Hofbauer, Martin/Münch, Philipp Wegweiser zur Geschichte. Mali

With the "Guide to History. Mali", the "Centre for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr" in Potsdam, which emerged from the "Military History Research Office" in 2013, continues its successful book series. The volumes offer concise, generally understandable and reliable information on the historical, political as well as cultural contexts in crisis zones that appear in the headlines of the world press. Renowned scholars and other acknowledged experts present a clear overview of developments up to the present. All volumes are equipped throughout with colour maps and illustrations as well as a service section that includes a chronological table, literature tips and internet links.

For decades, large sections of German society hardly noticed the developments in the Republic of Mali. In politically interested circles, the landlocked West African country was considered a political "model democracy" in Africa until the crisis of 2012. However, few culturally interested travellers and modern adventurers had previously visited the Great Mosque of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Djenné, visited the legendary Timbuktu or been intoxicated by the breathtaking beauty of the seemingly endless desert. The situation changed abruptly with the uprising of armed groups in the north of the country and the military coup in the capital Bamako in March 2012. The deployment of French forces in January, the deployment of a European training mission (EUTM Mali) in the spring and the establishment of a robust United Nations mission (MINUSMA) in the summer of 2013 finally made developments even more dynamic. Mali became the focus of world attention and, through the decision of the German Bundestag, the Bundeswehr's area of operations. This volume provides the necessary background knowledge, without which the current events are difficult to classify. Published on behalf of the Centre for Military History and Social Sciences of the German Armed Forces.