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Commentary

diplomatic power to vigorously pursue USA self-interest across the world. The nature of WWII
was such that it left other industrial nations with weakened economies and damaged if not
destroyed manufacturing capacity. It also left the USA, whose lands were mostly never bombed,
with an intact and exceptionally enlarged manufacturing capacity.)
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In the early post-WWII era the actions of an expansionist USA added momentum to the

process of decolonisation. The USA was not acting altruistically. It was acting out of self-
interest. The USA wanted decolonisation because this opened up more and more markets

for USA businesses to expand into.
It’s important to acknowledge that the march towards decolonisation was already

underway. It was already unavoidable. The USA did not bring about African independence.

It simply adopted and carried out policies that helped to push colonial powers towards the
final act of granting independence.

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1960, the year generally accepted as the year of African independence, was also the start

of time when the USA peaked in terms of its share of the global economy. The aggressive
use of the combination of Military power, Economic power and Diplomatic power had

already brought the USA spectacular results. So it’s not hard to imagine that the USA

entered into the decades that followed 1960 with a macho mindset. To the victor go the
spoils.

And so we come to the interaction of the USA with post-independence African nations.

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“Foreign aid is a method by which the United States maintains a position of influence and
control around the world,”

John F. Kennedy
President of the United States (1961-1963)

It’s not unreasonable to suggest that the thinking illustrated by the above quote has been

the starting point for much of the involvement the USA has had with post-independence

Africa.

(In essence, it is only amplifying one of the three elements of the tripartite policy [military power,
economic power and diplomatic power] aimed at making the USA a dominant force)

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