Ending Empires and Remaking the World: Decolonisation in Global History

Overview

Credit value: 30 credits at Level 5

Tutors: Dr Hilary Sapire, Dr Joseph Viscomi, Dr Fred Anscombe, Prof Chandak Sengoopta

Assessment: two 500-word commentaries (20% each) and a 2000-word essay (60%)

Module description

Along with the great world wars, decolonisation was the most transformative event of the twentieth century. In this module we offer a global and comparative exploration of the processes entailed in decolonisation and its longer-term consequences, shedding light on its key features while highlighting the particular regional and imperial contexts in which it unfolded. We will explore the consequences of decolonisation for new imaginings of world order, and consider the broader historical debates and controversies it engendered.

Indicative syllabus

Introduction: what and when was decolonisation?
‘Waves’ of decolonisation: antecedents and precedents
The first global wave of decolonisation: World War I
Interwar anti-colonialism and colonial reform
The late colonial state: planned decolonisation?
Decolonisation in the Second World War
Partitions: India and Palestine
Violence and decolonisation
National liberation and counter-insurgency
Post-colonial culture and the consequences of decolonisation

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will have gained:

a detailed knowledge of the chronology and key themes in the history of decolonisation from the late
eighteenth century to the present day
a comparative and global perspective on the processes entailing different regions, states, empires
an understanding of the key historiographical shifts in the emergence of the field
an understanding of the concepts and frameworks informing the scholarship on decolonisation
analytical and writing skills developed through a source analysis assignment and essay assignment
presentational skills from seminar discussions.