LibGuides: G8: Imperialism: France

Primary Sources

Proposal for the Establishment of a Native Army in Algeria, 1830
Translation of a letter from an unidentified senior French Army Officer to the French Minister for the Navy.

France's African Colonies
Until the 1850s, the French position in Africa was a very marginal one.
Africa: French Colonies
There are broad themes that emerge out of the French colonial experience in Africa. Empire itself represented a profoundly racialized extension of state power outside of the boundaries of the incipient French nation-state, while at the same time it fundamentally reconfigured the French nation through the internalization of colonial policies of racist exclusion.

French and British Colonial Styles
The French were prepared to treat Africans as equals, but only if they learnt to speak French properly and adopted the values of French culture.
France in Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Côte d’Ivoire, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Dahomey (now Benin), and Niger.
French Influence in Africa (Colonial Period)
The continent served both as a source of slaves and a stop for ships of Europeans on the way to Asia. The French had a presence in West Africa dating back to the 1600s, most prominently in Senegal, which was a major point of embarkation for slaves to the New World

Cameroon
Before the colonial period, Cameroon was made up of a variety of different kingdoms and villages [ii]. In 1884 the area became a German colony and after the First World War it was divided between France and Britain [iii].
Political Evolution of Cameroon
Use the TOC to pick and choose the relevant sections.
Brief History of Cameroon
For 77 years, Cameroon was controlled by three European powers before becoming fully independent in 1960.

A Brief History of Morocco
Brief is the key word! A good summary and gives you some ideas of other areas to research.
Morocco vs France: A history of pirate raids and brutal colonialism
In 1765, France launched its first failed attempt to invade Moroccan territory with the Expedition of Larache, which resulted in between 200 and 300 deaths.
Morocco
Directly examines colonial Morocco and its economic exploitation by Europe.
French Colony to Sovereign State: Moroccan Independence
Donald R. Norland served as a Political Officer in Morocco from 1952-1956. In his interview with Charles Stuart Kennedy in 1992, Norland recounted some of the events he witnessed on the road to Moroccan independence.
First Moroccan Crisis
On March 31, 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany arrives in Tangiers to declare his support for the sultan of Morocco, provoking the anger of France and Britain in what will become known as the First Moroccan Crisis, a foreshadowing of the greater conflict between Europe’s great nations still to come, the First World War.
France in Morocco: A History of Manipulation and Fake News
Note this is an OPINION piece, so be sure to check the accuracy of the historical analysis. Having said that, it would be a good example of the Moroccan point of view and a topic for discussion in your podcast.

Country Sutides: Madagascar
Especiall look at the Colonial History chapter
Madagascar Revolt
From the Databases: brief summary of the revolt for independence
Madagascar: History
from Britannica
Madagascar's Fight for Independence
n 1946, Madagascar became part of the official oversea areas of France and thus part of this state. At that time, about 35.000 French people already lived in Madagascar. I
Queen Ranavalona III
She was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar.
Madagascar: Colonial History
The rule of the French was so cruel that the natives rose in 1672 and massacred them.

France in Algiera
Use the TOC to find chapters related to french/algerian colonial history
French invade Algiers
The French army began a scorched-earth policy of engagement in Algeria. The native population was viewed as barbarians who did not deserve the courtesy of human consideration.
Algerian War of Independence: Freedom from the French
The years following the Second World War saw the collapse of the French Empire. Of particular importance was the Algerian War of Independence.
Algeria: A Case Study in the Evolution of a Colonial Problem
The French have always looked upon Algeria as different from Morocco and Tunisia. French interests in Tunisia and Morocco date only from 1881 and 1911, respectively.
History Illustrated: Ghost of the Algerian war
The French colonization of Algeria gets the graphic novel treatment.

French in West Africa
Although the French had established a trade port on the West African coast as early as 1659 at St. Louis (present day Senegal), their participation in West Africa did not increase substantially until later in the nineteenth century.
Four Communes of Senegal
The Four Communes of Senegal in French West Africa, Gorée, Dakar, Rufisque, and Saint-Louis, were the only places during the African Colonial period, where African inhabitants were granted the same rights as French Citizens.
Colonial Rule in West AFrica
scroll down for the section on the French