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Imperialism after decolonization? British relations with Bahrain from the withdrawal East of Suez to the Iranian Revolution (2024)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (online). Imperialism after decolonization? British relations with Bahrain from the withdrawal East of Suez to the Iranian Revolution. Middle Eastern Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2024.2368600

There is a growing consensus that the end of empire did not necessarily equate with a severing of imperial ties. Some historians have even argued that there was a shift from formal to informal empire in Britain’s relations with the emerging Gulf Stat... Read More about Imperialism after decolonization? British relations with Bahrain from the withdrawal East of Suez to the Iranian Revolution.

An Empire of Influence? British Relations with the United Arab Emirates in the 1970s (2024)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (online). An Empire of Influence? British Relations with the United Arab Emirates in the 1970s. Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, https://doi.org/10.1080/03086534.2024.2345466

As historical debate has moved from an analysis of the end of empire to its aftermath and consequences, there has been growing emphasis on the retention by the colonial powers of a large measure of influence over their former dependencies. With respe... Read More about An Empire of Influence? British Relations with the United Arab Emirates in the 1970s.

Challenging Continuity: The policies of the East India Company and the Government of India towards Russia in the era of the Great Game, 1838-1880​ (2024)
Thesis
Slack, J. Challenging Continuity: The policies of the East India Company and the Government of India towards Russia in the era of the Great Game, 1838-1880​. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4866098

This thesis argues that the Indian Mutiny of 1857, which resulted in the East India Company’s replacement as the Government of India by the direct rule of the British Government, represented a major turning point in the Great Game. It challenges the... Read More about Challenging Continuity: The policies of the East India Company and the Government of India towards Russia in the era of the Great Game, 1838-1880​.

Transition of power: the problems of Britain’s post-imperial relationship with Malta, 1964-1971 (2022)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2023). Transition of power: the problems of Britain’s post-imperial relationship with Malta, 1964-1971. Contemporary British History, 37(1), 27-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2022.2113777

There is growing recognition that the end of formal empire did not equate with the ending of ties between the imperial power and its erstwhile dependencies. This was especially so of the ‘fortress colony’ of Malta which following constitutional separ... Read More about Transition of power: the problems of Britain’s post-imperial relationship with Malta, 1964-1971.

Imperialism after empire? Britain and Qatar in the aftermath of the withdrawal from East of Suez (2022)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2022). Imperialism after empire? Britain and Qatar in the aftermath of the withdrawal from East of Suez. Middle Eastern Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2022.2032674

The existing historiography on relations between Britain and the states of Lower Gulf after British withdrawal from ‘East of Suez’ in 1971 suggests that the former imperial power successfully established an informal role in the 1970s and beyond which... Read More about Imperialism after empire? Britain and Qatar in the aftermath of the withdrawal from East of Suez.

Britain and the Arab Gulf after Empire: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, 1971-1981 (2019)
Book
Smith, S. C. (2019). Britain and the Arab Gulf after Empire: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, 1971-1981. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315733883

Although Britain's formal imperial role in the smaller, oil-rich sheikdoms of the Arab Gulf - Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - ended in 1971, Britain continued to have a strong interest and continuing presence in the region. This... Read More about Britain and the Arab Gulf after Empire: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, 1971-1981.

Failure and success in state formation : British policy towards the Federation of South Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (2016)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2017). Failure and success in state formation : British policy towards the Federation of South Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Middle Eastern Studies, 53(1), 84-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2016.1196667

Despite the apparent similarities in Britain's relationship with the Sheikhdoms of the Lower Gulf and the traditional states of southern Arabia, British policy-makers pursued contrasting policies towards the two sets of territories in the era of deco... Read More about Failure and success in state formation : British policy towards the Federation of South Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The business of decolonization: The foreign office, British business, and the end of empire in Kuwait and Qatar (2016)
Book Chapter
Smith, S. C. (2016). The business of decolonization: The foreign office, British business, and the end of empire in Kuwait and Qatar. In J. Fisher, E. G. Pedaliu, & R. Smith (Eds.), The Foreign Office, Commerce and British Foreign Policy in the Twentieth Century (381-399). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46581-8_17

The Gulf States, while small in size, were of increasing economic and financial significance to the British economy in the post-war period. While the loss of India in 1947 reduced the strategic importance of the Gulf, this was more than compensated f... Read More about The business of decolonization: The foreign office, British business, and the end of empire in Kuwait and Qatar.

Britain’s decision to withdraw from the Persian Gulf: a pattern not a puzzle (2015)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2016). Britain’s decision to withdraw from the Persian Gulf: a pattern not a puzzle. Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 44(2), 328-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/03086534.2015.1123541

The reasons for the British decision to withdraw from the Gulf are highly contentious. While some scholars have focused on short-term considerations, especially the devaluation of sterling towards the end of 1967, in the British determination to quit... Read More about Britain’s decision to withdraw from the Persian Gulf: a pattern not a puzzle.

Imperialism, History of (2015)
Book Chapter
Smith, S. C. (2015). Imperialism, History of. In J. D. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (685-691). (2nd ed.). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.62046-9

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. The word 'imperialism' is one of the most powerful concepts of our time. Originally coined as a term to describe and analyze the expansion of the European powers over the rest of the world in the last quarter... Read More about Imperialism, History of.

The Anglo-American 'special relationship' and the Middle East, 1945-1973 (2014)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2014). The Anglo-American 'special relationship' and the Middle East, 1945-1973. Asian Affairs, 45(3), 425-448. https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2014.951567

It is widely recognised that the Anglo-American ‘special relationship’ fluctuated following the Second World War. A “Persistent rivalry” was especially evident in policy towards the Middle East and its oil. Immediately after the war, the American att... Read More about The Anglo-American 'special relationship' and the Middle East, 1945-1973.

Centurions and Chieftains : tank sales and British policy towards Israel in the aftermath of the Six Day War (2014)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2014). Centurions and Chieftains : tank sales and British policy towards Israel in the aftermath of the Six Day War. Contemporary British History, 28(2), 219-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2014.930348

Britain's attempt to distance itself from Israel as London sought to conciliate the Arab world in the aftermath of the Six-Day War has entered the historiography of Anglo-Israeli relations. A neglected aspect of the development of British policy towa... Read More about Centurions and Chieftains : tank sales and British policy towards Israel in the aftermath of the Six Day War.

Priests and politicians: Archbishop Michael Gonzi, Dom Mintoff, and the end of empire in Malta (2014)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2014). Priests and politicians: Archbishop Michael Gonzi, Dom Mintoff, and the end of empire in Malta. Journal of Mediterranean studies, 23(1), 113-124

The political contest in Malta at the end of empire involved not merely the British colonial authorities and emerging nationalists, but also the powerful Catholic Church. Under Archbishop Gonzi’s leadership, the Church took an overtly political stanc... Read More about Priests and politicians: Archbishop Michael Gonzi, Dom Mintoff, and the end of empire in Malta.

The wind that failed to blow: British policy and the end of empire in the Gulf (2013)
Book Chapter
Smith, S. C. (2013). The wind that failed to blow: British policy and the end of empire in the Gulf. In L. Butler, & S. Stockwell (Eds.), The Wind of Change : Harold Macmillan and British Decolonization (235-251). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137318008_12

While directed primarily at Britain’s African colonies, the ethos of the ‘wind of change’ speech found echoes beyond Africa. Shortly after Harold Macmillan’s demarche, Colonial Secretary Iain Macleod asserted that ‘H.M.G.’s policy for all the depende... Read More about The wind that failed to blow: British policy and the end of empire in the Gulf.

'America in Britain's place?': Anglo-American relations and the Middle East in the aftermath of the Suez crisis (2012)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2012). 'America in Britain's place?': Anglo-American relations and the Middle East in the aftermath of the Suez crisis. Journal of Transatlantic Studies, 10(3), 252-270. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794012.2012.698566

Much historical scholarship has depicted Suez as a watershed not merely in British imperial history, but also in Anglo-American relations, marking a decisive shift away from empire and the assumption of British burdens in the Middle East by the USA.... Read More about 'America in Britain's place?': Anglo-American relations and the Middle East in the aftermath of the Suez crisis.

Ending Empire in the Middle East: Britain, the United States and Post-war decolonization, 1945-1973 (2012)
Book
Smith, S. C. (2012). Ending Empire in the Middle East: Britain, the United States and Post-war decolonization, 1945-1973. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203143728

This book is a major and wide-ranging re-assessment of Anglo-American relations in the Middle Eastern context. It analyses the process of ending of empire in the Middle East from 1945 to the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Based on original research into bot... Read More about Ending Empire in the Middle East: Britain, the United States and Post-war decolonization, 1945-1973.

British policy and the end of empire in the Gulf (2011)
Journal Article
Smith, S. C. (2011). British policy and the end of empire in the Gulf. Orient: German Journal for Politics, Economics and Culture of the Middle East, 52(1), 17-22

In the aftermath of the 1956 Suez crisis, British policy-makers engaged in a long-running debate about the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining Britain's special role in the Gulf. Although British officials in the Gulf extolled the virtues of... Read More about British policy and the end of empire in the Gulf.