Detours around Africa: The Connection between Developing Colonies and Integrating Europe

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to trace the transformation of the notion of ‘Eurafrica’ from the time of European imperialism up to the era of decolonization and the start of European integration. The idea that Europe and Africa should naturally be linked via expanding infrastructures was an important part of many imperial and infrastructural visions in the nineteenth century. The end of European colonial rule in Africa since the 1950s only appeared at first to be ‘abandoning’ the Europe-Africa connections. In fact, a belief that Europeans could offer superior technology to ‘underdeveloped’ countries lingered on. An almost religious belief in the ability to ‘modernize’ backward countries focused primarily on ‘infrastructure’, a term that was introduced into the political vocabulary precisely at that point in time. The term circumscribed the implementation of ‘basic works’ and comprised everything that was regarded as essential for ‘opening up’ territories and developing economies and societies alike; usually it was conceived as a public enterprise. 1 These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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