Empires of the Mind: The Colonial Past and the Politics of the Present

In 1943,Churchill predicted that the empires of the future would be the empires of the mind. However, Robert Gildea exposes the brutal realities of decolonisation and neo-colonialism, which have shaped the postwar world. Economic and military power often remained in the hands of former colonial powers, leading to fantasy of empire as a model for projecting power and legitimising colonialist intervention. This aggression and imposition of colonial hierarchies have excluded, alienated, and radicalised immigrant populations, and nostalgia for empire has bedevilled relations with Europe and played a part in explaining Brexit.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 366 pages
Publication date: 04 February 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In 1943, Winston Churchill boldly proclaimed that the empires of the future would be the empires of the mind, envisioning a world of universal empires living in harmonious coexistence. However, Robert Gildea presents a different perspective, unveiling the harsh realities of decolonization and neo-colonialism that have shaped the postwar world. Despite the initial surge of French and British decolonization in the 1960s, the economic and military power often remained in the hands of the former colonial powers. As the notion of empire seemed to wane, a fantasy of empire emerged as a means to project power onto the global stage and justify colonialist interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. This aggressive stance, coupled with the establishment of colonial hierarchies in metropolitan societies, has led to the exclusion, alienation, and even radicalization of immigrant populations. Furthermore, nostalgia for empire has strained relations with Europe and played a significant role in explaining the Brexit phenomenon.

In 1943, Winston Churchill boldly proclaimed that the empires of the future would be the empires of the mind, envisioning a world of universal empires living in harmonious coexistence. However, Robert Gildea presents a different perspective, unveiling the harsh realities of decolonization and neo-colonialism that have shaped the postwar world. Despite the initial surge of French and British decolonization in the 1960s, the economic and military power often remained in the hands of the former colonial powers. As the notion of empire seemed to wane, a fantasy of empire emerged as a means to project power onto the global stage and justify colonialist interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. This aggressive stance, coupled with the establishment of colonial hierarchies in metropolitan societies, has led to the exclusion, alienation, and even radicalization of immigrant populations. Furthermore, nostalgia for empire has strained relations with Europe and played a significant role in explaining the Brexit phenomenon.

Weight: 546g
Dimension: 152 x 227 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316612330