By Paul Nantulya, Africa Center for Strategic Studies
GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania — As part of its three-week program for the Next Generation of African Security Sector Leaders, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) took 60 midcareer leaders from 40 African nations to Gettysburg, site of the decisive battle of the U.S. Civil War. The fighting at Gettysburg 150 years ago ensured the outcome of the Civil War, at the cost of 50,000 casualties, and continues to offer lessons for today, said ACSS faculty.
“It is difficult, if not impossible, to fully understand the American experience and cultural mindset without understanding the Battle of Gettysburg.” Professor Thomas Dempsey, the Africa Center’s Security Studies Chair, told the English-speaking participants during the October 31, 2013, visit to the memorial, where much of the battlefield has been preserved as it appeared in July 1863 when the three days of fighting took place.
» Photo Gallery: Nov 2013 NextGen Gettysburg visit
“Our iconic leader Abraham Lincoln was absolutely right to say that this conflict marked America’s new birth,” Prof. David C Bennett, the Director of African Studies at the neighboring U.S. Army War College (USAWC), observed. Prof. Bennet provided the French-language tour of the site for francophone participants. “It is here that the values written into the 1776 Declaration of Independence took on a concrete meaning in the way Americans think about social and political life,” Prof. Bennett said.
With course participants gathered in a semi-circle beneath the imposing statue of Union commander General George Meade, Professors Bennett and Dempsey provided insights into the plans at the exact point where the famed military leader prepared to oppose Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
The battlefield memorial is overseen by the United States Park Service and receives more than 1 million visitors each year, even on misty gray autumn mornings like the day the Africa Center group walked the historic grounds.
Africa Center’s Prof. Thomas Dempsey explains why the 150-year-old battle and its aftermath are relevant to African leaders today.
“It is easy for me to see how children coming to this place, as indeed many have today, will be forever touched by what they see here.” Lt. Col Mounir Mejdoubi from Morocco remarked.
“Nothing can be more important than preserving one’s memory, however painful,” Lt. Col. Mejdoubi said.
“That such an expansive and prime piece of land has been preserved as an everlasting and precious record of the war for future generations is truly admirable and is also a mark of leadership in and of itself,” he said.
“What I take away from this visit is a clear and practical understanding of the role that good leadership plays when all the odds are against you,” said Lt. Col Blaise Saenda from Malawi. “The lessons of Gettysburg—the importance of winning respect from one’s subordinates, the concept of ‘servant leadership,’ the belief in one’s values, and love of country—are readily applicable in the African context.”
The statue of Confederate Commander Gen. Robert E Lee, at the Virginia Monument, on the southwest end of the Park, provided a setting for a discussion on the underlying issues in the conflict. The monument is dedicated to the losing side of the conflict and stands deep inside Union territory.
“Why are those who didn’t subscribe to Abraham’s Lincoln’s vision for equality being accorded the same national recognition as those who did?” a senior officer asked.
“It would have been against the very essence of Lincoln’s dream to have done otherwise,” Prof. Dempsey responded.
“The wounds of Gettysburg continue to fester today, but Americans as a whole are determined to build a society based on equality and equal opportunity,” he added.
“Much has been done, and much more needs to be done. But the values which ultimately brought North and South together—values that were shaped in the heat of Gettysburg—are inseparable from contemporary American culture,” Prof. Dempsey noted.
Reflecting on Prof. Dempsey’s response, Lt. Col Agyemang Prempeh of Ghana suggested that Africa might take another look at how different protagonists in its many wars are treated in the national memory.
“We seem to have perpetuated a culture of outright winners and outright losers, which has caused an unbalanced approach to our history,” Lt. Col Prempeh noted.
“Merely condemning rebel leaders is not enough” he cautioned. “We must first and foremost acknowledge our common citizenship, and on that basis move towards addressing rebel grievances comprehensively.”
Lt Col. Dor Dut of South Sudan reflected on the lessons for his country, which gained independence only in 2011.
“The American Civil War experience is similar to ours,” he noted. “The ideals we fought for were much more important than the sophistication of our army.”
“Like the Americans,” he continued, “we improvised a lot and made good use of terrain, but we didn’t lose sight of our values. … I am taking back a concrete recommendation: South Sudan should craft a policy to preserve our history through memorials like this one.”
Similar views were echoed by Col. Hassan Djana of Djibouti.
“It is touching to see that every state has its own memorial at the site recognizing its role in the overall war,” Col. Hassan observed.
The visit prompted reflection on the role of multicultural understanding in U.S.-Africa relations.
“All the aspects of the visit; the hospitality, the presentations and anecdotes, helped us understand American culture a little better, a culture that seems to be characterized by frankness, honesty, and resolve,” Lt. Col Mejdoubi of Morocco stressed.
“These values were evident on both sides, even if there was so much enmity between them,” he observed. “With more of these exchanges, both here and on the continent, African officers and their American counterparts will effectively ‘grow up together’ and subsequently deepen the relationship for the benefit of both.”
“This exposure is not an ‘add-on’ but rather a central part of the partnership,” Squadron Leader Hafsat Babammallaam of Nigeria observed. “The experience has been very educative and has shown that there is always something extra to learn,” she told ACSS staff.
The visit included a rendition of Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” courtesy of a Lincoln re-enactor at the site. The brief speech, made by President Lincoln at the November 1863 dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, is now recognized as one of the most defining statements in U.S. history.
“In my view, Lincoln’s Address suggests that Gettysburg has no losers,” Major Flora Kwizera of Burundi said. “Generals Lee and Meade were winners, as were all those who fought on either side.”
“This basic idea,” she added, “that in nation building there can be no losers, is a valuable lesson that I will take back and apply to my work.”
The African visitors were struck by how much effort has been made to preserve Gettysburg.
“Elsewhere, places like these are either sold off or used for commercial purposes for the most part,” Lt. Col Mejdoubi noted. “The preservation of this site therefore reflects the importance of memorialization in the American national experience, and I think we can all learn something from this.”
Squadron Leader Babammallaam agreed. “This exposure opens our eyes to the things one takes for granted.”
See also: Information on Gettysburg National Military Park
» VIDEO: October 2013 Africa Center visit to Gettysburg, including an interview with Professor Dempsey
