French 2 Exam

What happened in 1944?

• Liberation

• June = Normandy landings

• August = Paris liberation

• November = Liberation of Strasbourg by colonial army

What happened on May 8th, 1945?

it is Europe’s victory day & the Nazis ended

Setif & guelma massacres in Algeria

what was the dark side of liberation?

• rapes against french woman of Normandy coast

• massacre by Nazis as they left the village of Oradour surgiane & 642 people were killed

• prevented soldiers of color from participating in liberation parades

• purges

• shaving women’s heads in public for sleeping with German soldiers

what happened after the liberation?

• the vichy regime collapses

• the new “government” of National Unamity with Charles de Gaulle (sept 1944-oct 1946)

• they had to rebuild a shattered economy

what were the political parties after liberation?

1. communists

2. socialists

3. the MRP

what was the 4th republic?

it happened in oct. 1946 and was a new constitution similar to the third republic & it was a left coalition government

what happened in 1947?

the communists became expelled from the government

what were the two wars of decolonization?

1. War of Indochina (1946-1954) (France lost)

2. War of Algeria (1954-1962) (France lost)

when were the first two french colonial empires?

• the first one started in 1603 and ended in 1803

• the second one lasted from 1830-1962

what was the black code?

• took place in 1685

• it was released by the King and it delt with conditions of slavery, such as:

• 1. Legal status

• 2. Religion

• 3. Marriage & children

• 4. Prohibitions

• 5. Punishments

• 6. Freedom

when was the French and Haitian revolutions?

• the French revolution was in 1789

• the Haitian revolution was in 1791

what’s special about Haiti?

it was the first island free from France

what was the declaration the rights of men?

it protected the rights of men and granted them equality

what was saint domingue?

it was a slave location / colony based on inequality at first

it begin with natives but then switched over to african americans

the purpose of their revolution was to gain equality

who was Toussaint Louverture?

he was called “the Black George Washington.”

he was very involved in the revolution and was the leader of the Haitian movement

he was also born a free slave and was taught how to read and write from his master

he joins the rebellion and becomes the leader of the Black Army in 1791-1798

were both the french and haitian revolutions dealing with slavery?

yes!!

characteristics of the french parliment

• first time being controlled without a king

• upper class had freedom and lower class did not

• revolted because they wanted equality and freedom to the parliment

• their revolution involved ships and the triangular trade

• they wanted to get away from the king

characteristics of haitian revolution

• they wanted rights of citizenship

• they wanted to abolish slavery and gain equality

• their revolution was successful

• the enslaved population revolted in 1791-1792

  slavery was abolished in 1794

what happens in 1793-1798?

Spain & England invade Saint Domingue

what happened in 1802?

T.L is arrested by Napoleon 1 and slavery is legalized in France

the war of independence begins

what happened in 1804?

Saint Domingue was renamed Haiti and it became the first Black Republic

what happens during the second colonial empire? (1830-1962)

• in 1962, all empires collapse

• slavery is abolished in France in April 1848

what did the end of slavery cause to happen?

a new ideology was established, and this was colonization

what was the Native Code of 1881-1946?

it was a set of laws and regulations established that created an inferior legal status for the natives of French colonies

it was first started in Algeria and then spread to other colonies

it prevented these colonies from having rights

it created an indigenous status, where people were considered subjects and not citizens

what were the colonial empires before WW2?

1. France

2. Portugal

3. Spain

4. Japan

5. Italy

6. United States

7. Belgium

8. United Kingdom

9. The Netherlands

what was the colonial army?

• “the Tiraileurs”

• it was an army of soldiers who were fighting for France against colonies who were trying to decolonize themselves from France

• it helped colonize and conquer territories

• the soldiers were called “Natives” or “Muslims” and they were recruited by being drafted from Algeria, France, and Tunisia

• in 1857, the first permanent units of black african american soldiers were under french rule

who was Rachid Bouchareb?

• he was a French Algerian film director and producer

• he is the director of Days of Glory

• in 1977-1984, he worked for French TV

• one of his films won him the grand prize in a Cannes festival

• he produced Days of Glory in 2006

who are the main characters in Days of Glory?

1. Abdelkader

2. Said

3. Yassir

4. Larbi

5. Messaoud

6. Martinez (sergeant)

what impact did this film have on the real world

the pensions of soldiers who served in the French Army were frozen, and the movie moved the president so drastically that he unfroze the pensions and the veterans finally earned what they were promised.

what was the deal with the pensions?

they were frozen, so that 80,000 veterans in 23 countries received less than 1/3 of the amount given to the French veterans in 1959

it wasn’t until 2002 that a partial “de-crystallization” occurred for foreign pensions, but even though they were finally being released, they were still well behind.

what does the music of Days of Glory do for the viewer?

1. it helps to tell a story

2. it helps develop the characters

3. it raises expectations

4. it expresses the point of view

5. it either enhances or contrasts what’s happening

6. it anticipates what will happen next

why were the pensions ever frozen to begin with?

they were frozen because of decolonization that began in 1960, and because of the decolonization, France punished the veterans with the freezing of pensions for more than 40 years after the war

what does the beginning credits of Days of Glory show the viewer?

• the images used were real images showcasing the culture of that time period

• the images are used to show the poverty that most of the soldiers came from

• the title of the film goes from French to Arabic, expressing that many soldiers fighting for France were not French

• the very first pieces of dialogue we receive foreshadows death

• the music used aligns with Arabic cultures and changes from sad to tense music

what does “Indigenes” mean in English?

it translates to “not from mainland France”

what was the “Blachiment” of the colonial troops in 1944? (end of the war)

• it was led by General De Gaulle

• it refused to let other soldiers who weren’t French to be seen as part of the liberation

• these soldiers who were unincluded were sent back to their homes, were they eventually cause strikes due to their pensions being frozen

• this was one of the reasons “Days of Glory” was censored in 1998

what were the statistics of the massacre that happened?

according to France, 35 soldiers were killed in the strike massacre, but according to the veterans., 300 soldiers were killed

what was decolonization like in 1945?

• it was inevitable after WW2

• a lot of movements began, as well as many countries beginning to ask for independence

• France tries to stop this

what happens with the Brazzaville Conference in 1944?

the Native Code comes to an end, and shortly after, in 1946, the drafting of the 4th French Republic begins, which causes colonial groups to “disappear”

what two wars were caused because of the construction of the new republic?

1. Indochina War (1946-1954)

2. The War of Algeria (1954-1962)

what was the Indochina War?

• it was an 8 year long war against vietnam due to communism

• france lost this war

• the US then joined in the war to fight against vietnam

what was the War of Algeria?

• it was nicknamed “the war without a name”

• it also lasted 8 years long and France eventually agreed to let go of the country in the end, meaning France lost this war as well

why was decolonization inevitable after WW2

• the big superpowers of the world were against it (USA and Soviet Union)

• there was also poor political and economic support present

what ended while decolonization was happening?

1. the Native Code

2. Colonial Rules

3. Racism

4. Inequality

5. Discrimination

what did the French colonies get renamed to?

they were either non-existent or considered “overseas departments”

why did colonization start in Algeria?

1. it’s land had many resources

2. they belonged to the Ottoman Empire, which had a diplomatic incident (Fly Whisk Incident)

3. France refused to pay their debt to Algeria from bought materials during this incident

what was the evolution of French Conquest? (1830-1962)

they started with the coast, then moved inland

June 1830 - invasion of Alger by French Army

1834 - France annexed part of Algeria

1834-1837 - Adb del-kader controls all of Algeria but the coasts

1837-1847 - war between France and Abd del-kader

after 1847 - people began to move to Algeria

what was the FLN?

• The Algerian War begins with the FLN

• It stands for National Liberation Front, and it was started in Oct. 1954

• They divided the country into districts and demanded their independence from France

• Even today, France and Algeria do not get along

what happened on November 1, 1954?

the Toussaint Rouge Attacks occurred in Algeria (Bloody All Saint)

this is now the day of the dead

what were the main goals and ideas of the FLN?

• they are still a party today

• they had very effective communication and propaganda

• communists had entered their organization

• they were the most extreme liberation party

• they used the central role of women quite often

• the topic of Algeria gaining independence became a discussion in the United Nations because of them

who were the “pieds noirs” or the “Black Feet”

they were farmers but also French and European settlers

who were the French Army?

they were French soldiers and paratroopers from Metropolitan France

what were the Harkis?

they were Algerian soldiers who served in the French Army against the FLN and fellow Algerians

what was the O.A.S?

• they stood for “Secret Armed Organization”

• they were very far right, and they conducted terrorist attacks in Paris and Algeria

• they also refused independence

when did the battle of Algiers happen?

1956-1957

when was the new 5th republic

June 1958

who was the prime minister during the 5th republic

De Gualle

when was the Evian Conference?

1962

when was the end of French Algeria

Sept. 25, 1962

what happened to all the groups involved in the war of Algeria?

• after the war, they all returned to France

• the FLN becomes the main political party after the independence of Algeria and is still present today

what was the Battle of Algiers (1966)

• it was directed by Guillo Pontecorvo

• the only professional actor used in the film was the man who played the colonial

• it received 3 different nominations for awards

• it was censored in France until 2004 because France did not want to be exposed about their war efforts and the film was not a pro-France film

More details about the Battle of Algiers

• the French government officially banned the film in 1966-1971

• 1971 - was the first screening in France

• 1980 - Attack in cinema in Southern France

• 1984 - Attack in Paris Cinema

• 2004 - finally uncensored

details about the film’s techniques

• fast-paced camera shots

• light and dark areas

• black and white film

• uses dead silence but also upbeat music

• the pov of the film switches between the French Army and FLN members

• it was actually shot and filmed in Algier

• it was called a docudrama

• it was filmed with a hand-held camera

what was the novel written that discussed the torture that took place in the jails of Algier?

The Question - Henri Alleg (1958)

who was Frantz Fannon?

• he was a psychiatrist and philosopher who studied mental impacts of colonization

• he participated in the Algerian revolution

• he claimed that colonial rule is what brings violence

• in 1961, he released “concerning violence” the wretched of the Earth

what did women fighting alongside the men represent for them?

• equality

• equal rights

who were the 3 well-known women who fought with the FLN

1. Daniele Djamila Amrane-Minne

2. Djamila Bouhired

3. Djamila Boupach

who was Daniele Djamila Armane-Minne?

• she wrote “des femmes dons la guerre d’Algerie (women in the Algerian war) in 1986

• she was excluded from the public

• only 45% of women could read and write

• she was a member of the bomb network (1956)

• participated in the European triple attack (1957)

• she was arrested in 1957 and released in 1962

• she then became a professor

who was Djamila Bouhired?

she joined the FLN in 1954

worked with Saadi Yacef

she was also a part of the bomb network

she was arrested in 1957 and tortured by the French Army

she was originally sentenced to death bt was released due to a good lawyer

she had a movie made about her

who was Djamila Boupach?

• she joined the FLN in 1955

• 1960 - arrested with several members of her family

• she was tortured and raped by French soldiers in prison several times

• she was able to transfer to a French prison thanks to the same lawyer who helped Bouhired

• in 1961 she filed a lawsuit against the French Army

• in 1962 she became a national symbol after revolution

• however, after 1962, she is set aside and forgotten by the new independent government

what is FWA?

French West Africa

how many colonies were in FWA and who were they? (1895-1960)

there were 8 colonies:

1. Sengal

2. Guinea

3. Ivory Coast

4. Upper Volta

5. Soudan

6. Dahomey

7. Niger

8. Mauritania

what was the FEA?

it was French Equatorial Africa (1910-1958)

how many colonies were in FEA and who were they?

there were 4 colonies:

1. Gabon

2. Congo

3. Tchad

4. Ubangi-Shari

what was the Black Cultural Renaissance?

it was a movement led by 3 students in Paris to renew renaissance for blackness and racism

who were the 3 students?

1. Leon Damas (French Guyana)

2. Leopold Senghor (Western Africa)(writes a poem)

3. Aime Cesaire (Martinique)(wrote many novels and a poem of rage against those who supported colonization)

what historical events caused the acceleration of decolonization in Africa?

• Nationalist movements

• WW2

• Communism and socialism

• anti-colonial feelings in the colonies and in France

• cultural and political movements (Negritude)(blackness)

what was the decolonization process?

1946 - end of Native Code & creation of RDA (African Democratic Assembly)

1946-1952 - war of indochina

1954 - beginning of the Algerian war

1959 - new constitution in France (colonies are one)

1960 - indpendence in western and equatorial Africa

1962 - Evian Accords

what happened after 1962?

some countries still remained under French territory

what were the events of colonization in Senegal?

(15th Century to 1960) - 1st European trade posts on the coast

1677 - French colonizers took the island of Goree

1850 - the mainland of Senegal is invaded by France

1946-1960 - the process of decolonization took place

April 4, 1960 - Independence Day

what happened after Independence was gained?

Sept 1960 - Leopold Senghor becomes the first president of the new Republic of Senegal

1962 - Mamadou Dia (the prime minister) was arrested, and the political regime became authoritarian

1967 - assassination attempt on Senghor

1968 - students and workers protested and revolted

1980 - Senghor resigned before the end of his 5th term as president

who was Leopold Senghor?

• he was one of the founders of the Negritude movement in 1935

• 1928-1935 he studied Latin and French literature in Paris

• 1935 he became a professor of classics in France

• in 1939 he was a soldier in the colonial army and a prisoner in Germany

• 1945-1948 he was a member of the communist party

• 1951-1961 he was a member of the French government

• 1960-1980 he was the first president of Senegal

• 1983-2001 he was a member of the French Academy

how long does the movie “Xala” take place after colonization?

15 year after

what is the film “Xala” about?

• political corruption of new government

• gender role and women’s rights

• social classes and their differences

• Senegal culture

• karma

who was Ousmane Sembene?

• he was nicknames “father of African film”

• he is the director of Xala (1975)

• Xala was first his novel back in 1973

• in 1932 he learned French and Arabic

• in 1942 he was in the French Army

• in 1947 he joined the railway workers strike and worked in a factory on the docs for France

• he was a member of OGT and PCF

• he hopped back and forth between France and Africa

who are the main characters in Xala?

1. El Hadji

2. his first wife

3. his second wife

4. his third wife

5. his daughter

6. the president

7. the seer

8. the beggars

what does “xala” mean?

it means “a curse of impotence”

what was the purpose and intended audience of this film?

• it was made a while after it had happened so people had time to process what went on during that time period

• the intended audience was for people in Senegal and for those who spoke Wolof

• it was not meant to be an international film at the time

what are the film details of Xala?

• there is an omniscient pov (more than 1 pov)

• it uses lower camera angles

• it is shown mainly from the pov of the people from Senegal

• the Chamber of Commerce stood for the representation of the Senegal government with all its symbols of power

• the music used was very cultural and traditional at first but slowly turned into more serious music

• the dialogue is mainly the president and El Hadji

• the beginning scene foreshadows the ending scenes

• neocolonialism (new government)

• the white men in the movie were meant to be kicked out but were then kept to be advisors of the new president

what are the symbols in Xala and what do they mean?

1. the suitcases = greed

2. the red carpet = power and superiority

3. the white statue = French republic

4. the hats and boots = colonial powers

what is the ending scene of Xala like?

• it ends in a freeze frame shot

• it’s very disturbing

• it was a form of equality in terms of the beggars

• it was a political message for government revolution

• it was a parody of the political importance of the elite of Senegal