msemakweli
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 20, 2014
- 1,627
- 880
One of the issues that many scholars have failed to agree on is the legacy of colonialism in Africa. To some, whatever may have been the shortcomings of colonial rule, the overall effect was positive for Africa (and the arguments in support of this are many). Others maintain that colonial rule left Africans poorer than they were before it began.
Not only were African labor and resources super-exploited, the continent's capacity to develop was undermined. Whichever group one belongs to, one fact is undeniable; Africa in its current form and structure is a brainchild of the West (Europe). In doing so, one can not discuss the history of Africa without mentioning the European countries. Through colonialism, they ensured that we became joined at the hip, economically if not historically, with them being at the core.
One thing that I have always asked myself is that what if the course of history was to have been altered and the First World War somehow averted. What would Africa, particularly Tanzania, be like? Prior to the world war, the German Empire had grabbed itself four colonies in the African continent;
· German East Africa (modern day Tanganyika, Rwanda and Burundi)
· German South West Africa (Namibia)
· German West Africa (Cameroon and Togo)
Like other colonial masters, Germany would have developed the country to some degree, though ultimately for their own interests and not those of the natives. Some scholars even blame the defeat of Germany for Tanzania's supposed backwardness as an economic hub in East Africa. They argue that Britain paid less attention to Tanganyika's economic development because Tanganyika was just a trusteeship to it, unlike Kenya which was a protectorate. This means that they saw no point in developing the country (Tanganyika) for fear that one day the rightful ‘owners', the Germans, would one day reclaim their colony. Factories were set up in Kenya, and Tanganyika was just a mere market for the produce.
Short-lived as the German presence in Tanzania was, it did manage to leave behind some important relics such as the central railway line, which is still in use to date! They also introduced some of the major cash crops grown in the country, the Christian faith (Lutheran church) and much more. So, my first point is that Tanzania would MAYBE be far more developed than it is.
Secondly, the countries of Tanzania, Namibia, Cameroon and Togo would probably have strong political, economic and social ties with each other and with Germany. Former British colonies have the commonwealth (which Tanzania wouldn't be part of), former Portuguese colonies (Mozambique, Angola, etc) have a body called PALOP, which is a colloquial acronym that translates to African Countries of Portuguese Official Language. French speaking African countries also have their own close cultural and economic ties. German would probably be an official language in Tanzania, and Tanzania would be among the top receivers of German foreign aid. There would also be a large Tanzanian Diaspora residing in Germany and vice versa, which is the case for other European nations like the UK and France, which are host to large communities of Africans from their former colonies.
Lastly, Rwanda and Burundi would be provinces of Tanzania!
A debate has been started on whether the German government needs to apologize for the victims of its colonialism. That means the Germans would have to apologize for the mass murder of Tanzanians in the Maji Maji rebellion, and many other atrocities committed back then by its officials. In a bid to reconcile with her past, she should also strive to establish special economic, political and cultural ties with her former colonies, Tanzania included.
Not only were African labor and resources super-exploited, the continent's capacity to develop was undermined. Whichever group one belongs to, one fact is undeniable; Africa in its current form and structure is a brainchild of the West (Europe). In doing so, one can not discuss the history of Africa without mentioning the European countries. Through colonialism, they ensured that we became joined at the hip, economically if not historically, with them being at the core.
One thing that I have always asked myself is that what if the course of history was to have been altered and the First World War somehow averted. What would Africa, particularly Tanzania, be like? Prior to the world war, the German Empire had grabbed itself four colonies in the African continent;
· German East Africa (modern day Tanganyika, Rwanda and Burundi)
· German South West Africa (Namibia)
· German West Africa (Cameroon and Togo)
Like other colonial masters, Germany would have developed the country to some degree, though ultimately for their own interests and not those of the natives. Some scholars even blame the defeat of Germany for Tanzania's supposed backwardness as an economic hub in East Africa. They argue that Britain paid less attention to Tanganyika's economic development because Tanganyika was just a trusteeship to it, unlike Kenya which was a protectorate. This means that they saw no point in developing the country (Tanganyika) for fear that one day the rightful ‘owners', the Germans, would one day reclaim their colony. Factories were set up in Kenya, and Tanganyika was just a mere market for the produce.
Short-lived as the German presence in Tanzania was, it did manage to leave behind some important relics such as the central railway line, which is still in use to date! They also introduced some of the major cash crops grown in the country, the Christian faith (Lutheran church) and much more. So, my first point is that Tanzania would MAYBE be far more developed than it is.
Secondly, the countries of Tanzania, Namibia, Cameroon and Togo would probably have strong political, economic and social ties with each other and with Germany. Former British colonies have the commonwealth (which Tanzania wouldn't be part of), former Portuguese colonies (Mozambique, Angola, etc) have a body called PALOP, which is a colloquial acronym that translates to African Countries of Portuguese Official Language. French speaking African countries also have their own close cultural and economic ties. German would probably be an official language in Tanzania, and Tanzania would be among the top receivers of German foreign aid. There would also be a large Tanzanian Diaspora residing in Germany and vice versa, which is the case for other European nations like the UK and France, which are host to large communities of Africans from their former colonies.
Lastly, Rwanda and Burundi would be provinces of Tanzania!
A debate has been started on whether the German government needs to apologize for the victims of its colonialism. That means the Germans would have to apologize for the mass murder of Tanzanians in the Maji Maji rebellion, and many other atrocities committed back then by its officials. In a bid to reconcile with her past, she should also strive to establish special economic, political and cultural ties with her former colonies, Tanzania included.
