TRENT UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
History 4904
Rebellions and Civil Wars in Sub-Saharan Africa
2009/10
Thursdays from 14:00 to 15:50
Location ECC 208 (Lady Eaton College Room 208)
Instructor: Toby L. Moorsom
Office: Lady Eaton College CC H34
Office hours: Thursdays, 12:30-13:30
Phone 748-1011 ext. 7846.
Email: TBA
Evaluation
Research Proposal
(including presentation)
Book review (6pp)
Paper (1st draft)
Paper Presentation
Critique
Paper (final 15-25pp)
Participation
10%
15%
15%
10%
10%
20%
20%
This course examines the history of violent conflict in Sub-Saharan African from the era of
resistance to colonial conquest in the late nineteenth century to the liberation struggles of the
1960s and 70s to the civil wars of more recent years. It will look at various issues related to war
and society in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This is a research seminar structured around classroom discussion of readings and the writing
and ‘work shopping’ of papers. Students will write papers, present them to the class for
discussion and then rewrite their papers based on that experience. In the first semester students
will hand in their research proposals and make a short presentation to the class on what they
intend to do for the research paper. They will also be examined on a review of a key theoretical
text (Fanon) produced by a major figure in national liberation and anti-racist movements both on
the continent and around the world.
The second semester will mostly consist of regularly scheduled seminars where students will
present the first drafts of their papers to the group. Students will circulate their papers to the rest
of the class at least one week before presentation. In addition, every student will be assigned to
critique another student’s paper/presentation. This critique will take place immediately after the
student presentation and will be followed by an open discussion by the entire group. Throughout
both terms students will be expected to come to class familiar with the readings and prepared to
discuss them. Some days students will be responsible for reporting on a particular section
assigned in advance and on others they will have the freedom to draw out points they find most
interesting. The class will prepare students for participation in graduate courses and other studies
beyond the BA.
Texts
The following texts are all available in the campus bookstore. Where possible,
they will also be placed on 3 hour reserve.
Ousmane, Sembene (1960) God’s bits of Wood
Fanon, F. (1963) The Wretched of the Earth
F. Mackenzie (1998) Land Ecology and Resistance in Kenya 1880-1952
W.O. Maloba (2007), African Women in Revolution
Late Submission Policy
Assignments submitted late will have 2% deducted per day unless medical notes
are received. If a student is having any form of difficulty they are encouraged to
contact the instructor at the earliest possible time.
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty, which includes plagiarism and cheating, is an
extremely serious academic offence and carries penalties varying from a
0 grade on an assignment to expulsion from the University. Definitions,
penalties, and procedures for dealing with plagiarism and cheating are
set out in Trent University’s Academic Integrity Policy. You have a
responsibility to educate yourself - unfamiliarity with the policy is
not an excuse. You are strongly encouraged to visit Trent’s Academic
Integrity website to learn more - www.trentu.ca/academicintegrity
Access to Instruction
It is Trent University’s intent to create an inclusive learning environment. If a
student has a disability and/or health consideration and feels that he/she may
need accommodations to succeed in this course, the student should contact the
Disability Services Office (BL Suite 109, 748-1281, disabilityservices@trentu.ca)
as soon as possible. Complete text can be found under Access to Instruction in
the Academic Calendar.
Fall Semester
September 17th – Course introduction
September 24 - The Historiography of African Resistance: Colonial and
Nationalist Perspectives
T.O. Ranger, “Connections Between Primary Resistance Movements and
Modern Mass Nationalism in East and Central Africa, Part I”, Journal of African
History, 9, 3 (1968), pp. 437-453. Also read “Part II”, 9, 4 (1968), pp. 631-641.
October 1 – The Historiography of African Resistance: Social Banditry and
Materialist Perspectives
Alan Isaacman, “Social Banditry in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and Mozambique
1894-1907: An Expression of Early Peasant Protest,” Journal of Southern African
Studies, 4, 1 (October 1977), pp. 1-30. (JSTOR)
David Beach, “Chimurenga: The Shona Rising of 1896-97”, Journal of African
History, 20, 3 (1979), pp. 395-420. (JSTOR)
October 8 – The Historiography of African Resistance: Day-to-day
resistance and recent trends
Phillip Prein, “Guns and Top Hats: African Resistance in German South West
Africa 1907-1915”, Journal of Southern African Studies, 20, 1 (March 1994), pp.
439-463. (JSTOR)
Thaddeus Sunseri, “Statist Narratives and Maji Maji Ellipses”, International
Journal of African Historical Studies, 33, 3 (2000), pp. 567-584.
October 15 - The Impact of WWII
Workers, Strikes and the "Imperial Response": Africa and the Post World War
War II Conjuncture Author(s): Timothy Oberst Source: African Studies Review,
Vol. 31, No. 1 (Apr., 1988), pp. 117-133
Ousmane, Sembene (1960) God’s Bits of Wood
October 22 - Proposal presentations
Research Proposals due!!!
Reading Week – No Class October 29
Assignment is to read Fanon’s Wretched of the Earth
November 5th – Proposal Presentations continued
November 12th – Decolonization
Fanon, F. The Wretched of the Earth (1963)
November 19th - Film – Lion of the Desert or Battle of Algiers
November 26th – Decolonization cont.
December 3rd – The Thirty Year War for Southern Africa?
Hanlon, Joseph, (1984) The Revolution Under Fire or
(1986) Apartheid’s second front: South Africa’s war against its neighbours
excerpts on reserve
December 10th - The Thirty Year War for Southern Africa cont.
Saul, John S (2008) “Decolonizing the Residues of Empire” in Decolonization
and Empire: Contesting the Rhetoric and Reality of Resubordination in Southern
Africa and Beyond. Pp 13-46
Book Review Due
Winter Term
January 14 – Ecology, Minerals and Resource Conflict
F. Mackenzie, Land Ecology and Resistance in Kenya (Reserve and Bookstore)
January 21 - Ecology, Minerals and Resource Conflict cont.
January 28 – African Women in Revolution
W.O. Maloba, African Women in Revolution (bookstore)
February 4 – African Women in Revolution continued
February 11 – Discussion of Final paper and Presentation Scheduling
February 18th – Reading Week – no class
February 25 – First Draft of Paper Due. Presentations begin
March 4 - Presentations
March 11 - Presentations
March 18 - Presentations
March 25 - Presentations
April 1 - Presentations
April 8 –Submission of Final Paper
Some Suggested Research Topics (many of these could be narrowed
down):
Note: this list contains suggestions. Other conflicts occurred – feel free to
read around and ask my approval for a topic outside of this list.
The War of Mlanjeni, Cape Colony, 1850-53
The Anglo-Zulu War, Natal, 1879
The Transkei Rebellion, Cape Colony, 1880-81
The Ndebele-Shona Rebellions, Zimbabwe, 1896-97
The Zulu Rebellion, Natal, 1906
The Maji-Maji Rebellion, Tanzania, 1905
The Herero-Nama Rebellion, Namibia, 1904-07
The Chilembwe Rebellion, Malawi, 1915
Rebellions in French West Africa during the First World War
The Boer Rebellion in South Africa, 1914-15
The Igbo Women’s War, Nigeria, 1929
The Mau Mau Uprising, Kenya, 1952-56 (several good topics here)
The Pondoland Uprising, South Africa, 1960
The Sharpeville Massacre, South Africa, 1960
The Congo Crisis, 1960
The Nigerian Civil War, 1967-70
Wars of Liberation in one of Anglo, Mozambique or Guinea-Bissau (1960-74)
Zanzibar Revolution 1963
Zimbabwe’s War of Liberation, 1965-79
The “Thirty Year War” for Southern African Liberation: 1961-1991
5
The Soweto Uprising, South Africa, 1976
The Ogaden War, Somalia and Ethiopia, late 1970s
Civil War in Angola, 1975-2002
Civil War in Mozambique, 1975-92
Uganda-Tanzania War 1978-79
Civil War in Sudan, 1980s-2004
The Liberian Civil Wars, 1980s – 2000s
The Sierra Leone Civil War, 1990s
The Somalia Civil War, 1990s – present
Conflict and Famine in Ethiopia, 1980s
Burundi’s Civil War, 1990s to present
The Conflict in Darfur, Sudan
The Fall of Mobutu, Democratic Republic of Congo, 1996-97
Africa’s First World War: The Democratic Republic of Congo, 1998-2002
African Conflict and Natural Resources
The International Arms Trade and African Conflicts
Child Soldiers in African Conflicts
Refugees in African Conflicts