Development, Dependency, and Decline in Africa, 1950-2025

This course on the history of Africa begins as European empire unraveled after the Second World War and ends with a look toward the future. Development was high on the international and national agenda in the mid-twentieth century, but the most conspicuous outcome of the following decades was dependency and decline. Yet the story is more mixed than has been represented in American headlines; it was not one of pre-determined and constant failure. More than ever, at the beginning of this new millennium, conditions across the continent have diverged. What are current signs for future development or continuing crisis?