Diplomats and the end of empire. - book review

International Diplomacy and Colonial Retreat. Kent Fedorowich and Martin Thomas, editors. Frank Cass Publishers. [pounds sterling]35.00. 260 pages. ISBN 0-7146-5063-3.

The concept of international diplomacy and the withdrawal from colonial empires is an undernourished topic of discussion within many fields that surround and include international politics. In fact, International Diplomacy and Colonial Retreat goes some way to fill this void. The multifarious character of de-colonization is linked with diplomacy and framed by the second half of the twentieth century. The evolution of the Cold War does not impinge on the lucid historical evaluation of each region's departure from colonial manipulation. The diplomatic relationships within the Cold War global structure give this book an innovative angle with which to analyze both diplomacy and the end of the age of empire. The result is a strong addition to post-colonial literature and international history.

The collection centres predominantly on the post-World War Two international system and uses a range of authors to give the diverse subject matter strength and insight. Once the important association between diplomacy and colonialism is outlined the book attempts to unweave the complex transformation from great political and diplomatic structures to a more multifarious international system. The abrogation of control, the change from spheres of influence and the transformation of old colonial political, social and economic systems are successfully illustrated through a range of case studies. However, the collection itself does suffer a little from uninhibited Anglophobia using British colonial relations as the main theme of analysis. Perhaps this is the intended approach, but it is not stated explicitly, and, as a result, it is merely, an implied premise evident throughout the book.

Each author traces changes in individual countries against the backdrop of the Second World War and the evolution of the Cold War. Indeed, the examples and case studies leave no stone unturned in their examinations of international, regional and local implications of colonialism and post-colonial advancement. Importantly, some of the case studies breathe new life into the staid topics of international history that are all too readily subsumed by Cold War politics or colonial and post-colonial studies. The intricacy of the analysis slowly builds a filigreed diplomatic melange that adds colour and sophistication to the maligned diplomatic realities of regional and international insecurities throughout the second half of the twentieth century. For instance, Edward Johnson's chapter entitled, 'Britain and the Cyprus Problem at the United Nations, 1954-58', starts with a brief outline of the conventional relationships, dealings and associations prior to the 1950s. The chapter then concentrates on the target period and examines the triptych of relations among Britain, Cyprus and the United Nations. Indeed, the British relations with the UN regarding Cyprus is the central tenet of the chapter with the author recognizing the more wholesome insights contained in the works of Crawshaw, Holland, Kelling, Stefanidis or Hatzivassiliou. Yet, Edward Johnson does not let this deflect from his analysis and proceeds to detail the elaborate relationships at work in the period. The detailed repetition of these relations is evident in all the chapters in the book and the soporific effects of such an analysis cannot be disguised.

The case studies ebb and flow from local to regional and from regional to international. The analysis of diplomatic relationships incorporates historical allegories. As a pedagogic tool the value of such complex case studies is questionable. Yet, the strengths of the book are also a result of this sophistication and detail. The colonial thematic coupled with a covering of diplomatic history gives each case study a feeling of individuality whilst anfractuously illustrating linkages and associations of broad significance. The evolution of personal relations and of personal perspectives from diplomats bridging and organising the colonial retreat is a useful insight for regional specialists. Accordingly, the book is of historical appeal and regional speciality and it is a shame that each author has the constraints of a single chapter to develop and display these areas of expertise. The use and dissection of specific material adds weight to the delicate historical analysis within the book. Yet, the book has no end . The lack of a distinct conclusion means the reader can feel that he has unearthed substantial amounts of information without being able to bring to a close the broader themes of the book. This, I found, is most frustrating.

On the whole, the book is justifiably banal. It is a pity that a book that has such detail is unable to overcome the obstacles of intricacy without leaving the reader stuck in the quagmire of literary and historical obscurity. However, the bulk of the book adds to the literature on the colonial retreat with the additional theme of diplomacy acting as a useful foil. For the most part, the book does just that; it evaluates the withdrawal from colonialism in the post-1945 international system, however torpid the subject.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Contemporary Review Company Ltd.
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