The British Empire and the early Cold War : a comparison of Hong Kong and Cyprus
This thesis seeks to reâdefine the Cold War as first and foremost a conflict of imperialisms and to identify how it was fought on the ground. It does so by identifying and comparing British policies in two geostrategic colonies, Hong Kong (1938â1952) and Cyprus (1941â1955), where there operated two of what policymakers considered to be the British Empireâs most critical communist threats: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL). The thesis examines the motivations and actions of British colonial policymakers, as they attempted to recover Britainâs great power status and imperial prestige, against the challenges of international antiâcolonialism, colonial nationalisms, and, above all, the seemingly coordinated efforts of colonial, national, and transnational communist movements to undermine the British Empire. This British revisionist study argues that British imperialism (as well as that of the Soviet Union) started, defined the nature of, and was transformed in response to the Cold War.
Sutton, Christopher
The British Empire and the early Cold War : a comparison of Hong Kong and Cyprus. This thesis seeks to reâdefine the Cold War as first and foremost a conflict of imperialisms and to identify how it was fought on the ground. It does so by identifying and comparing British policies in two geostrategic colonies, Hong Kong (1938â1952) and Cyprus (1941â1955), where there operated two of what policymakers considered to be the British Empireâs most critical communist threats: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL). The thesis examines the motivations and actions of British colonial policymakers, as they attempted to recover Britainâs great power status and imperial prestige, against the challenges of international antiâcolonialism, colonial nationalisms, and, above all, the seemingly coordinated efforts of colonial, national, and transnational communist movements to undermine the British Empire. This British revisionist study argues that British imperialism (as well as that of the Soviet Union) started, defined the nature of, and was transformed in response to the Cold War.
british_empire early_cold_war comparison cyprus seek_define cold_war first_foremost conflict imperialism identify fight ground identify compare british_policy colony hong_kong cyprus operate policymakers consider british_empire critical communist threat chinese communist_party progressive party working people examines motivation action british_colonial policymakers attempt recover britain great_power status imperial prestige challenge international anti colonialism colonial nationalism seemingly coordinate effort colonial national transnational communist movement undermine british_empire british revisionist study argue british_imperialism well soviet_union start defined nature transform response cold_war