Afterword

This afterword recaptures the sense of uncertainty that accompanied the final decades of the British Empire. It is easy to forget the array of possible futures that emerged from anti-colonial resistance, in particular when it took the shape of massive working-class movements, before such initiatives from below were constrained by the framework of the new nation-states. It is easy to forget the dreams and practical attempts of the radical minorities who believed that coordinated efforts across borders might lead not only to the destruction of the British Empire but to that of capitalism and imperialism in general, and to its replacement by some form of universal socialism. Our edited volume helps understand why the 1945-1965 anti-colonial revolts were eventually not led under the flag of socialist internationalism but under that of national liberation. It also emphasises the roads not taken, to retrieve, in a gesture inspired by E.P. Thompson’s philosophy, the sheer sense of openness and opportunity so prevalent in the phase when the foundations of the British Empire started to shake. This afterword also outlines several dimensions that may deserve more attention in future research.