Together with the Cold War, decolonization brought about the most significant changes to global politics after 1945. This collection examines aspects of colonial breakdown within the British, French, Dutch, Belgian, Italian and Portuguese empires after the Second World War. Going beyond the realm of high politics and diplomacy, it explores the interplay between domestic and foreign policy, global strategy and economics, the role of the United Nations and the non-aligned movement, and the reaction of colonial nationalists to the process of imperial withdrawal. By making explicit the connection between international diplomacy and colonial retreat, the book sheds new light on the nature of decolonization.