This course examines France’s relations with Africa from the time of colonisation and decolonisation through to the present day. It shows how this exceptionally close relationship has served France’s quest for power, while also implicating the French state in acts of domination and even genocide.  Issues studied will include colonial conquest, war and decolonisation, France’s neocolonial policies towards Africa, and the Rwandan genocide.

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of, and evaluate critically, France’s political, cultural, economic and military relations with Africa
• Display an ability to articulate well-constructed arguments and participate orallly in debates and discussions over course material
• Show an ability to present written arguments in a structured, logical and coherent manner
• Demonstrate a capacity to work independently and in cooperation with other students
• Display basic word-processing skills

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of, and evaluate critically, France’s political, cultural, economic and military relations with Africa
• Display an ability to articulate well-constructed arguments and participate orallly in debates and discussions over course material
• Show an ability to present written arguments in a structured, logical and coherent manner
• Demonstrate a capacity to work independently and in cooperation with other students
• Display basic word-processing skills

• Lectures will develop the student’s capacity to absorb information, including through note-taking.
• Seminars and joint seminar presentations will develop the capacity to deploy this information and to integrate it with new information to produce coherent arguments orally
• Through coursework essays students will develop research skills and enhance their capacity to evaluate and present clear written arguments
• Coursework essays and guided study will enable students to develop a critical understanding of the factors that have shaped France’s relations with Africa from the colonial era to the present day
• Other academic and key skills developed include organisational skills, basic-word-processing skills, intercultural awareness as well as interpersonal and cooperative working skills.

Essay (2000 words): 30%

Written exam (2 hours): 70%; Spring semester exam period

In the event of failing the module, the student will be able to resit the failed element or elements in the summer resit period.

Week 1: France’s Early Colonial Conquests

Week 2: The Scramble for Africa

Week 3: French Colonial Rule

Week 4: War and Empire

Week 5: Decolonisation

Week 6: Reading Week

Week 7: Contemporary French African Policy (from De Gaulle to Mitterrand)

Week 8  French African policy in the Post-Cold War Era

Week 9: France’s Role in the Rwandan Genocide (I)

Week 10: France’s Role in the Rwandan Genocide (II)?

Week 11: Revision

There is no single set text for this course but guidance will be given on the most relevant readings for each topic. 

Indicative Reading and Resource List:

There is no single set text for this course but guidance will be given on the most relevant readings for each topic.

Early French Colonial Expansion

Aldrich, R                    Greater France: A Short History of French Overseas Expansion (JV1811A5)

Gourévitch, J-P          La France en Afrique: cinq siècles de présence : vérités et mensonges, Acropole, Paris, 2006

French Colonisation/ Colonial Policy

Andereggen, Anton     France’s Relationship with sub-Saharan Africa, Karthala, Paris, 1994

Chipman, JMW           French Power in Africa, Oxford, Blackwell, 1989

Roberts, Stephen        The History of French Colonial Policy, 1870-1925 (JV1817.R6)

Meyer J et al               Histoire de la France coloniale: Des origines à nos jours 

Yacono, X.                  Histoire de la colonisation française, (Que Sais-Je), 1988

Suret-Canale J            French Colonialism in Tropical Africa 1900-1945 (DT33.S8)

Bridges, R                   Imperialism, Decolonization and Africa, 1999 (DT 30.I6)

Manning, P                  Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa (DT532.5.M2)

Phan, B.                      Colonisations et Décolonisations françaises depuis 1850, Armand Colin, 1995

Hargreaves, J.D.        ‘Towards a Partition of Africa’, The Journal of African History, vol. 1, no. 1, 1960, pp. 97-109 (Photocopy coll.)

French Colonial Rule

Betts, RF                     Assimilation and Association in French Colonial Theory

Lewis, MD                   ‘100 million Frenchmen: the assimilation theory in French colonial policy’, Comparative Studies in Society and History, 4, 1962, pp 129-53

Vaughan, M                ‘Assimilation versus Association’, Modern and Contemporary France, 21, 1985, pp.3-8

Conklin, A. (1998)       ‘Colonialism and Human Rights, A Contradiction in Terms?’, American Historical Review, vol. 103, no. 2, pp. 419- 442

Cumming, G.              ‘Exporting the Republican Model’ in A. Cole and G. Raymond, Redefining the French Republic, Manchester University Press, 2006

Cumming, G.              ‘Transposing the Republican Model? A Critical Appraisal of France’s Historical Mission in Africa’, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 23, 2, 2005, 233-252 [PHOTOCOPY COLLECTION]

Dimier, V.                    ‘Politiques indigènes en France et en Grande-Bretagne dans les années 30’ (Photocopy coll.)

World and Colonial Wars

Clayton, A.                  The Wars of French Decolonisation

Evans, Martin              Algeria : France's undeclared war, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011

Windrow, M                 The Algerian War 1954-62 (Paris: Osprey)

Cooper, Nicola            France in Indochina : colonial encounters, Berg, Oxford, 2001.

Cumming, G.              ‘The Brazzaville Conference of 1944: the dream of a Greater French Republic, in C. Gorrara & R. Langford (eds), France since the Revolution, 2003, pp.94-107

Decolonisation

Chipman, JMW           French Power in Africa, Oxford, Blackwell, 1989

Betts, R                       France and Decolonisation, Macmillan 1991

Chafer, T.                    The End of Empire in French West Africa, Berg, 2002

Hargreaves, JD          Decolonization in Africa (DT30.H2)

Contemporary French African Policy

Agir Ici/ Survie           Dossiers Noirs de la Politique Africaine (various numbers and years)

Andereggen, A.          France’s Relationship with sub-Saharan Africa, 1994, Karthala

Chafer, T.                   ‘French African Policy: Towards Change?’, African Affairs, vol. 91, 1992, pp 37-51, no 362 (PHOTOCOPY COLLECTION)

Cumming, G.              ‘Exporting the Republican Model: A Critique of France’s Civilising Mission in Africa’ in A. Cole and G. Raymond (eds), Redefining the French Republic, Manchester Uni. Press, 2005.

Manning, P.                 Francophone sub-Saharan Africa, 1880-1995, 1999

Chafer, T.                    ‘Franco-African relations: no longer so exceptional?’, African Affairs, 101, (2002), p. 346.

Gounin, Yves             La France et l’Afrique, De Boeck University, 2009

                                                                                                Rwanda

Millwood, D (ed)        The International Response to Conflict and Genocide, ODI, 1996

Prunier, G                    The Rwanda Crisis, 1997

Agir Ici/ Survie           Dossiers Noirs (Nos 1-5), 1996

Lugan, Bernard           François Mitterrand, l’armée française et le Rwanda, [Monaco] : Editions du Rocher, 2005.

Dallaire, Roméo          Shake hands with the devil : the failure of humanity in Rwanda, London : Arrow, 2004, Bute library.