"Following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71, French patriots feared that their country was in danger of becoming a second-rate power in Europe. Decreasing birth rates had largely slowed French population growth, and the country's population was not keeping pace with that of its European neighbors. To regain its standing in the European world, France set its sights on building a vast colonial empire while simultaneously developing...

"An examination of the role of the French Army in French West Africa and its relations with its African soldiers from the end of World War II to the final demobilization of African troops from the French Army in 1964."--Provided by publisher.