HIST30573

Examination of the British Empire from its high-point in the second half of the Nineteenth Century to its dissolution after 1945. Particular attention will be given to the so-called New Imperialism and the scramble for African and Pacific territories, the place of empire in Victorian culture, the informal empire of economic investment, the impact of World War I on the imperial system, and the role of nationalism in the empire's eventual dissolution. The course will also introduce the theoretical arguments concerning the nature and function of the British Empire and its role in shaping the post-colonial world. (EU)