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‘Peace is dangerous’: Du Bois’ theory of colonial post-fascism
Much has been written about the connections between European fascism and European colonialism. Not as much attention has been paid to how colonialism shaped European ‘post-fascism’ in the inter and postwar era. Drawing on the Du Bois archive held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, this paper looks specifically at how Du Bois theorized colonial post-fascism. Colonial post-fascism refers to the array of colonial practices which were instigated in the name of world peace in the inter and postwar era. I argue that Du Bois demonstrates colonial post-fascism in three ways. Firstly, he shows how the ubiquity of colonial violence continued in the inter and postwar period, even while the West sought to rebuild the world on the principle of global peace. Secondly, he pinpoints a development of colonial imperialism whereby the colonies became further investment opportunities for the Western states to rebuild from the effects of war and the battle against fascism. Lastly, Du Bois turns to the United States, arguing that American militarization, which developed in the fight against fascism, ended up being used to secure colonial power under the rhetoric of maintaining world peace. This paper makes several contributions. Firstly, instead of highlighting the link between European fascism and colonialism, I highlight how colonialism shaped European post-fascism. Secondly, in highlighting colonial post-fascism, I contribute towards the growing trend to undo bifurcated sociological histories of the West which elide discussions of colonial violence. Lastly, I add to the burgeoning scholarship on Du Bois as a global social theorist.
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