European Empires from Conquest to Collapse, 1815-1960

Victor Kiernan (1913-2009) was Chair of Modern History at Edinburgh University. A member of the Communist Party Historians' Group with E. P. Thompson and Christopher Hill, he spent several years teaching in Lahore and translated the Urdu poets Iqbal and Faiz. His many books included Lords of Human Kind, America: The New Imperialism, and studies of Horace and Shakespeare.

A much-needed survey of European colonial campaigns, brilliant in the choice of examples from an extraordinarily wide reading.

• Foreword by Tariq AliEditor's PrefaceAuthor's Preface1. Europe and the World in 18152. The European Armiesi. Introductory ii. The British army iii. Royal and Company forces in Indiaiv. Foreign armies v. Arms and the men3. Indian Wars i. Conquest completed ii. India expanding iii. The Mutiny iv. The new Indian army4. Britain and Russia: Wars of the Borderlands i. The Caucasus and the first Afghan War ii. Central Asia and the second Afghan War iii. The watch on the Indian frontiers5. Wars in Northern Africa6. Wars in Black Africa i. Kingdoms and Republics ii. Tribes and villages7. Wars of Two Oceansi. The British in the Pacific ii. The Dutch in the Archipelago iii. The French in Indochina8. Rebellions i. European settlers ii. Non-European peoples iii. European solidarity and the Boxer Rebellion9. A Century of War i. Advance of military technology 123 ii. Food, drink, healthiii. The soldier's vocation iv. Native troops, and the cost of conquest v. The resistance10. Civilization and Barbarism i. The civilizing mission, and religion ii. Doctrines of colonial war iii. Realities of colonial war11. Europe and Its Conquests i. Publicity and the public ii. Political consequences12. The Great War i. The colonial background of 1914 ii. Colonial forces and campaigns13. Challenge and Response: 1919-45 i. New empire problems ii. New technology iii. Imperialism and fascism iv. The Second World War14. The Dismantling of the Empires i. A new era ii. Wars of liberation against France iii. Black Africa15. Epilogue