Episode 50 - French Africa

We've come to the penultimate episode on our tour of the big world empires, and this week we're covering the sprawling French presence in the western half of the African continent. The experience for the colonized was mixed to say the least, but for France the region was a source of vital raw materials and manpower. That last bit, the manpower, was critical to France's status as a competitive power as African troops were expected to play a big part in France's military. Added to that, the African colonies would be areas of concern for both sides in the darkest days of the war, so we're going to be coming back here more than a few times over the course of this show.    Bibliography for this episode:  Roberts, AD The Cambridge History of Africa: Volume 7 from 1905 to 1940 Cambridge University Press 1986 Conklin, Alice L et al France and Its Empire Since 1870 Oxford University Press 2011 Conklin, Alice L A Mission to Civilize: The Republican Idea of Empire in France & West Africa 1895-1930 Stanford University Press 1997   Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]