9781422275801

World War II brought yet another test of Britain’s resolve and might. As the Nazis swept across Europe, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain attempted a policy of appeasement that ultimately failed to stop the advance of Hitler’s ambitions of domination.After France fell, the United Kingdom became the sole member of the Allies able to counter the German army, bearing the brunt of the offensive until the United States entered the war in 1941. In the face of military losses and direct attacks during the long Battle of Britain, the United Kingdom attempted to maintain an attitude of calm resolve that carried through to the end of the war.

In the News TheLingeringEffectsofBritishColonialism

The United Kingdom lost control of its last African holdings in 1976, but the effects of British colonialism in Africa are still evident today. During the Age of Imperialism, Britain did not impose direct rule on its African colonies, choosing instead to work with local native leaders whenever possible. But the government viewed Africa through a lens similar to that of mercantilism, where the value of the colony existed to enrich the mother country. This included the exploitation of both natural resources and the lives and labor of African natives, as well as the plundering of African art. An 1897 expedition to the Kingdom of Benin resulted in the theft of hundreds of pieces of artwork; similar acts by British authorities, including Cecil Rhodes, also stripped Zimbabwe of many of its treasures. Other effects of British rule in Africa include institutions like school systems and even language; in Nigeria, the official language is English. In many African countries where European imperialismwas partic- ularly strong, citizens often do not learn their own histories. Britain’s participation in the African slave trade further impacts their societies today, because the slave trade was severely detrimental to the overall demographics of these nations. In recent years, calls have gone out to the United Kingdom and other European nations for the return of cultural items and artwork to the African nations from which they were taken during the nineteenth century.

Nations in the News:

14