Trends in European Historiography of African History in the Second Half of the 20th Century

Abstract

The article is devoted to the main trends in Western historiography of Africa in the second half of the XX century. The author examines how approaches and ideas in the study of African history by European and American scientists were changing during the formation of African studies as a separate science. There is a change in the perception of Africa by Western scientists from the “unhistorical” object of the world history to the region with its own unique history. The article highlights the influence of historical processes on changes of the views and approaches of Africanists. The author has come to the conclusion that Western historiography during the reviewed period has significantly expanded its theoretical and methodological base and it has made significant progress in the study of African history.