End of Empire

by Brian Lapping

The British Empire was the last of the great world empires — the most extensive and the most populous in history. Its decline and fall took place within a single generation, effectively beginning with Indian independence in 1947 and ending with the creation of Zimbabwe in 1980. Save in Hong Kong, Gibraltar and a handful of tiny islands, the colonial governor became an all-but-extinct species.

Brian Lapping’s masterful account, written in association with his own Granada Television series, concentrates on the major episodes in this momentous story. India, the “jewel in the crown”, was the first to be dislodged; in 1939 the Viceroy had declared war on Germany on behalf of all the peoples of India, without consulting a ‘single Indian; other governors quickly followed suit. Yet the Second World War hastened independence in Asia and Africa. In the Middle East the British—filling the vacuum left by the Ottoman Turks—were more recent arrivals, and it was in Palestine, Iran, Egypt, Cyprus and Aden (all subordinate in varying degrees to the British) that the bloodiest struggles took place.

End of Empire is a gripping narrative of events in Asia (India, Pakistan and Malaya), the Middle East, and Africa (the Gold Coast, Kenya, Rhodesia): from Pax Britannica to independence. In addition to memoirs and histories, the book calls upon the living memories of former Colonial Secretaries, ministers, senior officials, politicians and nationalist leaders. In asking how successful British governments were in judging the precise moment of the inevitable, or why the Middle East went so badly wrong, or whether the transfer of power could have been handled differently, Brian Lapping produces some forthright conclusions. In the end, though, when the sun finally set, the British emerged in a surprisingly creditable light.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, British Literature, Africa, Politics, Military Fiction

576 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 1985

Reviews

[Tommy Wysockey · Rating 5 out of 5]

End of Empire by Brian Lapping provides a detailed and in-depth examination of Great Britain’s handling of its colonies during their transition to independence. Lapping offers a thorough analysis of key British political figures responsible for overseeing decolonization, as well as the independence leaders who shaped their nations' futures. His approach allows readers to gain a nuanced understanding of how the British Empire governed its colonial subjects and navigated their independence movements.

One of the book’s strengths is its impartiality. Lapping presents events in a blunt, matter-of-fact manner, whether they cast Britain in a positive or negative light. He meticulously details the successes, struggles, and failures of each imperial endeavor, offering an honest portrayal of the British imperial project without bias.

For anyone interested in understanding the complexities of British decolonization, this is a must-read. Personally, I found the chapters on India and Pakistan, the Gold Coast, and Kenya particularly compelling.

[pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very obviously commissioned by the empire to paint the Empire in a good light. There’s an interesting breadth to the book, but don’t take everything at face value.

[Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once came a cross a pre World War I globe. Besides being struck by all the countries that dont exist any more: Austria-Hungary, Siam, Persia; I was astounded at all those huge strips of Pink land masses, islands, peninsulas, subcontinents and continents that made up the British Empire. As I spun the globe, I was continuely faced with yet another land flying the British Union Jack.

Brian Lapping's book goes into a lot of detail showing us how those bits of empire were reluctantly and then methodically let go.

Starting with India and finishing Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, he shows us how the British very often suceeded in doing the right thing with a few spectacular failures.

More often than not, they pulled out after they had established a stable government to take their place. It wasnt always easy trying to maintain living standards for their European decendents and the rights of the majority inhabitants. But for the most part, I was surprised how often they decided to follow their concscience and decide for the majority as they did in Kenya and Zimbabwe.

By far the hardest thing to witness in this book; are all the missed opportunities. The case of India is incredibly sad. It seems hard to believe India was once on its way to becoming a unified federal state which would have included today's Pakistan and Bangldesh. Unfortunately, the imperial ambitions of Winston Churchill, made sure this scheme was sabotaged when he provoked India's princely states into rejecting the plan.
Subsequently, when partition was the only solution; millions of Hindus and Muslims paid the price with their lives.

A few spectacular failures can still be felt today. British handling of Palestine was not their finest hour. In a way it was like promissing the bride to two different suitors and then pulling out and letting the suitors fight it out for who got the bride.

The other big failure was in how they dealt with Iran. In a time when the Labour government had just nationalized British industries; the Iranians decided to do the same thing with their oil.
In this case, the British were determined to follow the imperialist cause and not think about the consequences to the inhabitants. Never mind Iran had an elected Prime Minister; it became much easier to reinstall the Shah and depose the goverment. It is a choice the world is still paying.

[Mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction for people without extensive history background. The context is explained clearly but without tortuous detail, and there are pictures and excerpts from primary sources.

[Johnny Leavesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magisterial and readable, this book concisely explains British end of empire policy through a range of country by country examples. I found it especially useful on Palestine, as background to the series of conflicts that followed independence.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat limited look at decolonization