Britain, Southeast Asia and the Onset of the Cold War, 1945-1950

This detailed and original study throws new light on the evolution of British policy in Southeast Asia in the turbulent post-war period. Through extensive archival research and insightful analysis of the British mindset and official policy, Tarling demonstrates that Southeast Asia was perceived as a region consisting of mutually co-operating new states, rather than a fragmented mass. The book covers the immediate post-war period until the Colombo plan and the outbreak of hostilities in Korea. A companion volume to Tarling’s Britain, Southeast Asia and the Onset of the Pacific War, it finds parallels between Britain’s approach to the threat of Japan and its approach to the threat of Communism. It also shows that the British sought to shape US involvement, in part by involving other Commonwealth countries, especially India. This is a major contribution to the diplomatic and political history of Southeast Asia.