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French West Africa
French West Africa, federation of the French colonies of Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Upper Volta, French Sudan, French Guinea, Ivory Coast, Dahomey, and French Togo, a part of Togoland mandated to France after the First World War. This vast area of 4.8 million sq. km. (1.85 million sq. mi.) was inhabited by about 16 million people, and, when war started, it sent some 65,000 African soldiers overseas, many becoming prisoners-of-war during the fighting which preceded the fall of France in June 1940.
Senegal's capital, Dakar, was the third largest port in the French Empire and the base of the Vichy-appointed high commissioner for Black Africa (French West and French Equatorial Africa), Pierre Boisson. He was, in effect, only the governor-general of French West Africa as French Equatorial Africa rallied to de Gaulle and the Free French. Boisson's policy of neutrality, especially after the abortive Dakar expedition in September 1940, was supported by the local population, and was strictly applied to both sides. However, in November 1942, after the North African campaign landings, he declared his support for Admiral Darlan, and his resignation was quickly accepted by the French Committee for National Liberation in June 1943. It replaced him with Pierre Cournarie, and Boisson was imprisoned; he died in captivity in 1947. |
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I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "French West Africa." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "French West Africa." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-FrenchWestAfrica.html I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. "French West Africa." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-FrenchWestAfrica.html |
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French West Africa
French West Africa former federation of eight French overseas territories. The constituent territories were Dahomey (now Benin), French Guinea (now Guinea), French Sudan (now Mali), Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). The federation was created in 1895 to consolidate the French holdings in W Africa and was definitively constituted in 1904. It was ruled by a governor-general, who resided first in Saint-Louis , then in Dakar . During World War II the federation supported the Vichy government until Nov., 1942, when it accepted the authority of the Free French. In 1958 the constituent territories became autonomous republics in the French Community , except for Guinea, which became independent. The federation was dissolved in 1959. |
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"French West Africa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "French West Africa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-FrenchWAf.html "French West Africa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-FrenchWAf.html |
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French West Africa
French West Africa Following the establishment of French settlements on the African west coast in 1659 and a gradual extension of the French West African territory during the nineteenth century, it was created a colonial territory under a governor-general in 1904. In 1942, it switched its allegiance from the Vichy government to de Gaulle. In 1946 it became an overseas territory of the French Union, but as a result of strong nationalist pressures in the constituent colonies, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Benin, and Mauritania were given greater autonomy as part of the French Community in 1958 (to achieve independence in 1960), while Guinea insisted on immediate independence, also in 1958.
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JAN PALMOWSKI. "French West Africa." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAN PALMOWSKI. "French West Africa." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-FrenchWestAfrica.html JAN PALMOWSKI. "French West Africa." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-FrenchWestAfrica.html |
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French West Africa
French West Africa A former federation of eight French colonies created in 1895 to consolidate French territory in north and west Africa. Its constituent territories were Dahomey (now Benin), French Guinea, French Sudan, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). The federation was dissolved in 1959.
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Cite this article
"French West Africa." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "French West Africa." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-FrenchWestAfrica.html "French West Africa." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-FrenchWestAfrica.html |
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