French Imperialism: From Expansion to Decline - Lecture 12

Explore French imperialism in this 44-minute guest lecture by Charles Keith, part of Yale University's "France Since 1871" course. Examine how colonial expansion served as compensation for losing Alsace-Lorraine to Germany and shaped France's cultural identity. Trace the evolution from military to civilian colonial administration and the influx of French settlers. Analyze the empire's role in popular culture and the rise of the colonial lobby. Investigate the indigenous perspective and the emergence of anti-colonialism. Understand how World War I marked the beginning of the French empire's decline, ultimately led by colonized subjects themselves. Delve into topics such as reasserting national greatness, internal instability, administrative occupation, and the impact of imperialism on both colonizers and the colonized.