The Colonial Way of War
Violence and Colonial Warfare in the British, German and Dutch Empires, c.1890–1914

The first in-depth answer to questions of national particularity and transimperial connectivity concerning fin-de-siècle colonial violence.

Tom Menger (Author)

9781009508285, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 August 2025

374 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.69 kg

'In The Colonial Way of War, Menger presents a masterclass in transimperial history. Expertly tracing the circulation of shared practices of violence between the European powers during the era of high imperialism, the book makes short thrift of conventional scholarship that insists on outdated narratives of national exceptionalism.' Kim A. Wagner, Queen Mary University of London

The violence of colonial wars between 1890 and 1914 is often thought to have been uniquely shaped by the nature of each of the European empires. This book argues instead that these wars' extreme violence was part of a shared 'Colonial Way of War'. Through detailed study of British, German and Dutch colonial wars, Tom Menger reveals the transimperial connectivity of fin-de-siècle colonial violence, including practices of scorched earth and extermination, such as the Herero Genocide (1904-1908). He explores how shared thought and practices arose from exchanges and transfers between actors of different empires, both Europeans and non-Europeans. These transfers can be traced in military manuals and other literature, but most notably in the transimperial mobility of military attachés, regular soldiers, settlers or 'adventurers'. Pioneering in its scope, Menger's work re-thinks the supposed exceptionality of standout cases of colonial violence, and more broadly challenges conceptions we have of imperial connectivity.

List of maps
Acknowledgements
A note on language
List of abbreviations
Introduction
1. Colonial warfare: introductory observations
2. Colonial warfare: case studies
3. Transimperial knowledge – colonial warfare beyond the nation-empire
4. Exploring the transimperial genesis of the colonial way of war
5. Practices of violence
Conclusion
Reference list.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW]