South West Africa In Early Times

This book was originally published in 1966. This detailed study of the history of South West AFrica up to the date of Maharero's death in 1890 was originally published in German and appeared in an English version for the first time in 1938 when it was recognised as the first standard work on the subject. The author's extensive ethnological and linguistic studies made him especially well equipped to give a detailed account of the country and its people, and of the customs and languages of the different tribes. A considerable part of the book deals with the gradual colonization of the country by European pioneers whose various adventures are recorded in a mass of 'old notes, letters, reports and diaries'; and the historical side is supplemented by an ethological account of the native tribes. This is a scholarly work which, with its regard for folklore and tribal tradition as well as for the facts of history, must recommend itself to all lovers of South West Africa.

This book is a straightforward account of the developments in South West Africa during the 1960 years commencing with the beginning of the nineteenth century. It records the significant events, their causes and consequences, but as the one continuous theme throughout this period is the fate of the Black man, the impact upon him must receive special emphasis.

Sovereigns, Quasi Sovereigns, and Africans was first published in 1996. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. In this trenchant critique, Siba N'Zatioula Grovogui demonstrates the failure of international law to address adequately the issues surrounding African self-determination during decolonization. Challenging the view that the only requirement for decolonization is the elimination of the legal instruments that provided for direct foreign rule, Sovereigns, Quasi Sovereigns, and Africans probes the universal claims of international law. Grovogui begins by documenting the creation of the "image of Africa" in European popular culture, examining its construction by conquerors and explorers, scientists and social scientists, and the Catholic Church. Using the case of Namibia to illuminate the general context of Africa, he demonstrates that the principles and rules recognized in international law today are not universal, but instead reflect relations of power and the historical dominance of specific European states. Grovogui argues that two important factors have undermined the universal applicability of international law: its dependence on Western culture and the way that international law has been structured to preserve Western hegemony in the international order. This dependence on Europeandominated models and legal apparatus has resulted in the paradox that only rights sanctioned by the former colonial powers have been accorded to the colonized, regardless of the latter's needs. In the case of Namibia, Grovogui focuses on the discursive strategies used by the West and their southern African allies to control the legal debate, as well as the tactics used by the colonized to recast the terms of the discussion. Grovogui blends critical legal theory, historical research, political economy, and cultural studies with profound knowledge of contemporary Africa in general and Namibia in particular. Sovereigns, Quasi Sovereigns, and Africans represents the very best of the new scholarship, moving beyond narrow disciplinary boundaries to illuminate issues of decolonization in Africa. Siba N'Zatioula Grovogui is assistant professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University. He previously practiced law in his native Guinea.

A comprehensive study of recent African history, examining the political, social, and economic effects of colonialism.