Decolonization: A Very Short Introduction

Millions of Africans, Asians, and other peoples were subjects of colonial rule by overseas empires through the mid-twentieth century. By the end of the century, nearly all of these peoples had become citizens of independent nation-states. The United Nations grew from 51 member states at its founding in 1945 to 193 today. Its nearly four-fold increase is one measure of the historic shift in international relations that has occurred over the past half-century. Decolonization is the term used to refer to this transition from colonial empires to nation-states after World War II.

Both ex-imperial states and post-colonial regimes have promoted a sanitized version of decolonization, casting their conduct in a positive light as negotiated and inevitable. This book challenges that view, demonstrating that violence and instability often accompanied the end of empire.

It highlights three themes: the role of global war in precipitating decolonization, alternative paths sought by anti-colonial activists, and the widespread violence and refugee crises that resulted.

Focusing on these points, Dane Kennedy reminds us how these historic changes have shaped our world.