Martin Thomas
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Approaching war
The empire and international crisis in the 1930s
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As international tension increased during the 1930s, the idea that the empire could compensate for French demographic, economic and military weakness next to the fascist powers gained favour in Paris. This chapter considers the viability of French imperial defence planning and the empire contribution to it. It was widely assumed in government and parliament that the colonial contribution to any future war in Europe would exceed that of 1914-18. During the inter-war years the War Ministry inspectorate of colonial troops judged Afrique Occidentale Francaise (AOF) the securest region of the empire. Budgetary revenue for 1938–39 in AOF, Afrique Equatoriale Francaise (AEF), Madagascar, the French Antilles, Reunion and French Oceania registered large increases over previous years. Italy, not Germany, was the greatest menace to colonial security in Africa and the Mediterranean.

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The French empire between the wars

Imperialism, Politics and Society

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