post WW2
what do critiques of Darwin argue?
he downplays popular resistance and focuses too much on metropolitan policy
Benedict Anderson main arguments about decolonisation
- intelligentias important
- collapse of empires in WW2 paved way for nation states
- Print media important to forge “imagined communities”
Donald Robinson and John Gallagher main argument
Importance of the ‘periphery’ in shaping empire.
rejected traditional “metropole-to-colony” explanation
stressed the agency of the colonised peripheries.
“Not only shaped by London but also shaped by conditions on the ground”.
eric hobsbawm main argument on decolonisation
shift to independence not result of European discussions but persistent efforts and resistance of indigenous populations
decolonisation was in response to this
What does Hobsbawm think about national identity?
used historical myths to forge national identity.
not natural - historically constructed response.
elite driven (Ho Chi Minh) adopting European models, nation shaped “from above”
Henri Grimal on decolonisation
Primarily driven by the agency of the colonised peoples.
shift to independence not result of European decisions but persistent efforts and resistance of indigenous populations
also argues international opinion and geopolitical shifts accelerated the end of empire.
Henri Grimal key quote
“complex interplay of indigenous resistance and international pressures”
Elisabeth Armstrong main argument
re-centre’s women as active agents in global anti-colonial movements, before and beyond formal moments like Bandung 1955.
WIDF - crucial but written out.
