Meanwhile, socialism was inaugurated, lifting semi-feudal semi-capitalist Russia to a level of sustained economic growth higher than that ever experienced in a capitalist country. As has been illustrated, capitalist countries revolutionized their technology to enter the nuclear age. Yet, it was precisely in those years that, in other parts of the world, the rate of change was greater than ever before. That is an extremely short period within the context of universal historical development. The colonization of Africa lasted for just over seventy years in most parts of the continent. In place of that interruption and blockade, nothing of compensatory value was introduced. In offering the view that colonialism was negative, the aim is to draw attention to the way that previous African development was blunted, halted, and turned back. However, all of that would still not permit the conclusion that colonialism had a negative impact on Africa’s development. Indeed, what was called “the development of Africa” by the colonialists was a cynical shorthand expression for “the intensification of colonial exploitation in Africa to develop capitalist Europe.” The analysis has gone beyond that to demonstrate that numerous false claims are made purporting to show that Europe developed Africa in the sense of bringing about social order, nationalism, and economic modernization. The argument so far has been aimed at showing that benefits from colonialism were small and that they were not gifts from the colonialists, but rather fruits of African labor and resources for the most part. See more works from Walter Rodney and complete your bookshelf!

The following is a chapter from Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa- originally published 50 years ago and as relevant as ever!

Book how europe underdeveloped africa