Five Cases of Colonialism

Abstract

After the general overview of colonial history in Chapter 3, I will in this chapter introduce and discuss five examples of the practice of colonialism. The examples illustrate different aspects of this period of history: Uganda of a rather peaceful but nevertheless in the long run destructive colonial reign, Congo of a vicious quest for minerals and other raw materials which undermined the future of the subjected peoples, Namibia of a genocide that left enduring traces, Kenya of a war of liberation that was violently suppressed, and finally India of how colonies and pseudo-colonies were integrated in the world market with problematic consequences for the countries’ own economic development. After giving a brief account of the five cases I will in the final part of this chapter demonstrate how they represent different problematic aspects of the legacy of colonialism.