Geographies of Empire
European Empires and Colonies c.1880–1960

Comprehensive overview of how the major European imperial powers and indigenous populations experienced imperialism and colonisation from 1880 to 1960.

Robin A. Butlin (Author)

9780521740555, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 2 July 2009

692 pages, 30 b/w illus. 37 maps
24.7 x 17.5 x 3.1 cm, 1.35 kg

'The success of the book is strongly based on the fact that it is a summation of the lifetime work of a highly experienced scholar … It can usefully take its place on the reference shelf of all who share an interest in late 19th and 20th century imperialism.' John MacKenzie, The Round Table

How did the major European imperial powers and indigenous populations experience imperialism and colonisation in the period 1880-1960? In this richly-illustrated comparative account, Robin Butlin provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of individual European imperial powers - British, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Belgian, German and Italian – and the reactions of indigenous peoples. He explores the complex processes and discourses of colonialism, conquest and resistance from the height of empire through to decolonisation and sets these within the dynamics of the globalisation of political and economic power systems. He sheds new light on variations in the timing, nature and locations of European colonisations and on key themes such as exploration and geographical knowledge; maps and mapping; demographics; land seizure and environmental modification; transport and communications; and resistance and independence movements. In so doing, he makes a major contribution to our understanding of colonisation and the end of empire.

1. Geography, imperialism and colonialism: concepts and frameworks
2. Chronologies, spaces and places
3. Numbers and movements of people
4. Patterns and shadows on the land
5. Empire, exploration and geographical knowledge
6. Geographical societies and imperialism
7. The mapping of empires and colonies
8. Geographies of the 'Civilizing Mission'
9. Environmental interactions
10. The arteries of empire: transport and communications
11. Towns and cities
12. Economic geographies of empire and colony
13. The endings of empire: decolonization
14. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Colonialism & imperialism [HBTQ], Historical geography [HBTP], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], General & world history [HBG]