French Army and Its African Soldiers

As part of Frances opposition to the independence of its former colonies in the years following World War II, its army remained deeply invested in preventing the decolonization of the territories comprising French West Africa (FWA). Even as late as the 1950s, the French Army clung to the hope that it was possible to retain FWA as a colony, believing that its relations with African soldiers could offer the perfect model for continued ties between France and its West African territories. In The French Army and Its African Soldiers Ruth Ginio examines the French Armys attempts to win the hearts and souls of the local population at a time of turbulence and uncertainty regarding future relations between the colonizer and colony. Through the prism of the armys relationship with its African soldiers, Ginio considers how the armys activities and political position during FWAs decolonization laid the foundation for Frances continued active presence in some of these territories after independence. This project is the first thorough examination of the French Armys involvement in West Africa before independence and provides the essential historical background to understanding Frances complex postcolonial military relations with its former territories in Africa.