Can war be creative?

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How should we understand the era before Africa’s colonisation? Was it a period of stagnation or one of profound innovation and change? Why has the ‘Scramble for Africa’ dominated historical narratives, often overshadowing Africa’s own dynamic histories? Can warfare be understood not only as destructive but also as a creative and even culturally significant force?

In this episode of the Our Long Walk podcast, Jonathan Schoots and I explore these critical questions with Richard Reid, Professor of African History at Oxford University and author of the recently published book, The African Revolution: A History of the Long Nineteenth Century. Richard’s scholarship focuses on pre-colonial and modern African history, especially in relation to warfare and its intersection with culture and commerce.

Richard argues passionately for a nuanced understanding of Africa’s nineteenth century, challenging traditional views that frame the period purely through the lens of European conquest. Instead, he reveals a continent already in the midst of profound internal revolutions – economic, social, and political – long before Europeans drew arbitrary borders. Our discussion particularly highlights how African societies creatively navigated a world increasingly interconnected by trade and conflict.

One fascinating approach Richard adopts is a microhistorical perspective, tracing the history of a single road stretching from the East African coast into Tanzania’s interior. This road becomes a metaphor for a continent in flux, offering a deeply humanised view of African history.

We also delve deeply into Richard’s provocative view of warfare as not merely destructive but also generative. Drawing on his earlier book, Warfare in African History, Richard explains how violence shaped states, economies and cultures. This perspective challenges us to rethink simplistic moral binaries and recognise the historical role of conflict in social and political transformation.

Finally, we discuss the importance and complexities of history in contemporary Africa. Richard reflects on his experiences in Uganda, where history often seems politically sensitive or irrelevant amidst pressing development needs. (Here is a link to his inaugural lecture at SOAS we refer to.) Yet, as he argues, confronting and openly discussing history is essential for genuine national reconciliation and progress.

The Suno-generated song for this episode, The Cartographers, is something else. Have a listen.

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