Volume XVIII – Number 1
William H. Lewis
Abstract: The continent of Africa has not always been relegated to a marginal position by American strategic planners and foreign affairs specialists. This article argues that only over time, was American foreign policy has deprioritized African relations. In the decade immediately following the Second World War, Africa was regarded as a vital link in the defense of Western security interests. The Soviet threat in Europe necessitated a counter-strategy where NATO planners looked to Africa as a natural geo-strategic choice to establish a defensive line in depth. Upon the rise of the American Civil Rights Movement and a period of Black “Consciousness”, decolonization of Africe became popular. American resources were expended to boost Africa economically, but emergence of authoritarian regimes in Africa following events such as the civil war in Nigeria, stunted their economic “take-off”. As conflict within Africa increased throughout the 1970s, it attracted foreign intervention. The United States took on a strategy grounded on human rights principles, and emphasized peaceful change and resolution of disputes. Then, after the United States adopted Realpolitik as a policy, the Persian Gulf became the focus of American defense planners. As a result, the Reagan Administration has been more confrontational and competitive regarding Africa and American national interests therein.
Key Terms: Africa, United States, NATO, Persian Gulf, Relations
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