A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...

the amalgamation of social and economic elements, together with cultural and political
rationales, that determined the form of German colonialism in Africa.
Deterritorialization alone seems capable of combining these diverse elements into a
coherent framework.
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Deleuze and Guattari’s theories also provide a broad idea of power not often seen
in colonial history. This project concludes that German colonialism was not the story of
un-mediated submission to the colonizer but a complex series of interactions and
mediations that gave the power relations of colonialism their unique character. This
examination has down-played overt talk of power relations, for in the colonial
relationship power was present in all spheres. Hence this inquiry, like that of Deleuze
and Guattari, has been a work of synthesis, amalgamating varied manifestations of
colonial power. This is truly one of the best ways in which the two authors open up new
lines of investigation. 9 Looking at the diverse manifestations of colonial power shows
the multiple nature of power in political, social, cultural and economic realms. In
examining the big picture as a sum of aggregate singularities, deterritorialization allows a
micro-level analysis of power that also corresponds to macro-structures. This articulation
characterizes a history that stresses power dynamics in multiple fields and in multiple
circumstances. Deterritorialization reveals how power is more than just a dialectical
relationship of domination and resistance. Additionally, Deleuze and Guattari’s theory
stimulates thought on the institutional structures of power. Thus, this analysis has
revealed not only how Germans and Africans related to power, but also how they were
respectively situated within power relations.