Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Testing the waters, 1945–1955; 2. Reckoning with Suez, 1956–1959; 3. Imperial aspirations, 1960–1961; 4. Obstructing self-determination, 1962–1963; 5. From stagnation to insignificance, 1964–1971; Conclusion.

Promotional Information

A history of colonial legacies in United Nations peacekeeping operations in the aftermath of the Second World War.

About the Author

Margot Tudor is a postdoctoral research fellow at University of Exeter. She won the BISA Michael Nicolson Thesis Prize in 2021 and her article, 'Gatekeepers to Decolonisation', won the ISA History Section's Merze Tate Award in 2022.

Reviews

'From the Sinai to Gaza, from the Congo to West Papua, Margot Tudor's Blue Helmet Bureaucrats exposes how United Nations peacekeepers inherited the practices and mindsets of colonial administration. Tudor's crisp account of the reality of liberal internationalism is revelatory for students of the United Nations and decolonization.' Timothy Nunan, University of Regensburg

'Margot Tudor is among the brightest of a new generation of historians illuminating a lost international past - in Blue Helmet Bureaucrats she sets her clear eyed vision on the problematic politics of UN peacekeeping in the post-Second World War. This thick history sets the complex truth above all else; we see the legacies of colonialism, the limits of good intentions, and the real humans involved.' Glenda Sluga, European University Institute

'Margot Tudor's account of the early years of UN peacekeeping reveals the power of mid-level UN intermediaries to limit the sovereignty of smaller postcolonial states, thus ensuring their alliance with a liberal internationalist order. Blue Helmet Bureaucrats provides a meticulously researched historical reckoning with the imperial origins of liberal internationalism.' Meredith Terretta, University of Ottawa

'Well researched and carefully written, Blue Helmet Bureaucrats is a stimulating read for specialists. … Recommended.' D. P. Forsythe, Choice

'Tudor's argument in this book is multifaceted, demonstrating the interdisciplinary commitment to both the insights of IR and international history. Each aspect of the argument provides an avenue from which further research can develop, both in terms of tracing key conceptual themes and delving deeper into historical phenomena.' Caroline Dunton, International Journal: Canada's Journal of Global Policy Analysis

'[A] vivid account of the formative years of UN peacekeeping practices.' Daniel R. Quiroga-Villamarín, Global Governance

'I loved this book for multiple reasons, but above all, because it shows how practices we consider 'humanitarian,' in fact, perpetuated power imbalances between former empires and their former colonies. It also helped me to think about the United Nations and its global role in new ways. Perhaps most importantly, it changed my understanding of international peacekeeping, showing that its history was often more violent than the name might imply.' Julia Irwin, Shepherd Books

'This book is an exemplar for historians seeking new approaches for understanding the Cold War, decolonization and multilateral institutions. It should be on the reading list for all those interested in the modern-day shortcomings of the UN, and the broader international system.' Hamish McDougall, International Affairs

'A stellar contribution to a growing literature that decenters the UN as an institution and encourages scholars to study how the UN acted in the world through field-based actors, rather than assuming the UN's power originated and acted solely within its highest echelons, such as the Security Council, General Assembly, and commissions.' Ryan Glauser, Cold War History

'As they consider the future of peacekeeping, diplomats and UN officials alike would do well to read this thought-provoking book by Margot Tudor … Using a critical lens, Tudor highlights gaps between the reality and rhetoric of peacekeeping operations …' Eugene Chen, International Peacekeeping

'Margot Tudor's excellent monograph challenges conventional understandings of UN peacekeeping as goodwill missions, reframing its operations as part and parcel of a more insidious project of liberal hegemony … Well-researched and compellingly written, this is an important addition to histories of decolonization, humanitarianism, and the Cold War, contributing powerfully to larger debates on the origins and evolution of liberal internationalism.' Vivien Chang, H-Diplo|RJISSF Roundtable 16-22

'… promises to become a cornerstone text in the history of the United Nations as a force and form of global governance and policing … Tudor's work is particularly strong on the United Nations' conceptions of territoriality and its relationships to time …' Lydia Walker, H-Diplo

'Well written, deeply rooted in historiography and based on a refined conceptual and theoretical approach, the book will certainly please scholars and graduate students in the field … highly recommended for anyone interested in the development of Cold War peacekeeping during decolonisation.' Jean-Michel Turcotte, Canadian Military History

'A wonderful contribution to the study of the UN, decolonization, and the Cold War. It provides a much-needed perspective on the first decades of UN peacekeeping and raises critical questions about the role and function of the organization itself, particularly in its role of promoting neocolonial frameworks.' Thomas Bouril, H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Online