Review of "African Probings: Reflections on Political Theory in the Context of French African Development," by W Hardy Wickwar

Review of

African Probings: Reflections on Political Theory in the Context of French African Development, by W Hardy Wickwar


Four out of five stars

 The French holdings in Africa were extensive at the height of the Empire. While there were differences in how the French took and maintained control in what became different countries, certain basic tactics were used. Those tactics are covered in this book.

 While there were some strong central governments in African history, before the French arrived the basic social and political structure in the areas were the local village and tribe. Those features were suppressed and replaced by a central government with the French in firm control with a hierarchical structure with the percentage of native members getting higher as the village level was approached.

 It was a class of cultures with significantly different beliefs in how societies are managed. The author does a good job in explaining the fundamentals of the differences and how the imposition of French control changed the African societies and the reality of adaptation to living with a superior military power.

 Even though the French west African nations have been independent for sixty years, there is still a residual legacy of the colonial period. This short book will help the reader understand why that situation still exists.