Only in recent years have historians rediscovered the critical role that French colonial troops played in the twentieth century's two world wars. What is perhaps still deeply under-appreciated is how much General de Gaulle's Free France drew its strength from 1940 to the middle of 1943 from fighting men, resources, and operations in French Equatorial Africa rather than London. Territorially, Free France spanned from the Libyan border with Chad down to the Congo River, and to the scattered tiny French territories of the South Pacific and India. Eric T. Jennings tells the story of an improbable French military and institutional rebirth through Central Africa and gives a unique, deep look at the key role Free French Africa played during World War II to help the Allied cause.
This history-rich volume details the sociopolitical, economic, and artistic aspects of African kingdoms from the earliest times to the second half of the 19th century.
In Saladin, the Almohads and the Banu Ghaniya,, Baadj gives us the first comprehensive, modern study of the rivalry and conflicts between the Ayyubids, Almohads, and the Banu Ghaniya in North Africa i
The creation of Africa's newest state, South Sudan, in 2011, involved national and international recognition of "traditional authorities", or chiefs. Chiefship has often been misunde
Diamonds in the Rough explores the lives of African laborers on Angola’s diamond mines from the commencement of operations in 1917 to the colony’s independence from Portugal in 1975. The mines were ow
Diamonds in the Rough explores the lives of African laborers on Angola’s diamond mines from the commencement of operations in 1917 to the colony’s independence from Portugal in 1975. The mines were ow
The Gender of Piety is an intimate history of the Brethren in Christ Church in Zimbabwe, or BICC, as related through six individual life histories that extend from the early colonial years through the
The Gender of Piety is an intimate history of the Brethren in Christ Church in Zimbabwe, or BICC, as related through six individual life histories that extend from the early colonial years through the
Examining the process of abolition on the island of Pemba off the East African coast in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this book demonstrates the links between emancipation and the redefinition of honour among all classes of people on the island. By examining the social vulnerability of ex-slaves and the former slave-owning elite caused by the abolition order of 1897, this study argues that moments of resistance on Pemba reflected an effort to mitigate vulnerability rather than resist the hegemonic power of elites or the colonial state. As the meaning of the Swahili word heshima shifted from honour to respectability, individuals' reputations came under scrutiny and the Islamic kadhi and colonial courts became an integral location for interrogating reputations in the community. This study illustrates the ways in which former slaves used piety, reputation, gossip, education, kinship and witchcraft to negotiate the gap between emancipation and local notions of belongin
For Africans, rank and file colonial officials - the 'men on the spot' - were the most visible manifestation of Britain's imperial presence on their continent. For Britons, over time officials came to
The author’s ancestors first came to southern Africa in the early 19th century, and have played a role – sometimes a prominent one – in the history of European settlement of the continent ever since.
Britain, Northern Rhodesia and the First World War is an insightful account of the devastating impact of the Great War, upon the already fragile British colonial African state of Northern Rhodesia. Us
This book examines the case of international mediation in Kenya as a test case of the responsibility to prevent harm.The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a broad-based international commitment to pr
Imperialism in the eyes of the world is still Europe’s original sin, even though the empires themselves have long since disappeared. Among the most egregious of imperial acts was Victorian Britain’s s
Imperialism in the eyes of the world is still Europe’s original sin, even though the empires themselves have long since disappeared. Among the most egregious of imperial acts was Victorian Britain’s s
Having a global perspective on such a contentious subject such as the one this book attempts to deal with can be a most daunting task. The papers selected for this publication are as diverse as the ba
Africa's Past, Our Future engages the history of the African continent through the perspective of global issues such as political instability, economic development, and climate change. Since the past
