Free French Africa

World War II-era African support for Free France

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Afrique française libre

Free French Africa

Flag

Free French Africa in November 1940, including Chad, French Cameroon, Ubangi-Shari, Gabon, French Congo.

Capital| Brazzaville (1940-1944)
Algiers (1943-1944)
Official language| French
Type| Federation
Membership|

* French Equatorial Africa
* French Cameroon

Leaders

• High Commissioner

| Edgar de Larminat (1940–41)
Adolphe Sicé (1941–42)
Establishment| August 1940

Free French Africa (French: Afrique française libre, sometimes abbreviated to AFL) was the political entity which collectively represented the colonial territories of French Equatorial Africa and Cameroon under the control of Free France in World War II.

It provided a political and territorial base for Free France and strengthened General Charles de Gaulle's international position. It made a major contribution to the war effort by financing the French Resistance, by the contribution of its many soldiers to the Free French Forces, and by the military exploitation of its installations and territories.

Because of its geographical location, Free French Africa offered a considerable asset to the Allies, favoring military operations from Chad in the Western Desert Campaign in Egypt and Libya, as well as facilitating communications across the continent, thus giving British colonies the ability to communicate with each other.

## History and territories

[edit]

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During the Second World War, following the Appeal of 18 June, 1940, general Charles de Gaulle called for the continuation of the fight with the hopes of relying on the vast size of the French empire and its many colonies in Africa.

The commander-in-chief of the French forces in North Africa, Charles Noguès, eventually gave up the fight after previously giving speeches showing his desire to continue. After giving in to the Vichy regime, and supporting Pétain, French West Africa also gave in after losing the Battle of Dakar.

French Equatorial Africa, on the other hand, progressively rallied towards Free France[1] under the leadership of Félix Éboué, the governor of the French colony of Chad. On 3 July 1940 he wrote to de Gaulle expressing his desire to continue the fight. And on 26 August 1940 with the support of Colonel Marchand and Henri Laurentie, he officially proclaimed that Chad was a part of Free France.[2] This provided Free France with territory where it could exercise sovereignty and raise troops.[3]

On the same day of the official regrouping of Chad to Free France, Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque landed in Douala, taking control of the territory on the following day, effectively making Cameroon a part of Free France. After the addition of Cameroon, the French Congo, led by colonel de Larminat, on August 28, and Ubangi-Shari (present day Central African Republic) followed suit[1] On 29 August 1940, the government of Free French Africa was created by colonel de Larminat.

Gabon did not initially join Free France, and remained loyal to Vichy. But, in November 1940, under Leclerc, Free France led an offensive attack in Gabon, and after fighting from the 9th to the 10th, Gabon was forced to join Free France.[1]

## Political base of Free France

[edit]

De Gaulle arrives in Brazzaville, the capital.

In the vast territory of Free French Africa, including French Equatorial Africa and French Cameroon, Charles de Gaulle was able to exercise full powers as head of Free France, on an equal footing with a head of state. After passing through Douala in Cameroon, and Chad, he arrived in Brazzaville on 24 October 1940, which was already the seat of government both of French Congo, as well as of the government of the federation of French Equatorial Africa.

Brazzaville became the capital of Free French Africa and of all of Free France and it was there that de Gaulle signed the first decrees and orders that would govern the Free French territory. Brazzaville remained the capital until 1943, when Algiers took over.[4]

While Brazzaville was the capital of Free French Africa, Charles De Gaulle created the Empire Defense Council on 27 October 1940, with the goal of dealing with “the general conduct of war for the liberation of the country”. It was also in Brazzaville that De Gaulle instituted the Order of Liberation on 16 November 1940, and gave secret instructions to the colonel Leclerc of the 2nd Armed division. Radio-Brazzaville became the official radio of Free France.

The new governor general of Brazzaville was Félix Éboué, the first to join Free France. Initially, the administration of the territories retained the previous functions before engaging in a series of fundamental reforms which sought for policies based on association instead of assimilation. This new policy wanted to respect “Natural Institutions”. Éboué regularly brought together leaders from French colonies. In particular, he hosted these leaders on January 30, 1944 to discuss the “French Union” and to rethink the relationship of French territories to the metropole.

Trade unions were reauthorized in Free French Africa in 1943, and this allowed victims of administrative injustices to have their voices heard. Free French Africa lost its status at the arrival of the Americans in North Africa in 1942. And in 1943 Algiers became the new capital of Free French Africa, and the territory was reunited with North Africa, French West Africa, and French Equatorial Africa.

## Contribution to the war effort

[edit]

### Personnel and military

[edit]

The peoples of free French Africa were heavily involved in the war effort. Ten Marching Battalions [fr][a] were formed there from December 1940 to January 1943, each composed of six hundred to eight hundred men. At the cost of heavy losses, they distinguished themselves on various battlefields.

The Second Marching Battalion [fr], or the Ubangi-Shari Battalion, particularly stood out at the Battle of Bir Hakeim, where it became the first land-based unit to become a member of the Order of Liberation. The Third Marching Battalion of Chad was the only unit among French forces to take part in the Eritrean campaign.[5]

These battalions also participated in the Syrian Campaign, intervened in Djibouti and Madagascar, and made up a third of the French troops engaged in the campaign of Cyrenaica.

In order to go north through the desert to participate in Libyan operations against Italian forces, Colonel Leclerc increased the size of his troops with the addition of men from Cameroon, and the recruitment of about 3,000 men from the Tirailleurs Sénégalais in Chad. Leclerc would then use Chad as a rear base for his operations and as a base for logistical support from January 1941 to January 1945.

An estimated total of 21,000 African troops from the army were sent to different military operations.

Charles de Gaulle wanted to reward the African men who fought for free France with Cross of Liberation medals. The Cross of Liberation is intended for distinguished military personnel and civilians who contributed to the liberation of France and its empire. De Gaulle asked to reward the many Black African troops; however, from the 200 files for Free French Africa, only 15 cases were rewarded.

### Infrastructure

[edit]

French plane in Africa during the Second World War.

The strategic military situation of Free French Africa offered Free France and the Allies a vast support and communications base in the heart of Africa. As a result, air transport and other infrastructure were widely developed. Seven airports were renovated or built, including the Fort-Lamy and Pointe-Noire airports, completed in 1942.[5] The Brazzaville to Beirut airline was put into service in October 1941.[5]

Allied air force planes arrived disassembled and packed in crates, were rebuilt at RAF Takoradi in the British Gold Coast colony, and transited through Chad, where they were able to stop at the new Fort Lamy airfield, before reaching the Middle East theatre of operations. Twenty thousand planes flew in or through Africa; 3,000 landed at Fort Lamy in 1942.[5]

Road infrastructure was also improved. New roads were built totaling 10,000 kilometers. The main priorities were military, towards the operational fronts. These were the Douala-Bangui-Jubba axis, connecting Ethiopia and the fronts of the East African Campaign; the Bangui-Fort-Lamy transverse axis, which was passable in all seasons; and the Fort-Lamy to Faya-Largeau axis for the Libya Operations Front and the Western Desert Campaign.[5]

### Economic

[edit]

French Equatorial Africa was nicknamed the "Cinderella" of French possessions in Africa, being less rich than North Africa or French West Africa. The four territories making it up are not of equal importance. Chad has vast regions of steppe and mountains, especially useful from a military point of view.[6] Gabon and French Congo produce oilseeds and wood. The population was quite large in Ubangi-Shari and Chad.[6] The Congo–Ocean Railway provides transport to the port of Pointe-Noire.[7]

French Cameroon, which was not part of French Equatorial Africa, joined Free France at the end of August. It is comparatively richer, with considerable and varied production, including citrus, cocoa, wood palm and various other resources. Its demographic potential was also important, with already 2.4 million inhabitants in 1936.[6]

The Free French Africa territories made considerable financial contributions during WWII. In addition to their contributions from taxes, they provided loans like the Africa Loan in 1942 and 1943, as well as the Aid to the Resistance in 1943. In the following year, they also provided financial assistance to prisoners and deportees.

Economic agreements were made between Great Britain and Cameroon on 21 January 1941, and in May of the same year, an agreement was made between Great Britain and French Equatorial Africa. These economic agreements allowed for the regularization of economic and commercial operations, and they also made it possible to promote distribution and export channels, particularly those concerning key crops like coffee, palm oil, latex, cotton, and livestock and mining products.

While Free French Africa made significant economic contributions, it is mainly traders and administrative officials that benefited from the returns.

## See also

[edit]

* Brazzaville Conference
* Empire Defense Council
* Foreign policy of Charles de Gaulle
* Foreign relations of Vichy France
* Free France
* French Indochina in World War II
* French Resistance
* French Colonial Empire
* French Fourth Republic
* French Third Republic
* German military administration in occupied France during World War II
* German occupation of France during World War II
* Italian occupation of France during World War II
* Liberation of France
* Liberation of Paris
* List of French possessions and colonies
* List of governors-general of French Equatorial Africa
* Military history of France during World War II
* Philippe Pétain
* Provisional Government of the French Republic
* The Vichy 80
* Vichy France
* Zone libre

* Africa portal
* France portal

## References

[edit]

Notes

1. ^ A marching battalion (Bataillon de marche) is a provisional unit composed of several companies formed in an unconventional manner. A unit is called a "marching" unit when it is formed from elements of other units.

Footnotes

1. ^ a b c Marc Michel, "Afrique française libre", dans François Marcot (ed.), Dictionnaire historique de la Résistance, Paris, Robert Laffont, 2006 (ISBN 2-221-09997-4), p. 317-319
2. ^ Philippe Oulmont, 'Éboué, Félix (1884-1944)', in François Marcot (ed.), Dictionnaire historique de la Résistance, Paris, Robert Laffont, 2006 (ISBN 2-221-09997-4), p. 414-415
3. ^ France libre, in Anthony Rowley (ed.), Dictionnaire d'histoire de France, Perrin, 2002 (ISBN 2-262-01321-7), p. 420
4. ^ "De Gaulle et l'Afrique - Brazzaville, capitale de la France libre" [De Gaulle and Africa - Brazzaville, capital of Free France] (in French). Fondation Charles-de-Gaulle.
5. ^ a b c d e Michel 2006, p. 318.
6. ^ a b c Michel 2006, p. 317-319.
7. ^ Michel 2006, p. 317.

Sources

* Jennings, Eric T. (2015). Free French Africa in World War II. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107048485..
* Michel, Marc (2006). "Free French Africa". In Marcot, François (ed.). Dictionnaire historique de la Résistance [Historical Dictionary of the Resistance]. Paris: Robert Laffont. ISBN 2-221-09997-4.
* Jennings, Eric T. (2014). La France libre fut africaine [Free France was African]. Paris: Perrin. ISBN 978-2-262-04739-9..
* Le général Leclerc et l'Afrique française libre, 1940-1942: Actes du colloque. Fondation Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque et Institut d'histoire des conflits contemporains. 1988.
* "De Gaulle and Africa". charles-de-gaulle.org. Charles-de-Gaulle Foundation.
*     *   * Victoria Gairin (21 March 2014). "History: when Africa saved France". lepoint.fr. Le Point.
* "Afrique Française Libre - 1940 : Premiers rallies". edu.fondation-marechal-leclerc.fr. Fondation Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque.
* Guy Vourc'h (September 1948). "Le ralliement de l'Afrique française : Les journées des 26, 27, 28 aout 1940" [The Rally of French Africa: the Days of 26, 27, 28 August 1940]. Revue de la France Libre (11).
* Andrieu, Claire; Braud, Philippe; Piketty, Guillaume (2006). Dictionnaire De Gaulle [De Gaulle Dictionary] (in French). Paris: Robert Laffont. ISBN 2-221-10280-0. : Empire;: 432–433 Ralliement des colonies : 985–986
* Rowley, Anthony; Besset, Frédéric (2002). "Anthony Rowley". Dictionnaire d'histoire de France Perrin [Dictionary of the History of France Perrin]. Perrin. p. 420\. ISBN 2-262-01321-7. OCLC 51096438.
* Sicé, Adolphe (1946). L'Afrique équatoriale française et le Cameroun au service de la France (26-27-28 août 1940) [French Equatorial Africa and Cameroon in the service of France (26-27-28 August 1940)] (in French). Paris: Presses universitaires de France. OCLC 11008104.
* Blanche Ackermann-Athanassiades (1989). France-Libre, capitale Brazzaville [Free France, capital Brazzaville] (in French). Editions La Bruyère.

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* Provisional Government

French
campaign|

| Nov 1940|

* Battle of Gabon

|

Jun 1941|

* Syria–Lebanon campaign

Dec 1941|

* Capture of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Nov 1942|

* Operation Torch
* Tunisian campaign
* Battle of Réunion

Sept 1943|

* Liberation of Corsica

Jan 1944|

* Battle of Vercors
* Battle of Glières

March 1944|

* Liberation of Limousin

May 1944|

* Battle of Mont Mouchet

Jun 1944|

* Operation Overlord
* Battle of Carentan
* Battle of Cherbourg
* Battle for Caen
* Liberation of Limousin
* Tulle massacre
* Liberation of Guéret [fr]
* Oradour-sur-Glane massacre
* Maquis de Saint-Marcel
* Maquis de Saffré
* Battle of Ushant

July 1944|

* Liberation of Saint-Lô
* Battle of Mont Gargan [fr]
* Operation Cobra

Aug 1944|

* Battle for Brittany
* Rennes
* Saint-Malo
* Liberation of Brest
* Atlantic pockets:
* Lorient
* Saint-Nazaire
* Lioran [fr]
* Égletons [fr]
* Battle of Port Cros
* Battle of La Ciotat
* Provence landings
* Liberation of Toulon
* Liberation of Marseille
* Liberation of Paris
* Maillé massacre
* Liberation of Guéret [fr]
* Battle of Montélimar [fr]
* Liberation of Nice [fr]

Sept 1944|

* Liberation of Nancy
* Operation Astonia
* Operation Undergo
* Atlantic pockets:
* La Rochelle
* Royan
* Dunkirk
* Battle of Arracourt
* Battle of Meximieux [fr]

Nov 1944 -
March 1945|

* Battle of Alsace
* Liberation of Strasbourg
* Colmar Pocket
* Bitche [fr]

Apr 1945|

* Atlantic pockets:
* Royan

May 1945|

* Atlantic pockets:
* Dunkirk
* La Rochelle
* Lorient
* Saint-Nazaire

Aftermath|

* End of Vichy
* 1945 municipal elections
* Advance to the Rhine
* Invasion of Germany
* End of World War II in Europe
* Victory in Europe Day
* Victory Day
* Provisional Government
* Épuration légale
* Épuration sauvage
* Tripartisme
* 1946 legislative election
* Fourth Republic
* Trente Glorieuses
* Trial of Philippe Pétain
* Klaus Barbie trial

* WW II theatres:
* Atlantic
* Western Front
* Eastern Front
* Mediterranean and Middle East
* Pacific
* Sino Japanese

* v
* t
* e

Occupation of France and its colonies by the Axis powers

German occupation|

* Military Administration in France
* zone occupée/nord (1940–4)
* zone sud (1942–4)
* Belgium and Northern France
* Military Administration (1940–4)
* Reichskommissariat (1944)
* Alsace-Lorraine
* Gau Westmark
* Reichsgau Oberrhein
* Zone interdite
* Atlantic Wall coastal zone
* settlement zone
* French Tunisia

Italian occupation|

* Mainland France
* Corsica
* French Tunisia

Japanese occupation|

* French Indochina
* Cambodia

Thai occupation|

* Battambang and Sisophon (Cambodia)
* Luang Prabang and Champasak (Laos)

See also|

* Vichy France
* Zone libre

* v
* t
* e

French Resistance

* Albania
* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Czech
* Denmark
* Netherlands
* Estonia
* Germany
* Greece
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Yugoslavia

Creation
and control|

* Charles de Gaulle during World War II
* Appeal of 18 June
* Departmental Committee of Liberation
* Empire Defense Council
* French National Committee
* French Committee of National Liberation
* National Council of the Resistance
* Provisional Consultative Assembly
* BCRA
* DGER

Free France|

* Free France
* Free French Forces
* Air Force
* Army of Africa
* Navy
* French Liberation Army
* Battles
* Koufra
* Bir Hakeim
* Gazala
* 1st Free French Division
* Companions of Liberation (List)
* Radio Londres
* Free French Africa

Domestic
operations|

* Movements:
* Combat
* Franc-Tireur
* Francs-Tireurs et Partisans
* FTP–Foreign Labour Force
* French Forces of the Interior
* Libération-Nord
* Libération-Sud
* Mouvements unis
* Musée de l'Homme
* National Front
* Ceux de la Libération
* Ceux de la Résistance
* Networks:
* Alibi
* Alliance
* Organisation de résistance de l'armée
* Brutus
* Comet Line
* CdL Cinéma
* CLD
* Fer
* Klan
* Mithridate
* Morhange
* Confrérie Notre-Dame
* Others:
* Armée secrète
* Organisation civile et militaire
* Jade-Amicol
* Jade-Fitzroy
* Maquis
* Vercors
* Women
* Housewives' demonstrations
* Union des femmes françaises

Underground
media|

* Bir-Hakeim [fr]
* Bulletin [fr]
* Combat
* Défense de la France
* Les Éditions de Minuit
* L'Espoir [fr]
* Franc-Tireur
* Front National
* L'Humanité
* Les Lettres Françaises
* Libération (nord) [fr]
* Libération (sud)
* Résistance [fr]
* Témoignage chrétien
* La Vérité française [fr]
* La Voix du Nord

Free
French
Africa|

* Brazzaville Conference
* Brazzaville manifesto
* French Chad
* Empire Defense Council
* Free French Africa
* French Cameroon
* French Congo
* French Gabon
* March battalions
* First [fr]
* Second [fr]
* Operation Marie
* Ubangi-Shari

Liberation
of France|

* Kieffer commandos
* French Liberation Army
* 1st Army
* 2nd DB
* General de Lattre
* General Leclerc
* Liberation of France
* Liberation of Paris
* Liberation of Strasbourg
* Provisional Government

Leaders|

* Charles de Gaulle
* Jean Moulin
* Emmanuel d'Astier
* Pierre Brossolette
* Charles Delestraint
* Henri Frenay
* Marie-Madeleine Fourcade
* Jean-Pierre Lévy
* Pierre Villon

Museums and
Memorials|

* Order of Liberation
* Companions
* Resistance Medal
* Medal of the Righteous
* Mémorial de la France combattante
* Museum of National Resistance [fr]
* Museums and memorials
* Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération
* Free France Foundation [fr]

* Portal
* Categories: (French Resistance
* Films
* Members
* Networks and movements
* Righteous Among the Nations)

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