Skip to Content

The Routledge Companion to Decolonization

By Dietmar Rothermund

Published February 23rd 2006 by Routledge – 384 pages

Series: Routledge Companions to History

Purchasing Options:

Description

This is an essential companion to the process of decolonization – perhaps one of the most important historical processes of the twentieth century. Examining decolonization in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the Companion includes:

  • thematic chapters
  • a detailed chronology and thorough glossary
  • biographies of key figures
  • maps.

Providing comprehensive coverage of a broad and complex subject area, the guide explores:

  • the global context for decolonization
  • nationalism and the rise of resistance movements
  • resistance by white settlers and moves towards independence
  • Hong Kong and Macau, and decolonization in the late twentieth century
  • debates surrounding neo-colonialism, and the rise of ‘development’ projects and aid
  • the legacy of colonialism in law, education, administration and the military.

With suggestions for further reading, and a guide to sources, this is an invaluable resource for students and scholars of the colonial and post-colonial eras, and is an indispensable guide to the reshaping of the world in the twentieth century.

Reviews

'Professor Rothermund’s book offers a useful teaching resource for survey courses on the history of European decolonization … What sets this work apart from other texts available in the field is its geographic scope.' – The Round Table

'Packed with pertinent, mostly political facts: the reader seeking a reference work will not feel short-changed.' – African Affairs

Contents

Part 1: Chronology, Background, Historiography Chronology. Background: The Phases of European Imperialism. Historiography. Maps. Part 2: Themes. The Context of Decolonization. The End of Colonial Empires in Asia. The Arab World: From the Fertile Crescent to the Sahara. The "Wind of Change" in Black Africa. White Settlers: Resistance to Decolonization. The Commonwealth Caribbean: From Exploitation to Dependency. A Diehard Empire: The Portuguese in Africa and Asia. The Pacific Islands: Small Nations at Sea. The Legacy of Colonial Rule. From Colonialism to Neo-Colonialism? Part 3: Sources, Names and Terms. Guide to Sources and Secondary Reading. Biographies. Glossary. Bibliography. Index

Author Bio

Dietmar Rothermund is Professor Emeritus of South Asian History at the University of Heidelberg. He is chairman of the European Association of South Asian Studies. His publications include The Global Impact of the Great Depression (Routledge, 1996) and (with Hermann Kulke) A History of India (Routledge, 2004).

Name: The Routledge Companion to Decolonization (Hardback) – Routledge 
Description: By Dietmar Rothermund. This is an essential companion to the process of decolonization – perhaps one of the most important historical processes of the twentieth century. Examining decolonization in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the Companion...
Categories: World/International History, Imperial & Colonial History, African & Third World Politics