Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism

Kwame Nkrumah was prime minister and president of Ghana. How does his experience as an African leader affect his arguments in Neo-Colonialism? What perspective can he offer that an outside commentator could not?

Examine some of the literary and rhetorical devices Nkrumah uses throughout Neo-Colonialism. What are some of these techniques? How do they shape the nature and presentation of his key arguments?

Analyze the role of Pan-Africanism (See: Background) in Nkrumah’s thought. How does he characterize the nature of Pan-Africanism? What are the advantages and limitations of Pan-Africanism as a tool of resistance against foreign exploitation?

Analyze Neo-Colonialism within its wider historical context of the Cold War and the post-World War II global order. How does Neo-Colonialism address or reflect some of the wider geopolitical issues and problems of the time?

Nkrumah reflects on the murder of Patrice Lumumba (See: Key Figures). How does he use this tragic event to illustrate the realities of neo-colonialism? How does he tie Lumumba’s overthrow to some of his key themes and ideas in the text?

How does Nkrumah present neo-colonialism as something closely tied to western-style capitalism? How do his economic arguments reflect, or tie into, his wider social and political concerns?

How and why does Nkrumah present class solidarity as an important weapon in the fight against neo-colonialism? How do his views on class and economic exploitation align with, or diverge from, those of other proponents of African socialism, such as Julius Nyerere, Modibo Keita, or Léopold Senghor?

Research and analyze Nkrumah’s presidency in Ghana. In what ways did he put the principles and ideas of Neo-Colonialism into practice? In what ways did he fail or struggle to do so?