Postwar Decolonization and its Discontents

Presented by Lydia Walker, Provost Scholar Assistant Professor, Seth Andre Myers Chair in Global Military History, in the Department of History at The Ohio State University.

After the Second World War, national self-determination became a recognized international norm, yet it only extended to former colonies. Groups within postcolonial states that made alternative sovereign claims were disregarded or actively suppressed. This talk showcases their contested histories, highlighting little-known regions in South Asia and Southern Africa, marginalized individuals, and their hidden (or lost) archives. Personal connections linked disparate nationalist struggles across the globe through advocacy networks. However, these advocates had their own agendas and allegiances, which could undermine the autonomy of the claimants they supported.

This webinar features material from Lydia Walker’s new book, "States-in-Waiting" (Cambridge, 2024) which illuminates the unfinished and improvised ways that the state-centric international system replaced empire, which left certain claims of sovereignty perpetually awaiting recognition. The book is available Open Access for free download at https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/statesinwaiting/9446AB4E4355759A4500202B9C0F9C25

The Moderator is Nicholas Breyfogle, Professor of History and Director, Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching at The Ohio State University.