Britain, Southeast Asia and the Onset of the Cold War, 1945–1950

A detailed study that sheds light on post-war British policy in South-east Asia.

Nicholas Tarling (Author)

9780521033367, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 18 January 2007

504 pages, 4 maps
22.8 x 15.2 x 3.1 cm, 0.745 kg

"an impressive piece of research and an invaluable syudy of a crucial period in the history of post- 1945 Southeast Asia. It can be recommended to all those interested in the modern history of the region, the history of British policy in this period, or the history of the Cold War in Southeast Asia." H-NET Reviews

This detailed study throws light on the evolution of British policy in South-east Asia in the turbulent post-war period. Through extensive archival research and insightful analysis of the British mindset and official policy, Tarling demonstrates that South-east Asia was perceived as a region consisting of mutually co-operating new states, rather than a fragmented mass. The book covers the immediate post-war period until the Colombo plan and the outbreak of hostilities in Korea. A companion volume to Tarling's Britain, Southeast Asia and the Onset of the Pacific War, it finds parallels between Britain's approach to the threat of Japan and its approach to the threat of communism. It also shows that the British sought to shape US involvement, in part by involving other Commonwealth countries, especially India. This is a major contribution to the diplomatic and political history of South-east Asia.

Preface
List of abbreviations
Maps
1. Wartime plans for post-war Southeast Asia, 1942–1945
2. Southeast Asia after the Japanese surrender, 1945–1946
3. The re-establishment of colonial régimes in Southeast Asia, 1946
4. Concession and conflict, 1947
5. The impact of Communism, 1948
6. Commonwealth and Colombo, 1949–1950
Personalia
Notes
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: General & world history [HBG]