Imperialism In The Third Republic

French Imperialism became prominent during the Third Republic. Although France had possessed colonies before the Third Republic came into power, imperialism was not as rampant. The basis for this imperialistic movement can be found in the forty years before the Third Republic. France had three different governments during this time, but the colonizing was handled through the military. The military managed to set up the foundations of Algeria and Indochina, which were the two most important French colonies. Most of the military was trained in the colonies since no major war required the full deployment. The French began to enter Algeria in 1830, during the last days of Charles X 's reign. Charles X was attempting to consolidate his power

He was in power during the Opportunist government. The Colonial Consensus was his way of justifying the empire. He illustrated several points that justified imperial rule: economic necessity, civilization, and power. He emphasized the importance of colonies from an economic standpoint. Colonies provided raw material, cheap labor, and a stable market for exports. It was also important for the French to spread their civilization to the native people of the colonies so that they may one day assimilate to French culture. The final point emphasized colonies as sources of power. A large empire would give France more power and allow it to keep pace with the other European nations. These justifications encouraged the government to actively begin colonization. France then conquered the entirety of Vietnam and overthrew the emperor; they then combined Laos and Cambodia with Vietnam and created French Indochina. In Africa the French already possessed Algeria, and they proceeded to take more of the Ivory Coast. When the expansion coincided with other European nations, the Berlin Conference was convened to prevent major conflict. France was officially given Algeria, West Africa, and Equatorial

The official policy of French imperialism was to assimilate the people that were conquered, but this was not actually fulfilled in practice. Only the wealthier native people could afford to school their children in French culture and achieve assimilation. The average population were exploited for cheap labor. The natives did not have political rights. The French government was a democracy only in France; the French colonies were ruled as an autocratic state. This oppression would lead to revolutions in the future. The Third Republic established an extensive empire, outpaced only by the British. The empire provided power, money, and an escape route for French citizens. This empire included over 100 million African, Arab, and Asian people and was physically 40 times larger than the French nation. Imperialism affected France and the areas it conquered for generations; this powerful empire managed to survive until the