African Colonialism Abu Boahen's Book Term Paper

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Both of these techniques, however, tended to pervert the established regimes by either destroying them or granting them more power than they ever had before. Boahen sees the central cause behind this European imposed partitioning of Africa to lie within the changing economic postures of the European imperial powers: "The second half of the nineteenth century was the period during which international trade became increasingly competitive, following the spread of England's industrial capitalism to the other European countries as well as to the United States." (Boahen, 30). This competition led to neo-mercantilism and, eventually, wars.

Yet, the distinction between the direct rule of the French and the indirect rule of the British, Boahen contends, were fairly difficult to discern from the Africans' perspective, and essentially, became almost meaningless ideologies to be debated by theorists a continent away. Although clearly different in their conceptual forms -- one involving formal agreements and the other relying upon brute force -- the realities of Africa made these two processes indistinguishable. This too was tied to the limited number of officers that could be assigned to Africa. Since pacification of a region demanded large military forces, the European powers were forced to rely upon native peoples; treaties were signed by African chiefs and warlords along pre-existing rivalries, with the Europeans offering future favoritism.

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This is analogous to the processes that had already been used in the Americas a century before. Thus, the differing philosophies of pacification and annexation between the European colonists were truly the same once put into practice.

Boahen goes on to argue that African resistance to colonialism increased exponentially as a result of the First and Second World Wars, and that numerous grassroots political parties began to take legitimate power from the bourgeoisie rulers; "the leadership of these parties consisted mainly of people with very radical ideas who were ready to apply both constitutional and unconstitutional methods... To achieve their ends." (Boahen, 93). This, in turn, generated a unique political atmosphere in post-colonial Africa; one that was tumultuous, radical, and often violent. The combination of advantages and disadvantages associated with colonization and industrialization of Africa remains to this day, and has birthed nations and cultures searching for their identity. Many wish to revert to old customs and religions, but the brutally thorough manner by which many of the European powers stomped traditional systems out cannot be overlooked. In Short, the European colonization of Africa is still being felt today, and many of the prevailing problems in the former colonies are results of the practices put into action by the colonial powers; thus confusing cultural, linguistic, and social balances......

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