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Partition In Ireland, India And Palestine: Theory & Practice
most dramatic of these was the victory in East Clare
225 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1984
15 people want to read
About the author
T.G. Fraser
21 books2 followersT.G. Fraser is Professor Emeritus at Ulster University, and is also a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Royal Society of Arts, and the Royal Asiatic Society.
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January 7, 2020
This is, to my knowledge, the only book-length study in which partition itself is the focus of analysis.
Fraser's very readable work examines the idea of partition as a method of conflict resolution in the cases of Ireland, India, and (Mandatory) Palestine. All three case studies are linked through their history under British colonial rule, descent into ethno-nationalist conflict, and by British attempts to mitigate these conflicts through territorial partition.
The crux of Fraser's thesis is that Britain used partition as a method of conflict resolution, but that in none of the three cases was it successful. He offers a comprehensive historical account of British posturing towards partition in Ireland, through India, and finishing up in Mandatory Palestine, which was formally partitioned in 1948 (though, unlike Ireland and India, not directly by Britain).
Particularly illuminating are the accounts of Reginald Coupland's, a commissioner on Palestine, personal acquaintance with prominent Zionist figure Chaim Weizmann. But missing from Fraser's analysis are examinations of Britain's own policy decisions in exacerbating the ethnic conflicts in each case, and substantial analysis of partition's consequences.
In spite of these shortfalls, the book remains topical - not least because of the unsteady peace in Northern Ireland, deadlock in Israel-Palestine, and tensions in Kashmir, but for its place as the only prominent work on this topic. And the (in my opinion, unfortunate) continued persistence of the idea that partition is effective in solving any kind of conflict.
Fraser's very readable work examines the idea of partition as a method of conflict resolution in the cases of Ireland, India, and (Mandatory) Palestine. All three case studies are linked through their history under British colonial rule, descent into ethno-nationalist conflict, and by British attempts to mitigate these conflicts through territorial partition.
The crux of Fraser's thesis is that Britain used partition as a method of conflict resolution, but that in none of the three cases was it successful. He offers a comprehensive historical account of British posturing towards partition in Ireland, through India, and finishing up in Mandatory Palestine, which was formally partitioned in 1948 (though, unlike Ireland and India, not directly by Britain).
Particularly illuminating are the accounts of Reginald Coupland's, a commissioner on Palestine, personal acquaintance with prominent Zionist figure Chaim Weizmann. But missing from Fraser's analysis are examinations of Britain's own policy decisions in exacerbating the ethnic conflicts in each case, and substantial analysis of partition's consequences.
In spite of these shortfalls, the book remains topical - not least because of the unsteady peace in Northern Ireland, deadlock in Israel-Palestine, and tensions in Kashmir, but for its place as the only prominent work on this topic. And the (in my opinion, unfortunate) continued persistence of the idea that partition is effective in solving any kind of conflict.
Displaying 1 of 1 review