Traversing much of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, this new collection offers a fresh understanding of the seemingly paradoxical nexus between liberal Europeans and imperialism during the long nineteenth century. Bringing together leading scholars from the disciplines of history, anthropology, sociology and political science, it redefines the contours of research into European history by illustrating that it was not only the liberal politicians, writers and civic leaders of Britain and France who believed that empires could be vehicles for progress.