A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
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Deterritorialization helps the historian realize how <strong>German</strong>y and Africa were interrelated<br />
within the colonial system, a realization frequently ignored by other colonial histories.<br />
111<br />
The specificity and historicity of this study of <strong>German</strong> colonialism admittedly<br />
qualifies extrapolations to imperialism in general. Nonetheless, notions important for the<br />
study of imperialism flow logically from this particular investigation. This study has<br />
proved Galtung’s structural conception of imperialism to be correct. In seeing<br />
imperialism as an accretion of elements, social, cultural, economic and political, the most<br />
comprehensive image of imperialism can emerge. By stressing variation, syncretism,<br />
negotiation and composite forms, Deleuze and Guattari’s vision encourages generative<br />
and mutative histories of imperialism. Through this analysis of the broad reaches of<br />
colonialism, Spivak’s contention that Deleuze and Guattari essentialize imperialism<br />
becomes questionable. 8<br />
Deterritorialization is further helpful in capturing the social and economic<br />
dimensions of imperialism. Deterritorialization locates the important role of social<br />
groups in the colonial expansion. Social desires to create or re-establish society in the<br />
colonies formed a vital element of <strong>German</strong> colonialism and African resistance. Similarly,<br />
different social groups displayed very different actions in deterritorialization and<br />
reterritorialization. Finally, deterritorialization illustrates how much of the interaction<br />
between and within colonialism was socially constituted. In economic matters, the<br />
authors’ formulation establishes the importance of capitalist modes of exchange within<br />
imperialism. This study of <strong>German</strong> colonialism in light of the deterritorializing power of<br />
capital has placed economic motivations at the centre of the expansion. As well,<br />
economics have a guiding role in determining the exact course of the conquest. It was