Citation:
Bates, Robert H. 2012. “The Imperial Peace in Colonial Africa and Africa's Underdevelopment.” Cambridge University Press. Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/y3yp8quc
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Abstract:
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.