L'Esprit impérial: Passé colonial et politiques du présent

The Wiles Lectures

by Robert Gildea

Phénomène protéiforme, les Empires français et britannique furent d'abord « informels », puis la course à l'empire à la fin du XIXe siècle établit des gouvernements directs. Après la poussée décolonisatrice des années 1960, les leviers de la puissance restèrent souvent aux mains des anciens empires ; on se mit alors à parler de néo-colonialisme. Mais les empires n'étaient pas seulement présents dans les Amériques, en Afrique ou en Asie. Ils se déployaient également dans les métropoles. Pour la plupart des Français et des Britanniques, la perte « là-bas » de possessions impériales paraissait coïncider avec l'arrivée « ici », menaçante pour leurs emplois et leur « mode de vie », d'immigrants issus des anciennes colonies. En réaction, de nouvelles hiérarchies furent impo-sées et de nouvelles définitions des identités nationales furent élaborées, faisant surgir une fracture coloniale aux lourdes conséquences au sein des sociétés britannique et française. En retraçant l'histoire de deux empires depuis le XIXe siècle, Robert Gildea explique les mythes liés à leur création, puis leurs mutations. L'auteur, à travers une réflexion courageuse, originale et essentielle, montre ainsi que la perte de l'empire a fini par engendrer de nouveaux fantasmes d'empire, lesquels ont à leur tour aggravé les an-tagonismes coloniaux et influencé les choix politiques des sociétés contemporaines.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction

496 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2019

About the author

Robert Nigel Gildea FBA FRHistS is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford and is the author of several influential books on 20th century French history.

Reviews

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Empire, then, has been a fantasy of glory and a chronicle of anguish. As an empire of the mind, it continues to be both. And yet in the twenty-first century, in order to move forward, European countries must recognize the anguish caused by empire and lay to rest fantasies of rebuilding empire in ever more dubious reincarnations."

That in essence is the message of this splendid look at the past of British and French empires and how they resonate in today's politics. The part about 'today's' politics is always the weakest parts of books like this. Although published in 2019 who knew then how much things would change. This is book is pre COVID and pre president Trump's first term in office. It doesn't invalidate anything he says it just means that the immediacy of events he discusses or uses as background has changed. That Robert Gildea is too good a historian to write the fallacious nonsense of Neal Ferguson in 'Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World'. In particular it is his bracketing of the British and French empires together is this examination which is one of the works strengths:

"The anguish of losing an empire and the fantasy of rediscovering it came to a head with the referendum in 2016. Britain, it was said, would leave the European Union but she would not be alone. She would rediscover her past as a 'swashbuckling [...] buccaneer nation'...commune again with the 'Anglosphere' of the white Dominions which she had cruelly betrayed in 1973 but which had always been kith and kin and spoke the same language. She would found an empire 2.0 with countries like India, once the Raj, now partners, but also linked by deep historical connection and understanding. France meanwhile, under Emmanuel Macron, brought up with no memories of the French empire, was able to draw France's twenty-first century ambitions on a blank slate. He apologised for colonialism as a 'crime against humanity' in order to placate those who condemned France's colonial past but moved swiftly on in order not to antagonise those who were still nostalgic for it. He jettisoned the baggage of imperial fantasy while promoting strategic projects in Africa and reviving the concept of Francophonie in which France was once more amongst equals..."

The above excerpt from near the close of the book (page 261) neatly sets out much of the book's message and premise. It is very much a work emerging from the post Brexit vote. W.H. Auden referred to the 1930s as a 'low dishonest decade' but 'low and dishonest' describes better the tawdry years of May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak (all PM within the space of eight years!) but then Emmanuel Macron has suffered some serious setbacks as well.

This is a brilliant introduction to both the history, evolution demise and afterlife of both British and French empires. What is most fascinating is the arrogance and ignorance countries like the UK display about their 'empire' and particularly the idea that places like India, or Canada, Australia, etc. have any serious interest in attaching themselves as trading or political partners to the moribund UK. It is obvious what the UK fantasists see in trying to resurrect their attachments to the 'white' Dominions (of course those longing to resurrect attachments show no interest in the UK's oldest former white colonial possession, Ireland, nor in Northern Ireland an integral part of the UK) but what is in it for Canada, Australia or New Zealand? Never mind India! Seriously do they imagine places like India are waiting to be patronised again by ignorant public school products?

Overall a good book, but its history is better then its immediate conclusions.

[Steff · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in-depth and very extensive overview and discussion on British, French, and US imperialist domestic and foreign policy. The amount of information in this book and how detailed it is presented is impressive. I thought I already knew a lot about the ways in which these countries have successfully and unsuccessfully pursued global dominance by setting up their colonial and neocolonial world order, and what consequences this behaviour has had on the sustainability of both the ‘motherland’ and the ‘territories’. Yet, this book truly taught me a great deal with countless detailed case studies, which put everything even further into perspective. Highly recommend reading this book to anyone. Be prepared for a long read though, as it is quite a dense read thar requires time for digestion at times.

[Nknn · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A rédiger)