French colonial allegiance choices?

[Rich Rostrom]

When De Gaulle announced the formation of "Free
France", there was no immediate response from any
French colonial authorities.

Only a few days later, Britain attacked French ships
at Oran, and French sentiment became strongly
anti-British.

De Gaulle was clearly Britain's associate, if not
stooge (in the eyes of many Frenchmen). The Oran
attack turned Frenchmen against, or at least away
from, his "Free France" movement.

In August 1940, Governor-general Eboué of Chad, in
French Equatorial Africa, declared for Free France
anyway. This decision ultimately brought all of French
Equatorial Africa to Free France.

New Caledonia had also declared for Free France, as did
French Polynesia.

All other French colonies (in West Africa, North
Africa, Madagascar, Syria, the Caribbean, Somaliland,
Réunion and Indochina,) adhered to the "Vichy" regime
of Marshal Pétain.

What I want to know about is: what was the process
in each colony leading to that outcome? I am trying
to estimate how much effect the Oran incident had on
the process.

Does anyone know of any sources discussing what
happened in the various colonies? Especially
the period between De Gaulle's first announcement
on June 18, and the Oran incident on July 3.

Also the process in FEA in August and afterwards.

The sources can be in English or French; I can read
French (sort of).

It might also be useful to look at what was happening
with French forces in British areas at the time
(i.e. the battleships COURBET and LORRAINE).

[WJHopwood]

On Friday, December 20, 2013 11:21:13 PM UTC-5, Rich

Post by Rich Rostrom
When De Gaulle announced the formation of "Free
France", there was no immediate response from any
French colonial authorities....De Gaulle was clearly
Britain's associate, if not stooge (in the eyes of many
Frenchmen)...The Oran attack turned Frenchmen..at
least away from, his "Free France" movement.

True, except as you point out, there was strong support
at the outset from the central African countries. Chad,
French Equatorial Africa, the Camaroons, Gabon, Middle
Congo, and Ubangi-Shari supported the Free French
movement almost immediately--thanks, no doubt, to the
examples set by the Governor of Chad and French General
Leclerc.
That support led to providing security to the
northern portion of the Belgian Congo, which in turn,
gave the British and Free French access to the Belgian
colony's ports, roads and airports which, in turn, the
British used in facilitating the movement of troops and
equipment to the Egyptian Front.

Post by Rich Rostrom
All other French colonies.. adhered to the "Vichy" regime
....What I want to know about is: what was the process
in each colony leading to that outcome? I am trying
to estimate how much effect the Oran incident had on
the process.

Can't help with that except with a personal view that the
loyalty to Marshal Petain, a highly-admired hero of the
fidrste World War, could have been a setrong factor in
how the colony governors acted.
That, and because of a strong feeling of animosity
on the part of the French Navy against the British, particularly
following the Oran incident which occurred less than one
month from the date of DeGaulle's call for a Free France.
Oran may have influenced some governors who
were ex-military officers. One such was the Indo-China
governor, pro-Axis Admiral Jean Decoux. Also Vichy was
not satisfied with "neutral" colonies because of German
pressure. And some may have been governed by self-serving
political hacks hoping to gain or hold favor with Vichy. There
were probably a variety of reasons why some of the French
colonies remained loyal to Vichy while others joined DeGaulle.
Not the least of these may have simply been the demographic
conditions resulting from their geographic locations. Who really
knows?

WJH

[Stephen Graham]

Post by Rich Rostrom
What I want to know about is: what was the process
in each colony leading to that outcome? I am trying
to estimate how much effect the Oran incident had on
the process.
Does anyone know of any sources discussing what
happened in the various colonies? Especially
the period between De Gaulle's first announcement
on June 18, and the Oran incident on July 3.

There are two books that I'd strongly recommend to you that bear
directly on this topic:

Martin Thomas, The French Empire at War, 1940-1945 (Manchester 2007) and
Colin Smith, England's Last War Against France, Fighting Vichy 1940-42
(Phoenix, 2010)

The short answer is that the colonial authorities were much more in
sympathy with Vichy than with de Gaulle and his upstarts. Oran simply
made it that much more unlikely that there would be any collaboration
with the British.

[Don Phillipson]

Post by Rich Rostrom
Does anyone know of any sources discussing what
happened in the various colonies? Especially
the period between De Gaulle's first announcement
on June 18, and the Oran incident on July 3.

There are two books that I'd strongly recommend to you that bear directly
Martin Thomas, The French Empire at War, 1940-1945 (Manchester 2007) and
Colin Smith, England's Last War Against France, Fighting Vichy 1940-42
(Phoenix, 2010)

There is a chapter about infantry campaigning against
the Vichy French in Syria in John Masters's WW2 memoir
The Road Past Mandalay (1961). This was a confusing
theatre, cf. presence of Luftwaffe aircraft en route to
fight for Rashid Ali in Iraq, but combat was brief.