Caring about the British Empire : British imperial activist groups, 1900-1967, with special reference to the Junior Imperial League and the League of Empire Loyalists
This thesis contributes to one of the main debates of British imperial history, the relevance of the Empire to British society. It examines a number of twentieth century imperial activist groups and discusses in detail the Junior Imperial League and the League of Empire Loyalists. It argues that the Junior Imperial League was an important imperially-minded organisation which gave valuable practical support to the Conservative party. It suggests that the imperialism of the League of Empire Loyalists had ideological roots in the imperialist ideas of the late nineteenth century has been overlooked by historians who have perceived it as relevant only to extreme right-wing politics. It suggests that both these groups have been given too little, or the wrong kind of, attention by historians. The first has simply been overlooked and the second has tended to be subsumed into a search for British fascism rather than studied as a specifically imperial body. The analysis of these two groups, in the general context of imperial group activism, hints at a reading of British imperial consciousness that it more subtle than the one in much current literature. Imperialism was neither ubiquitous nor non-existent. A substantial
Scott, Claude Fredrick
Caring about the British Empire : British imperial activist groups, 1900-1967, with special reference to the Junior Imperial League and the League of Empire Loyalists. This thesis contributes to one of the main debates of British imperial history, the relevance of the Empire to British society. It examines a number of twentieth century imperial activist groups and discusses in detail the Junior Imperial League and the League of Empire Loyalists. It argues that the Junior Imperial League was an important imperially-minded organisation which gave valuable practical support to the Conservative party. It suggests that the imperialism of the League of Empire Loyalists had ideological roots in the imperialist ideas of the late nineteenth century has been overlooked by historians who have perceived it as relevant only to extreme right-wing politics. It suggests that both these groups have been given too little, or the wrong kind of, attention by historians. The first has simply been overlooked and the second has tended to be subsumed into a search for British fascism rather than studied as a specifically imperial body. The analysis of these two groups, in the general context of imperial group activism, hints at a reading of British imperial consciousness that it more subtle than the one in much current literature. Imperialism was neither ubiquitous nor non-existent. A substantial
caring british_empire british_imperial activist group special_reference junior imperial league league empire contribute one_main debate british_imperial history relevance empire_british society examines number imperial activist group discuss_detail junior imperial league league empire argue junior imperial league important minded organisation give valuable practical support conservative_party suggests imperialism league empire ideological root imperialist idea overlook historian perceive relevant extreme right_wing politics suggest group give_little wrong kind attention_historian first simply overlooked second tend subsume search british fascism rather study specifically imperial body analysis two_group general_context imperial group activism hint read british_imperial consciousness subtle much_current literature imperialism neither ubiquitous non_existent substantial