A New Imperial History? Program, Potential, and Perspectives

The study of modern empires is today one of the liveliest fields in international historical research. This is in no small part due to the emphasis on the ethnic diversity, geographical extent, and uneven distribution of power that characterize imperial spaces. Stimulated both by the critical questions posed by postcolonial studies and the experience of globalization, a "new imperial history" is emerging. This continues, however, to be relegated to the margins of German historiography. This essay presents an overview of contemporary research, discusses new concepts and themes, and presents perspectives for future work. It argues that the established separation of maritime from continental empires should be abandoned in favor of new approaches that compare and entangle imperial spaces using the conceptual tools provided by global history. It proposes historicizing gender as an important technique of rule by colonizers and colonized alike. Finally, the essay discusses how to rethink imperial time in light of colonial continuities in a postcolonial world.