SOFT POWERING THE EMPIRE BRITISH MILITARY BANDS, INFLUENCE AND CULTURAL IMPERIALISM IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

In the inter-war years, it was important for Britain to preserve friendly relations and influence throughout its empire to maintain competitive advantage in markets in a time of austerity. One way of doing this was through the export of cultural imperialism, and colonial administrations in particular were keen to maintain their hold over indigenous populations by preserving the cultural ideologies and brand (and thereby associated power) of the mother country. David Hammond argues that the military band was a particularly effective and economical resource for this: through the expression of British symbols, routines and rituals, they epitomised the British control systems and power structures without the need for 'hard power' engagement.