The Politics Machine: On the Concept of 'Solidarity' in East German Support for SWAPO

In explicit contrast to the alleged 'neo-colonialism' of the West, the communist regimes of the former Eastern Bloc thought of themselves as decidedly 'anti-colonial'. This 'anti-colonial imaginary', as opposed to its 'postcolonial' counterpart, has as yet rec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of southern African studies 2011-06, Vol.37 (2), p.351-367
Main Author:	Weis, Toni
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Africa African literature African studies Case studies Children Colonial history Colonialism Communism Communists Conceptualization Discourse Europe/Asia/Middle East Foreign policy German German Democratic Republic Germany (East) History Institutions and languages of Governance and Struggle Interaction International International relations Liberation movements Literary criticism Mass Media Media Political history Political machines Political movements Political parties Politics Socialism Solidarity Telecommunications Policy Translation Trucks
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Summary:	In explicit contrast to the alleged 'neo-colonialism' of the West, the communist regimes of the former Eastern Bloc thought of themselves as decidedly 'anti-colonial'. This 'anti-colonial imaginary', as opposed to its 'postcolonial' counterpart, has as yet received little scholarly attention. Using the relationship between the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and SWAPO as a case study, this article explores the GDR's conception of Africa, the interactions through which it was shaped, and the ways in which it translated into policy. The notion of 'solidarity', it argues, was central to the East German discourse on Africa in general and SWAPO in particular. Omnipresent both in the media and in policy circles, yet vague enough to accommodate very different interpretations, 'solidarity' defined a politicised perspective on Africa that said as much about the GDR as it did about the continent.
ISSN:	0305-7070 1465-3893