ABSTRACT
Conflict between non-Western powers was no mere postscript to the history of war in this period; nor, indeed, in any other. Nor is it helpful to treat such conflicts as in some way simply adjuncts of the Cold War. That element was indeed important, not least owing to the provision of weapons, munitions, finance, training and advice by the protagonists in the Cold War, but the conflicts between non-Western powers also had an autonomy in cause, course and consequence. This autonomy is particularly apparent if the range of conflict is considered, as it included not only struggles between sovereign states, but also large-scale insurgencies and other instances of civil conflict. In many cases, both types of conflict owed their origins to the after-effect of rapid decolonization, as groups that had succeeded in ousting imperial powers, or benefited from their departure, found it less easy to govern successfully or to manage relations with neighbours.
