The Conquest of Western Sudan A Study in French Military Imperialism [Paperback]

This book describes how France came to govern large areas of the West African interior.This book describes how France came to govern large areas of the West African interior. French rule in the Western Sudan developed as a result of military expansion and the influence with which the officers with experience in the field exerted on the direction of official thinking forms the central theme of the book.This book describes how France came to govern large areas of the West African interior. French rule in the Western Sudan developed as a result of military expansion and the influence with which the officers with experience in the field exerted on the direction of official thinking forms the central theme of the book.This book describes how, at the end of the nineteenth century, France came to govern large areas of the West African interior. French rule in the Western Sudan developed as a result of military expansion and the influence with which the officers with experience in the field exerted on the direction of official thinking forms the central theme of the book. French policies in West Africa are set within the context of France's wider interests as a European power at a time when colonial expansion was supposedly of minor importance in the government's eyes. The African response to the French military advance is also described. The subject with which the book deals has received little attention in the past and is an important one in understanding the expansion of European influence and rule in Africa.Preface; Abbreviations; 1. Introduction: the Colonial Army and the Western Sudan 2. The Background of Conquest; 3. The Revival of the Niger Plan 187680; 4. The Occupation of the Niger 18803; 5. The Problems of Occupation 18836; 6. The Consolidation of the Sudan and the New African Policy; 7. The 'Total Conquest' of the Sudan 188893; 8. The Civilian Administration of the Sudan 18935; 9. The Last Years of Military Rule 18959; 10. Conclusion: French African Policylƒ/