In World War II, Charles de Gaulle and the Free French took control of the overseas colonies one-by-one and used them as bases from which they prepared to liberate France. In 1884, the leading proponent of colonialism, Jules Ferry, declared: 'The higher races have a right over the lower races, they have a duty to civilize the inferior races.' Full citizenship rights – assimilation – were offered, although in reality 'assimilation was always receding the colonial populations treated like subjects not citizens.' France sent small numbers of settlers to its empire, with the notable exception of Algeria, where the French settlers took power while being a minority. 'Civilizing' the populations of Africa through spreading language and religion, were used as justifications for many of the practices that came with the French colonial project. Ī major goal was the Mission civilisatrice or 'The Civilizing Mission'. It also provided manpower in the World Wars. Rebuilding an empire rebuilt French prestige, especially regarding international power and spreading the French language and the Catholic religion. As it developed, the new French empire took on roles of trade with the motherland, supplying raw materials and purchasing manufactured items. France rebuilt a new empire mostly after 1850, concentrating chiefly in Africa as well as Indochina and the South Pacific. The territory was then sold to the United States in 1803. The North American possessions were lost to Britain and Spain but the latter returned Louisiana (New France) to France in 1800. įrance began to establish colonies in North America, the Caribbean and India in the 17th century but lost most of its possessions following its defeat in the Seven Years' War. At its apex between the two world wars, the second French colonial empire was the second-largest colonial empire in the world behind the British Empire. A distinction is generally made between the ' First French Colonial Empire', that existed until 1814, by which time most of it had been lost or sold, and the ' Second French Colonial Empire', which began with the conquest of Algiers in 1830. The French colonial empire ( French: Empire colonial français) comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. Overseas departments and regions of France

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