It appears that from this week’s readings, Europeans seem to have had mixed opinions of Africans during the twentieth century. For example, in Tina Campt’s “Other Germans”, the French enlisted African soldiers seemingly to spite the Germans they were fighting. “As both Nelson and Pascal Grosse contend, another motivation for using Black troops in the occupation was France’s belief in the strategic psychological effect of these troops on their military adversaries” (Campt, 32). She continues on, describing the black troops as “subtle psychological warfare against the Germans” (ibid). Many of the French black soldiers fathered mixed-blood children, and those children were looked down upon. This was not just in Europe, however. Racially mixed children in Germany were also viewed in a negative manner. Germany put bans on mixed marriages, and the children of such unions were not considered Germans, they were considered natives.
Europeans during this century had several reasons for their actions. They saw themselves as civilized and pure, while many viewed Africans as uncivilized and barbaric. Any such union in their eyes was considered pollution to the white race, and threatened the balance of power. “The prospect of a racially mixed, Black German minority with equal status to a white, ‘racially pure’ German populace was certainly a cause for concern that motivated this change in colonial policy and culminated the Reichstag debates of 1912” (Campt, 45). Native women and their mixed-blood offspring and their children became German citizens. Male children would be subject to military service, able to hold public office, and given the right to vote.
As I mentioned earlier, I feel that views of European blacks seem extremely mixed. Our readings are based on French and Germans that opposed unions between colonists and natives. Bans were issued, laws were set. Phrases such as, “racial pollution”, “impaired civilization”, and “endangered power” are thrown around these articles. On the other hand, many Europeans married, or at least had children with these black soldiers. This had to have occurred quite often if it created such a problem for the rest of the continent. Also, laws were issued against the unions, yet the children of mixed-marriages became European citizens and were given certain rights. Many Europeans feared the threat of integration with Africans. There were, however, just as many were starting families with them.
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I think the French move of using black troops in Germany was genius. Not only was it a common belief that Africans were more suitable for war because of their stamina and strength, but Germany was terrified of mixed-race offspring.
ReplyDeleteTypically legislation arises in response to a perceived problem. In Germany's case, there were too many children being born out of interracial relationships and the government tried to do something about it. While one might think that obviously some of these women had no problem marrying black men, I think a lot more people had the notion that these soldiers were somehow seducing white women against their will. The eroticism of Africans was both admired and feared throughout Europe.