A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
A Deterritorialized History: Investigating German Colonialism ...
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problems of colonial history, but also serve as a caution about some of the dangers of the<br />
writing of comprehensive history.<br />
Echoing Thomas’ belief that only the specific inquiry can reveal the general, this<br />
study focuses upon the <strong>German</strong> African colonies in order to represent one facet of<br />
colonialism, yet shed light on the multiple articulations of the power dynamics of<br />
colonialism. 78 With regard to the perspective of this analysis, the descriptive dimensions<br />
of Deleuze and Guattari’s work will be manifest in the application of deterritorialization<br />
to the theme of expansion in the <strong>German</strong> African colonies. In this manner, the very<br />
elements of <strong>German</strong> colonialism can be deterritorialized from their context and given<br />
new voice through Deleuze and Guattari’s theories. By applying these theories to this<br />
historical issue, while emphasizing change throughout history, this project is also an<br />
attempt to refute Deleuze and Guattari’s claim that “history is always written from a<br />
sedentary point of view.” 79 This refutation in the shape of historical exploration will be<br />
evident in the next chapter’s examination of the shifting relations between <strong>German</strong>y and<br />
Africa in the social and cultural manifestations of colonial expansion.<br />
37