The violence of colonial wars between 1890 and 1914 is often thought to have been uniquely shaped by the nature of each of the European empires. This book argues instead that these wars' extreme violence was part of a shared 'Colonial Way of War'. Through detailed study of British, German and Dutch colonial wars, Tom Menger reveals the transimperial connectivity of fin-de-siècle colonial violence, including practices of scorched earth and extermination, such as the Herero Genocide (1904-1908). He explores how shared thought and practices arose from exchanges and transfers between actors of different empires, both Europeans and non-Europeans. These transfers can be traced in military manuals and other literature, but most notably in the transimperial mobility of military attachés, regular soldiers, settlers or 'adventurers'. Pioneering in its scope, Menger's work re-thinks the supposed exceptionality of standout cases of colonial violence, and more broadly challenges conceptions we have of imperial connectivity.

‘Menger’s methodical study offers a genuinely comparative examination of the transimperial underpinnings of European colonial warfare, revealing a shared culture of extreme violence that challenges contemporary mythologies of national exceptionalism.’

Mark Condos - King’s College London

‘Tom Menger has traced the great similarities in thought and practice of extreme violence in colonial warfare at the fin-the-siecle. His book demonstrates how stimulating a transimperial approach in colonial military history can be. The Colonial Way of War has that ulitimate scholary quality: it makes you want to rethink old certainties.’

Petra M. H. Groen - Netherlands Institute for Military History

‘Grounded in extensive archival research pertaining to three different European empires, The Colonial Way of War is an impressive, densely documented transimperial study that overcomes the national constraints of military history. Tracing how knowledge about colonial warfare crossed imperial borders and emphasizing the key role of racialized warfare, Menger widens considerably our understanding of colonial military violence.’

Marie Muschalek - Basel University

‘In The Colonial Way of War, Menger presents a masterclass in transimperial history. Expertly tracing the circulation of shared practices of violence between the European powers during the era of high imperialism, the book makes short thrift of conventional scholarship that insists on outdated narratives of national exceptionalism.’

Kim A. Wagner - Queen Mary University of London