Part of the Society matters LIVE event series
Dr Volker Prott is a senior lecturer in history at Aston University.
The partition of India has become a synonym of tragedy and unimaginable human suffering. The British decision in June 1947 to grant independence to its colony by creating two separate states caused the displacement of over ten million people as well as hundreds of thousands of casualties.
Partition is also now seen by many as a massive diplomatic failure, giving rise to the Indo-Pakistani conflict, one of the most bitter and long-lasting territorial disputes since the end of the Second World War.
In this talk, Dr Volker Prott will invite you to take a step back and explore the partition of India from a global historical perspective. Why did partition seem inevitable to so many people 75 years ago, even if they saw trouble ahead? Where does the idea of partition even come from? Why did so many partitions occur in the twentieth century and in the context of decolonisation? We will consider other examples, such as Ireland, Palestine, India, and also Germany, Korea, and Vietnam in order to tease out the concept of partition, and understand what it means in different contexts.
And of course, we will pay attention to the partition, discussing its many facets, and taking the time to explore ways to overcome its divisive legacy.
Explore the full Society matters LIVE event series line-up: https://www.aston.ac.uk/bss/social-sciences-and-humanities/society-matters-live
Catch up on all episodes of the Society matters podcast: https://www.aston.ac.uk/bss/social-sciences-and-humanities/society-matters-podcast
Dates, times and locations
This limited-capacity event is free to attend and open to all members of the public.
