Terror's Triumph: The British Empire and the Origins of Modern Terrorism

The idea of modern terrorism and the practice of terrorist violence emerged in Britain’s first colony, Ireland, before spreading through imperial networks to South and East Asia, to Africa, and to the Middle East. Thus, empire not only birthed terror, but also made it global. And the sheer spread, diversity, and longevity of that empire produced multiple stages in the evolution of terrorism from rural intimidation to urban guerilla warfare to homegrown radicalism. Indeed, today’s global terror challenges—the ethics of counter-terrorism, the threats of Islamist and international terrorism, and the rise of homegrown right-wing extremism—all have roots in colonialism.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents List of Figures Prologue Part I: The Pacification of Ireland Introduction to Part I Chapter 1: The Invention of Terrorism in Nineteenth-Century Britain Devil in the Heart of the Nation, 1868-1870 Darkest Westmeath, 1871 William Forster’s Experiment The Iconography of Terror Chapter 2: Effects of the Explosion Terrorism Transplanted Edward Jenkinson, Indo-Englishman War or Crime? London Calling Dynamite and Empire Edward Jenkinson, Home Ruler at Heart Part II: Terrorism and the End of Empire, 1900-1960 Introduction to Part II Chapter 3: Dangerous Hybrids in India Fanaticism Bringing on the Bombs, 1905-08 Dangerous Hybrids Honest John’s Riddle Chapter 4: A Monstrous System, 1914-21 The First Reprisal “Don’t Forget the Reprisals” “Prussianism in our Midst” Ireland India Counter-Terrorism The Soul of Empire, 1920-21 Chapter 5: Communal Terrorism in the Empire, 1921-1948 Pogroms “Politics of a Subject Race,” 1924-1938 “Not Our Fault, But Yours:” Communal Terrorism, 1940-48 Chapter 6: Last Lessons: Terrorism and Decolonization, 1948-60 Reoccupation Malaya: Emergency Measures to Salvage Prestige Kenya: Revising the “White Man’s Burden” Cyprus: The Ghosts of Terrorism Past “The Ebb is Close at Hand” Part III: Homecoming, 1968-Present Introduction to Part III Chapter 7: International Terrorism: Troubles Beyond Borders, 1968-1988 Blowing up Civilization, 1968-72 Ulster: The Last Stage of Decolonization, 1968-72 The Word Made Law (I): Northern Irish Terrorism The Word Made Law (II): International Terrorism International Terrorism, 1984-1988 Epilogue: Welcome to Londonistan Bibliography

About the Author :
William Meier is associate Professor of history at Texas Christian University, where he teaches courses on Britain, Ireland, and empire. He has published on crime in Ireland and Britain, including Property Crime in London, 1850-Present.

Review :
Meier’s provocative re-interpretation locates terrorism's origins in colonial violence and traces its evolution within the framework of the British Empire. He convincingly argues that British officials and media categorized violent resistance to imperial repression as terrorism, an illegitimate form of violence which justified increasingly brutal counter-measures. By focusing on historical context, particularly the role of imperial rule in perpetuating violence, Meier provides a welcome alternative to standard studies of terrorism emphasizing tactics, technology and ideology. Terror’s Triumph’s combination of meticulous scholarship, sharp analysis and straightforward prose makes it a particularly valuable contribution to both the history of terrorism and the history of Empire. Terror’s Triumph offers a lively, trenchant, impressively wide-ranging genealogy of terrorism as a concept and counterterrorism as a technique of rule in the British Empire. It is especially astute in its analysis of how the popular press constructed the image of the terrorist as someone who was fundamentally un-British, and in its discussion of how British actions often fostered or provoked the very violence they sought to quell. While Meier is consistently critical of British actions and policies throughout the empire, this is no black-and-white morality tale. Rather, he helps illuminate the muddled and often conflicting motives of the men who ran the empire and the nationalists who sought to overturn it. The result is a persuasive and highly readable contribution to debates about the legacies of the British Empire, and one that deserves a wide audience.