From Revolution To Ruin: A Preliminary Look at Rwanda’s First Two Presidents, Grégoire Kayibanda and Juvénal Habyarimana, and Their Administrations

This paper brings together primary and secondary materials from a vast number of sources related to the first two presidents of Rwanda, Grégoire Kayibanda and Juvénal Habyarimana, in a preliminary look at the men and their administrations. Using a critical realist methodology, a rounded picture of the two presidents results, and the following findings, in particular are presented: the genocide was not an inevitable aspect of Habyarimana’s policies, and would not have occurred without the RPF invasion; the effect of literacy on the illiterate Rwandan society, from its introduction at the start of the twentieth century, had a profound impact on the socio-political and economic system, and the culture—an impact that has not been adequately recognized per se; the rhizomic nature of the Rwandan social and cultural matrix carried through even the dramatic shift from a chiefdom to independence and a constitutional republic; the questionable nature of Rwanda as a legitimate nation-state under the First and Second Republics; the reason why the single-party government system was chosen and why it failed both presidencies; and the impossible demands on the first presidencies to build an entire State infrastructure from the ground up in the period of a few years.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Childress, Stephen E.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Dilks, Stephen

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/47354

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/47354