About
Dr Prior is a historian researching the British Empire and legacies of empire, with a particular interest in the history of modern sub-Saharan Africa. His research has tended to concentrate on the intellectual and socio-political networks that created and underpinned Britain’s colonial and post-colonial actions and sensibilities in the modern era. This work touches on topics such as race and identity, decolonisation and nationalism, the Cold War and military intervention, humanitarianism and aid, and communism and democracy.
Research
Research groups
Research interests
- Imperial history and the legacies of empire
- The history of modern sub-Saharan Africa
- Socio-political and intellectual networks in foreign policy
Current research
Dr Prior is currently researching British foreign policy in sub-Saharan Africa in the wake of decolonisation, considering the roles that the British government tried to create for itself in this newly emerging postcolonial context. The resultant monograph will address key policy aims such as the management of external emerging actors such as the United States, key thematic concerns such as democracy and communism, and key policy actions such as military intervention and counter-espionage MI6 intelligence.
Research projects
Completed projects
Publications
Teaching
Dr Prior currently teach on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules on the histories of empire and Africa from 1850 to the present day, as well as on broader global histories:
HIST2082: Nelson Mandela: A South African Life
HIST2235: When An Empire Falls: Culture and the British Empire, 1914-1960
HIST3244: A Short History of the Populist Leader
HIST6130: Themes in Imperial History
HIST6134: Themes in Modern British History
Dr Prior also currently contributes to the first year core module HIST1151: World Histories and the second year core module HIST2008: The Group Project
Biography
Dr Prior has been keenly interested in the history of modern Africa since his time at the University of Durham, where he studied for a PhD and also held his first lecturership. Chris has also worked at the University of Leeds and University College Dublin, from where he joined the University of Southampton in 2012.