French African Policy in Historical Perspective

Abstract

Two major themes underpin much of the literature published in recent years on French African policy. The first of these is the ‘successful management’ by France of the decolonisation process in French Black Africa, both before and immediately after political independence, which laid the basis for the maintenance of close Franco-African relations in the post-colonial period. The prevailing view has been that Black Africa was France’s ‘successful decolonisation’: there was no war of decolonisation, the transition from colonial rule was not marked by large-scale violence or bloodshed, it was a largely smooth process, and the transfer of power was managed in such a way as to enable France to maintain its presence and a sphere of influence in Black Africa after political independence.