>>1217399
Before anyone brings up the idea that he deserved it because he thought it was a good idea to request help from the Soviet Union, let it be known he asked for help from the US first, and they denied them. And then portrayed him as a communist when he, GASP, went to the other world power for support for his government that was having rebellion within the first year of existence.

>>1217416

I agree, it seemed a move out of pure pragmatism rather than ideological alignment. It's almost as if the US was just waiting for him to do it.

>>1217427
It is important to note that he was a living president for less than a year. Even though that short span of rule was caused by meddling foreign powers, it still really wasn't long enough to judge character. There is quite a larger amount of African leaders who said they would do good things, than the ones that actually did.

>>1217441

Oh no, I fully understand that. As I said in my OP, I'm not sure how it would have gone but i have a feeling it still would have been preferable than Mobutu.

The book I read on him made Lumumba appear an incredibly incompetent leader. Arbitrary and completely lacking consistency and foresight.

>>1217448

Most of them were very brash and poorly trained for the jobs in the government.

>>1217456
Yes, that's the point I'm taking from reading this.

The State of Africa by Martin Meredith, what do you think of it?

>>1217461

Not too bad for a shallow overview of Africa. If you can get your hands on Dancing In The Glory of Monsters by Jason K. Stearns I think you'd really enjoy it.

>>1217483
Will do. Know any other good works on post-colonial African history? Maybe on Ghana or Ethiopia?