The Rise of African Nationalism in South Africa: The African National Congress 1912–1952 by Peter Walshe (review)

104 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW now so strong.Only Moggridgeand Thomas,workingin the different British tradition,treatsuchmacroeconomic questions asaggregate investment, capitalexport ,andthebalance ofpayments. Onlyafewpapers aredeficient inmoreordinary historical sophistication. Threeuse simple econometric techniques; alluse statistics in profusion. The editor explainsin hisintroductionthat the confereessoundedan unexpectedlycommonnote :'Britisheconomic performance wasbetterthanhasbeencommonlybelieved ' (p. 5)- In a summary essay S.B.Saulcomments uponthistheme, whichringsthrougheightofthetwelvesubstantive papers. He alsowarns against too readyanacceptance of it. The volume revealsthe strengthsand the weaknesses of the new American economic history.On the onehand,analyticalrigour and precision; on the other, unintelligibility, oversimplification, and a tendencyto fit the question to the technique .The new economichistoryis a productof the Americangraduateschool, wherebrightandhighlyqualified persons produce fortheirmutualedification. I cannot imagineit would appealto undergraduates, who know little historyand less economics. And it hasnopointof contactwiththe reformistandradicaltraditions whichhavelongbeenstrongin Britisheconomic historyandwhicharenowappearingin NorthAmerica.Thisisprobably notadefect.Butit reflects a methodological tendency which isdeeply buriedatthebase oftheedifice. Because itistheworldof orthodoxmicroeconomic analysis, theworldof the neweconomic historyisa world withoutpainor disturbance. Labourandcapitalarepaidtheir marginalproducts. Businesses maximiseprofits,and consumers maximisesatisfactions. The system adjusts smoothly tochange, which isneversufficiently greattocause discontinuity or realdistress. The economy isfully employed, andisconstantly in longrunequilibrium . In short,theeconomist's smoothly-revolving microeconomic 'model'hasbeen taken from the textbookand applied to the real world. For many purposes, the assumptions fitwellenoughtomaketheapplication helpful.Buttomanypersons the omissions are sogross thatthewholeapproachseems absurd.Sooften,in itssearch for rigour and precision,the new economichistoryseemsto ignore the really importantandinteresting questions. This happens because suchquestions haveno placein the'neo-neo-classical' microeconomics from whichit springs. IAN M. DRUMMOND University q]c Toronto TheRise ofAfrican Nationalism inSouth Africa:The African National Congress •9•2-• 952. }'E•'ER W^I•SI-IE. Berkeley, University of CaliforniaPress, •97•. PP-xvi,48o.$•3.5ø. PeterWalshe's workisundoubtedly awelcome steptowards acomprehensive history of Africanpolitical activity in SouthAfrica.It covers anareaasyetnotexamined in detailandisamost competent study, whichbeganasanOxfordD Philthesis. Walshe gives a thorough insight intothestructure andworking of theCongress andintothetensions bearing ontheorganization, whilst simultaneously tracing the development ofitsphilosophy andpolicy. The problems of membership, theroleof REVIEWS 105 thechiefs,andthelaterpolicydilemmas areallconsidered. Alongside anexaminationof thebartplayed byleaders in theCongress, hehasalsoassembled a most comprehensive compendium ofideological andgroupinfluences onthe^NC andhas analysed theeffectofeach ofthemontheroleandphilosophy ofthemovement in South Africa. However,the bookstillleavesthe reader with the feeling that somequestions remain unanswered andwiththesuspicion thatWalshe's approach, although providingevidence of enormous depthof research andreference, stilldoesnotoffer a complete study ofthephenomenon ofAfrican political development withinthe^NC. Thehypothesis ofthedevelopment ofCongress policy andphilosophy asareactive process towhiteracial policies iswellsubstantiated, butitmisses apositive pointinnot analyzing adequately the ethosand purposeof the Africannationalism which emerged inthelateryears oftheCongress. TheCongress' aimofthe•99osand3osof opposing theentrenchment ofracialdiscrimination andseeking rather'tomovein the opposite directionby legislating all individuals in the common economic and political order'wasanoutlook qualitatively differentfromthefar morepurposeful direction ofthepostwar Congress, whichmovedprimarilytowards theremovalofall theforces andstructures of whitesupremacy in SouthAfrica.Whilstmultiracialism in theold Capetraditionwascertainly a movingforcein thebirth of theCongress, andremainedsignificant inthelaterdays of Congress, thereaction oftheNationalist partyfrom •948 gavesomeAfricansthe opportunityto introducea morestrident noteintoAfricannationalism andtobeginthinkingof 'black'nationalism. Walsheshows howtheANC stepped intoactivist politics in 195'•,whichishiscut-off pointin thisstudy.He tracestheideological implications of thatstepandoffersthe readeraninsightintothegrowthof African nationalism in theCongress asapositive moving force initspolicies. Thisbrings thereadertotheperhaps dangerous pointof wishing thatWalshe hadgone ontocover theperiodafter195,•tomaintain historical unity.SouthAfricahadanAfricaneducated eliteandatraditionof Africanpolitical organization in advance of mostotherAfricancolonialsituations andthefailureto capitalizeon this lead is as significantas any other aspectof the historyof the Congress movement.Walshe's studydelineates the growthof African politicalorganization inSouthAfricaandshows theinherentweaknesses of theirearlierpolicies until the crisispoint isreachedand the ANC resortsto massactivism.However,the reader is left without an accountof the opposingforceswith which the African movementwasto collidein sodestructivea manner and the meaningof the new ideologywhichunderlaythe crisisof •952. In thiswayWalsheraisesadditional questions. He whetsthe appetitefor a full pictureof whatthe ^NCwantedto do in SouthAfrica.Wastheirpost-•95'•programmeadesperate ventureintomass politics byan organization stillprimarilymultiracialin purpose? A studypast•95• should yielda fuller pictureof the dimensions of African nationalism in SouthAfrica and assist thereaderinobtaining amorecomplete analysis of thatphenomenon in South Africansociety. Dr Walshehasdonemuchtoeasethechore. P.D. PILLAY Dalhousie U•iver.•it¾ ...