There are more than fifty countries in Africa, and France's influence in Africa is greater than that of the United States, Britain, and Russia. But France still had a lot of influence in the former French African colonies. Far beyond the sphere of influence of the United States. The reason for this was largely due to French colonial rule in Europe.
The three major colonial powers, Britain, the United States, and France, also had distinctive characteristics in their colonial policies.
There are many similarities between the United Kingdom and the United States in the way they do business, that is, they do not consider their colonies to be their own countries, nor do they consider their colonies to be their own. The colonizers were no longer treated as their nationals. Its governance is mainly under the direct control of the local aristocracy, while *** is dominated by the local residents.
The United States is more relaxed, the United Kingdom has at least a governor, and the United States doesn't even need a governor, just the locals. However, this has to be an "American" guy too. It is impossible for a person who cannot bring economic benefits to the United States to become a new ruler.
In contrast, the colonial way of life in France was very different. France considered its colonies its homeland and governed it in its own way. For example, in the colonies, it had to be French, all in French, whereas in the colonial period, all the academies were in French.
France, once known as the "King of Africa", has been deeply rooted in Africa for centuries and has had a profound impact on it. What has happened in recent years, though, looks like a rewriting of history. From France's support to the Malian authorities to military rebellions in several West African countries, France's presence in Africa looks to be waning. This article will examine the power of France in Africa and how a series of recent events have affected France's position in Africa.
Let's take Algeria as an example. It was later occupied by the French, and is now one of the three French provinces. The Algerian children were taught exactly the same curriculum as the French children, that is, "our ancestors, the Gallic people". Isn't it strange that the Caucasians of Europe want to assimilate their culture completely? Don't think it's a joke, though, this strategy really works.
Before the Second World War, the inhabitants of this French colony considered themselves French. Even after the Second World War, when the European colonies in Africa were completely destroyed and several other African countries gained independence, France still firmly controlled Africa. For example, many countries in Africa still use West African currencies, and their economies are completely controlled by France.
When there is a military dispute between African countries, France tends to deal with it. France is known as the "African gendarme". During the original French colonial period, French companies had the right of first refusal.
Companies from other countries can also join, but definitely not as important as French companies. For example, most of our company's projects in Africa are concentrated in the British and Portuguese colonies, while the colonies in West Africa and Equatorial Africa are difficult to enter, because they used to belong to France.
Some people may wonder why France** chose independence when they were so strict with the colonial system? The root cause is that the French are too arrogant.
After the German invasion of France, France mobilized large numbers of immigrants from West Africa, North Africa, and Equatorial Africa to fight in the French war. However, after the end of the Second World War, the pride of the African colonizers was greatly affected by the lack of recognition of the existence of the French ** team, which led to a large-scale independence movement initiated by the French.
It is worth mentioning that after the end of World War II, there were also huge differences in the positions of the three major powers, the United States, Britain, and France, on the issue of colonies. The United States is even more generous, they can be independent if they want, and if the United States is not interested, then let them go on their own.
Britain is more picky, and it is okay to want independence, provided that Britain can get more benefits from this former colony. And the British are also a nuisance, they will always find fault on their own turf and cause problems for them. Britain deliberately left the India-Pakistan issue behind.
Because France has always regarded its overseas territories as its home, in the process of overseas expansion, France does not want to give up its overseas territories, nor does it take the initiative to withdraw from one of the countries.
Since the overseas Dominions wanted to become independent, and France refused to give up, a major war was inevitable. France in Vietnam, in Madagascar, in Algeria, in France, etc., all sent troops to pacify the country. The French Fourth Republic is only a little more than a decade old, and for more than a decade, France has been trying to suppress its own country, or is ready to resist. After more than a decade of civil war, the Fourth Republic collapsed in the process of conquering overseas territories.
After coming to power, de Gaulle created the "Fifth Republic", which he sincerely wanted to preserve and run as his own country. But it was too late, and the wounds of France deeply stinged the African colonies, and they still demanded their independence. In the end, de Gaulle did not force them to stay, but gave them independence one by one, according to the guidelines of Britain and the United States.
After gaining independence, de Gaulle put his plan into action, sincerely giving a great gift to the colonies that had not yet been freed. The gift includes financial support, French citizenship, voting rights, seats in Congress, and much more.
In Latin America, for example, French Guiana had a brief experience of independence. France genuinely wanted to keep Guyana, and it provided Guyana** with a large financial grant and a seat in Parliament as a way to curb the country's enthusiasm for independence. The reason why the former colonies were able to gain freedom was caused by the oppression and discrimination of the French, and the French were both money and honor, and some people who had not completely left the colonies could not fight for any independence.
Conclusion. France used to be an African power, but in recent times, it has been subject to a series of challenges that have undermined its geographical advantage. Yet, the people of Africa are still tenacious and confident in their future. France may be facing political changes in Africa, but the country's history will continue to change over time. New facts and opportunities lie before France and Africa, whose future depends on them.