CIAO DATE: 11/2012

The Imperial Peace in Colonial Africa and Africa's Underdevelopment

December 2012

Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University

Abstract

Book Chapter

When praised at all, imperialism is most often commended for the peace it bestowed. By demobilizing armies, deposing marauding princes and subduing war-like states, European powers fashioned a half-century of political order. The question nonetheless arises: Should they be lauded for that? In this chapter, I view Africa’s history through the lens of comparative history and argue that the imperial peace may have retarded Africa’s development.

Resource link: The Imperial Peace in Colonial Africa and Africa's Underdevelopment [PDF] - 281K