This study encompasses the process of colonization and decolonization from the early modern period to the twentieth century. It shows that the Europeans were normally not considered dangerous invaders by local populations until they threatened the traditional cultures with missionaries, European schools, and bureaucracy.
"Osterhammel (History, U. of Constance) argues that the global mercantile expansion of the European powers of the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries bears a marked resemblance to the political imperialism of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Further, although there are some differences in scope and timing, the colonizers had similar aims and experiences. Instead, Osterhammel finds more significant the intentions and goals of the individual colonies, which he groups into those that were exploited for raw materials, land and labor, those that served for settlement, and those that served as military installations. He finds each type has distinctive features, such as ethno-cultural demarcation, and clear differences in economic management and administration, which lead to very different outcomes as colonies gained independence. Osterhammel provides a new bibliography for this edition." -Book News
