| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Many empires, countries, and societies are suspected to have destroyed or hidden inconvenient records in one way or another. Unfortunately, these acts of obfuscation, by nature, tend to leave few traces, resulting in our poor understanding of the universal phenomena. However, recently discovered and declassified files reveal in unusual detail the way in which the British Empire concealed and destroyed sensitive documents in the mid- to late twentieth century across its colonies worldwide. Focusing on the role of the Colonial Office in London, this research project examined how and to what extent Britain attempted to tailor the historical understanding of its past at the critical juncture of imperial retreat. Reconstructing, in unusual detail, the act of imperial obfuscation, this project is hoped to open a debate that is relevant to an understanding of many empires and societies across the globe.
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