LiegentIn Defense of German Colonialism: And How Its Critics Empowered Nazis, Communists, and the Enemies of the West
Has history misled us about German colonialism? Gilley challenges conventional narratives that portray Germany's colonial rule as oppressive and exploitative. This short examines how German administration actually brought stability, infrastructure, and economic growth to territories from Africa to the Pacific and China. Case studies of Cameroon, Togo, Namibia, and Qingdao show that native populations often welcomed German governance and benefited from improved healthcare, education, and security. Gilley argues that Germany's colonial achievements were deliberately distorted after World War I, creating a political vacuum that contributed to the rise of extremism. By reevaluating this contested history, this work offers a fresh perspective on how anti-colonial rhetoric became weaponized by totalitarian movements and questions established assumptions about Western colonialism's legacy.
Bruce Gilley is a professor of political science at Portland State University specializing in comparative politics, political theory, and state legitimacy. His research examines governance systems across Asia and Africa, exploring state-society relations and development outcomes. Gilley has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on colonialism, political legitimacy, and democratic transitions. His controversial scholarship on colonial legacies has sparked significant debate within academic circles regarding methodological approaches to studying historical colonialism and its continuing effects on modern governance.
Chapters
Similar books
If you liked this book, you'll probably like these books as well.
The Geographical Pivot of History
Sir Halford J. Mackinder
The scepter of power lay in the Heartland.
13:49 min
The Iliad
Homer
A foundational epic that shaped Western ideals of war, heroism, and the legacy of conflict.
17:30 min
The Odyssey
Homer
The epic's lasting power lies in transforming mythical adventures into timeless human experiences.
16:15 min
The Art of War
Sun Tzu
Intelligence and strategy determines victory more than weapons, numbers, or brave soldiers combined.
18:30 min
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
Mary Beard
Rome's contradictory nature, both liberating and oppressive, built an empire whose legacy endures.
20:12 min
The Vampire Economy: Doing Business Under Fascism
Günter Reimann
Fascism maintains the facade of private enterprise while state control cripples economic output.
20:26 min
McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War
Hamilton Gregory
A lesser-known chapter in American history vulnerable lives were traded for political convenience.
17:24 min
The Gulag Archipelago
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Nazi horrors were heard around the world, but few survived to expose the atrocities under Stalin.
14:29 min
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
The stoic archer aims true while remaining detached from the arrow's destiny.
13:54 min
The Prince
Niccolò Machiavelli
The classic that brought us the adage, "It's better to be feared than loved."
15:47 min
The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature
Geoffrey Miller
What we find attractive is not only biological — it drives our survival.
19:50 min
The Son Also Rises: Surnames and the History of Social Mobility
Gregory Clark
Every country shows the same: you are bound to your inheritance.
23:14 min
Capital in the 21st Century
Thomas Picketty
Slow economic growth means rising inherited wealth, threatening meritocracy and political stability.
24:47 min
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World
Tom Holland
A renowned historian explains how we're all products of Christianity.
18:26 min
Debt: The First 5,000 Years
David Graeber
Debt, older than money, is a fundamental human interaction central to economic and social organization.
19:21 min