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Former British Prime Minister best known for the creation of the National Health Service.

Looking at decolonization in the conditional tense, this volume teases out the complex and uncertain ends of British and French empire in Africa during the period of ‘late colonial shift’ after 1945. Rather than view decolonization as an inevitable process, the contributors together explore the crucial historical moments in which change was negotiated, compromises were made, and debates were staged. Three core themes guide the analysis: development, contingency and entanglement. The chapters consider the ways in which decolonization was governed and moderated by concerns about development and profit. A complementary focus on contingency allows deeper consideration of how colonial powers planned for ‘colonial futures’, and how divergent voices greeted the end of empire. Thinking about entanglements likewise stresses both the connections that existed between the British and French empires in Africa, and those that endured beyond the formal transfer of power.

Part of the 20 Prime Ministers Series

Alec Douglas-Home was an aristocrat who disclaimed his peerage to become Prime Minister in 1963.

Succeeded Churchill as Prime Minister, but worsened relations with USA during the Suez Crisis

Fatherly friend to JFK he repaired the rift between the USA and Britain created by the Suez crisis.