Moscow, Nauka Publishing House. 1970. 237 pp. The print run is 3000 copies. Price 1 rub. 15 kopecks.

After the independence of the majority of African countries, due to the need for radical changes that would help end backwardness, an acute struggle developed in these countries to choose the path of further socio-economic development. Two groups of countries with opposite socio-economic trends were identified: countries with a capitalist orientation and countries with a socialist orientation. The book is devoted to the analysis of current problems facing African countries by corresponding members. Director of the Institute of Africa of the USSR Academy of Sciences V. G. Solodovnikov.

Considering the peculiarities of the development of capitalism in Africa, the author writes that this way of life was mainly "imported" to the continent and planted "from above" in the XIX-XX centuries. But along with this, the book also notes the internal development of capitalism in trade, agriculture and other sectors of the economy of African countries, leading to the emergence and growth of the national entrepreneurial and bureaucratic bourgeoisie. The capitalist path of development in modern conditions is also supported by the feudal and tribal elite, because under socialism it has no future. Under the influence of imperialism in Africa, local capitalism of the Comprador type is also being formed.

In addition to internal obstacles, the road to economic and social progress faces such a significant external obstacle as neocolonialism (this problem is given a special chapter in the book). Its goal is to prevent Africa from moving towards true independence and ultimately socialism, and to ensure its preservation in the system of world capitalism. But at the same time, the author emphasizes the strength of socialist tendencies in modern Africa. Both capitalist and non-capitalist tendencies are active on the continent, he writes, and their struggle is the main feature of modern Africa.

V. G. Solodovnikov shows from extensive historical material that the influence of socialism on Africa has deep historical roots. After the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution, the colonial peoples found a loyal ally and defender in the person of the world's first socialist power. One of the chapters of this book is devoted to her influence on the national liberation movement in Africa. The construction of socialism in the USSR contributed to the spread of socialist ideas in Africa. The victory of the USSR in World War II, which meant the defeat of the most aggressive forces of imperialism and racism and prevented the transformation of the African continent into a colony of fascist states, was also of great importance for Africa. The formation of the world socialist system changed the balance of power on the world stage in favor of socialism and national liberation movements. In the process of launching the anti-imperialist revolution in Africa, the socialist countries have steadfastly stood by the side of the African peoples. This is clearly indicated by the numerous examples given by the author.

V. G. Solodovnikov writes that the need to solve a large complex of economic, social and political problems poses an urgent task of radical transformation for African countries. Capitalism leads to perpetuating the backwardness of Africa, to preserving it as an agrarian and raw material appendage of the developed capitalist countries. To break out of backwardness, it is necessary to put an end to capitalism, the author emphasizes. He rightly points out that so far the anti-capitalist tendencies in Africa are mostly of a petty-bourgeois nature. However, class stratification and the aggravation of social antagonisms in the developing countries of Africa will inevitably strengthen the radical wing in the national liberation movement in the future. With the growth of class consciousness, the social base of the left forces that advocate socialism will expand.

Turning to the analysis of the situation, achievements and difficulties of African countries of socialist orientation, the author writes that their transition to socialism will require a whole epoch, during which the material, technical and social conditions for the victory of socialism will be created. Countries of socialist and capitalist orientation in Africa have emerged

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on the same type of basis: they have differences, as shown in the book, mainly in. the add-on. The non-capitalist path begins "from above", with changes in the superstructure, which then has a transformative effect on the basis. Replacing a base is, of course, a much more difficult and time-consuming process than replacing an add-on. The development of a national-democratic revolution into a socialist one will mean in practice nothing more than a gradual build-up of the elements of socialism through the victory of the state and co - operative systems with socialist tendencies over the patriarchal, feudal, foreign-capitalist, and national-capitalist systems, with the purposeful activity of the state. These are: the development of the state sector of the economy, the restriction of foreign capital in combination with its skillful use, planned farming, industrialization, reconstruction of backward agriculture, cooperation of peasants and artisans, training of national personnel, the use of the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution. In addition, it may be necessary to restrict imports, provide tariff protection for young local industries, restrict the export of profits of foreign enterprises, and so on.

The book analyzes the differences in the situation of African countries with a socialist orientation and the Soviet republics of Central Asia and the Mongolian People's Republic that have gone through a non-capitalist path of development. Thus, the African countries are geographically separated from the USSR and the European socialist countries, they are still economically dependent on the capitalist market, ideological activity of imperialists is allowed in them, cooperation of their ruling parties with the parties of socialist countries is limited, etc. But the basic laws of the non-capitalist path, concludes V. G. Solodovnikov, remain unshakable: the recognition of scientific socialism, limiting the development of capitalism, building a society without exploitation, and cooperating with socialist countries (p. 139). The author foresees that in the future, African countries with a socialist orientation will become increasingly close to the socialist system. The book provides a detailed analysis of the USSR's relations with African countries.

Not all the provisions contained in the work can be accepted unconditionally. Thus, V. G. Solodovnikov writes about the historical and geographical factors that delayed the development of Africa: "The nature of Africa, which gave people almost everything ready-made, did not require society to constantly improve its productive forces and production relations" (p.12). But it also ignores the fact that the natural conditions of Africa are generally unfavorable for the development of agriculture in its modern productive and intensive forms: it is only necessary to recall such factors as the huge area of arid and semi-arid regions, the change of dry and rainy seasons over a huge area, the heavy rainfall, the poverty of soils with organic and mineral substances necessary for cultivated plants, the susceptibility of soils to rapid destruction and depletion, the spread of tsetse flies - this scourge-over an area of about 11 million square kilometers. African agriculture - etc. 1 . The use of the expression "working class" in relation to Tropical Africa, where the proletariat is not numerous, consists mainly of waste workers, and has not yet had time to develop as a class, is hardly successful. The author can also be reproached for using a relatively limited range of Soviet studies devoted to the history and current situation of Africa.

At the same time, the book's strength is that it reflects the rich experience of the author's direct acquaintance with the African reality, accumulated as a result of repeated trips to Africa, numerous meetings and conversations with its political and public figures. The book as a whole is distinguished by its wide coverage of topical issues of socio-economic and political development in African countries.

1 See "The Agrarian Question and the peasantry in Tropical Africa", Moscow, 1964.

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