Everything about French Dahomey totally explained
Dahomey was a
French colony of and a part of
French West Africa
from
1904 to
1958. After
World War II, by the establishment of the
French Fourth Republic in
1947, Dahomey became part of the
French Union with an increased autonomy. On
December 11,
1958, the
French Fifth Republic was established and the French Union became the
French Community. The colony became the
self-governing Republic of Dahomey within the Community, and two years later on
August 1,
1960 it gained full independence.
History
During the
13th century, the
indigenous Edo people of the west Niger area were run by a group of local chieftains, but by the 15th century a single ruler known as the 'oba' had asserted control. See
Kingdom of Benin. Under the dynasty established by
Ewuare the Great, the most famous of the obas, Benin's territory expanded to cover a region between the
Niger River delta and what is now the
Nigerian city of Lagos. The obas brought great prosperity and a highly organized state to Benin. They also established good relations and an extensive
slave trade with the Portuguese and Dutch who arrived from the
15th century onwards.
The decline of the obas began in the 18th century when a series of internal power struggles began which lasted into the
19th century, paving the way for the French takeover and
colonization of the country in 1872. In 1904, the territory was incorporated into
French West Africa as Dahomey.
Under the French a port was constructed at
Cotonou, and
railroads were built. School facilities were expanded by
Roman Catholic missions. In 1946, Dahomey became an overseas territory with its own
parliament and representation in the French national assembly; and on
December 4,
1958, it became the République du Dahomey, self-governing within the French Community.
On
August 1,
1960, the Republic of Dahomey gained full
independence from France. The first president was
Hubert Maga, who bore the title Prime Minister during the country's last year under French rule.
Further Information
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