This episode on the French Colonial Empire in Africa is part of our ongoing series in the History of Africa podcast series. This is the last episode on the period covering the era of the Great Scramble and the Berlin Conference, but there are lots more episodes in this podcast still to come.

The French Colonial Empire in Africa was divided into three main regions, the Maghreb in the north, the Sahel in the west, and finally French equatorial Africa in the center of the continent. The history books have been more subtle in their memory of French colonialism, but in this episode JB Shreve contends that the French presented more long-term destruction to the continent than many of their European counterparts.

During the era of the French Colonial Empire in Africa, millions died from war, slaughter, famine, and disease, even while an ideological banner of “the mission to civilize” was paraded as France’s justification for colonizing Africa.

Learn More:
The Legacy of French Colonialism in Africa
The Difference Between British and French Colonialism in Africa
The Mission to Civilize – The French West African Confederation
Colonial Violence and Resistance in Chad

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Find the other episodes of our History of Africa podcast series here.