Multiple European powers fought to colonize Africa, but only a few prevailed in the end. In this course we will focus on two major post-colonial blocs: English- and French-speaking Africa. We will examine whether, to what extent, and why the current political systems and politics of Anglophone Africa differ from those of its Francophone counterpart. To do so, we will explore variations in modes of colonial rule, processes of decolonization, and post-colonial political developments in Algeria, Belgian Congo, Madagascar, Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda.