Two specific actors in Togo actively attempted to disrupt the newly set up regime which ultimately resulted in its failure. The first group was the people of Togo. They adopted cotton as a cash crop but often they did not do so to the extent that the Germans wanted. The Togolese relied on agriculture heavily and thus wanted to maintain some of their farms for subsistence farming. Those behind the project were very displeased but couldn’t openly use violence as much as they would wish due to the threat of rebellion (Beckert, 513). Despite their status as a colony, the people of Togo managed to use what leverage they had to maintain some forms of independence that ultimately resulted in the failure of this …show more content…
It was not limited to the expansion of entire industries. It also resulted in colonies adopting western technology in their everyday lives. This served several purposes for colonies in maintaining the status quo. Firstly, it resulted in an increased demand for good made within the home country. And secondly, it inculcates their culture into their colony through the use of western technology. A perfect example of this process was India and Britain where British goods were being brought into India in various forms ranging from the typewriter to the bicycle. It is no wonder that many Indian activists feared and fought modernity in India since it was seen as an expansion of British rule (Arnold, 32). They saw British goods providing little to no improvement in their standard of living while maintain oppression through destroying their cultures and local industries. Technology did much more than just expand British control, It also maintained existing racial and gender norms (Arnold, 87). Hierarchies within British India were reflected in the kinds of goods you used. Some used cars whereas others used bicycles. Other forms of technology were labeled as for women whereas others were labeled for men. British India was being transformed through new everyday technology with the ultimate intention of maintaining a stable colonialist