Building States: The United Nations, Development, and Decolonization, 1945–1965 (Columbia Studies in International and Global History)

Postwar multilateral cooperation is often viewed as an attempt to overcome the limitations of the nation-state system. However, in 1945, when the United Nations was founded, large parts of the world were still under imperial control. Building States investigates how the UN tried to manage the dissolution of European empires in the 1950s and 1960s—and helped transform the practice of international development and the meaning of state sovereignty in the process. Eva-Maria Muschik argues that the UN played a key role in the global proliferation and reinvention of the nation-state in the postwar era, as newly independent states came to rely on international assistance. Drawing on previously untapped primary sources, she traces how UN personnel—usually in close consultation with Western officials—sought to manage decolonization peacefully through international development assistance. Examining initiatives in Libya, Somaliland, Bolivia, the Congo, and New York, Muschik shows how the UN pioneered a new understanding and practice of state building, presented as a technical challenge for international experts rather than a political process. UN officials increasingly took on public-policy functions, despite the organization's mandate not to interfere in the domestic affairs of its member states. These initiatives, Muschik suggests, had lasting effects on international development practice, peacekeeping, and post-conflict territorial administration. Casting new light on how international organizations became major players in the governance of developing countries, Building States has significant implications for the histories of decolonization, the Cold War, and international development. "Postwar multilateral cooperation is often viewed as an attempt to overcome the limitations of the nation-state system. However, in 1945, when the United Nations was founded, large parts of the world were still under imperial control. Building States investigates how the UN tried to manage the dissolution of European empires in the 1950s and 1960s-and helped transform the practice of international development and the meaning of state sovereignty in the process. Eva-Maria Muschik argues that the UN played a key role in the global proliferation and reinvention of the nation-state in the postwar era, as newly independent states came to rely on international assistance. Drawing on previously untapped primary sources, she traces how UN personnel-usually in close consultation with Western officials-sought to manage decolonization peacefully through international development assistance. Examining initiatives in Libya, Somaliland, Bolivia, and the Congo, Muschik shows how the UN pioneered a new understanding and practice of state building, presented as a technical challenge for international experts rather than a political process. UN officials increasingly took on public-policy functions, despite the organization's mandate not to interfere in the domestic affairs of its member states. These initiatives, Muschik suggests, had lasting effects on international development practice, peacekeeping, and post-conflict territorial administration. Casting new light on how international organizations became major players in the governance of developing countries, Building States has significant implications for the histories of decolonization, the Cold War, and international development"-- Provided by publisher Postwar multilateral cooperation is often viewed as an attempt toovercome the limitations of the nation-state system. However, in1945, when the United Nations was founded, large parts of the worldwere still under imperial control. Building Statesinvestigates how the UN tried to manage the dissolution of Europeanempires in the 1950s and 1960s-and helped transform the practice ofinternational development and the meaning of state sovereignty inthe process. Eva-Maria Muschik argues that the UN played a key rolein the global proliferation and reinvention of the nation-state inthe postwar era, as newly independent states came to rely oninternational assistance. Drawing on previously untapped primarysources, she traces how UN personnel-usually in close consultationwith Western officials-sought to manage decolonization peacefullythrough international development assistance. Examining initiativesin Libya, Somaliland, Bolivia, the Congo, and New York, Muschikshows how the UN pioneered a new understanding and practice ofstate building, presented as a technical challenge forinternational experts rather than a political process. UN officialsincreasingly took on public-policy functions, despite theorganization's mandate not to interfere in the domestic affairs ofits member states. These initiatives, Muschik suggests, had lastingeffects on international development practice, peacekeeping, andpost-conflict territorial administration. Casting new light on howinternational organizations became major players in the governanceof developing countries, Building States has significantimplications for the histories of decolonization, the Cold War, andinternational development "Postwar multilateral cooperation is often viewed as an attempt to overcome the limitations of the nation-state system. However, in 1945, when the United Nations was founded, large parts of the world were still under imperial control. This book investigates how the UN tried to manage the dissolution of European empires in the 1950s and 1960s, and helped transform the practice of international development and the meaning of state sovereignty in the process. Eva-Maria Muschik argues that the UN played a key role in the global proliferation and reinvention of the nation-state in the postwar era, as newly independent states came to rely on international assistance. Drawing on previously untapped primary sources, she traces how UN personnel-usually in close consultation with Western officials-sought to manage decolonization peacefully through international development assistance. Examining initiatives in Libya, Somaliland, Bolivia, and the Congo, Muschik shows how the UN pioneered a new understanding and practice of state building, presented as a technical challenge for international experts rather than a political process. UN officials increasingly took on public-policy functions, despite the organization's mandate not to interfere in the domestic affairs of its member states. These initiatives, Muschik suggests, had lasting effects on international development practice, peacekeeping, and post-conflict territorial administration"-- Provided by the publisher Building States examines how the UN tried to manage the dissolution of European empires in the 1950s and 1960s—and helped transform the practice of international development and the meaning of state sovereignty in the process. Eva-Maria Muschik traces how UN personnel pioneered a new kind of state building in the midst of decolonization.