Two new African recruits look up in wonder at the signal flags of the W.D. Fleet. A squad of African ...
Empire and Development
In order for the British Empire to fulfil its economic and strategic goals in the colonies, areas under British control had to be “developed” so that British interests could operate successfully. This meant the creation of an entire modernised infrastructure based on the European model. New transportation links moved goods and people around, modern factories and industrial zones were developed, and advanced communication and military networks were set up. Imposed civic codes governed all of these developments, and urban centres sprang up throughout the Empire, dispensing healthcare and education and administering locally-devised versions of British law and order.
The Colonial Film website is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and features films from the British Film Institute, the Imperial War Museum, and the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum.
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