France And Decolonisation 1900-1960

The Making of the Twentieth Century

by Raymond F. Betts

By 1914 France had amassed over ten million square kilometres, and 60 million people including the colonies of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, the colony in S.E. Asia known as Indochina and a vast block of West Africa. This study gives the undergraduate student a factual geographical and historical background to the establishment of the early twentieth century French colonial empire. The author describes in detail the physical struggles between the colonies and their rules and the subsequent demise of the Empire.

Genres: History

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1991

About the author

Dr. Raymond Frederick Betts was an American academic and historian. After completing undergraduate studies at Rutgers University in 1949 and receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree, he earned his MA from Columbia University only a year later, in 1950. He earned his PhD, also from Columbia University, in 1958 (according to one source he also received a doctoral degree from the Université Grenoble in 1955). Professor Betts began his academic career as an assistant professor at Bryn Mawr College in 1956. In 1961 he moved to Grinnell College in Iowa, where he spent ten years, initially as an associate professor. In 1971 he accepted a position as professor of history at the University of Kentucky, where he spent the remainder of his career, retiring in 1990. Professor Betts was considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on the history of French colonialism.

Reviews

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely brilliant book on a minor topic. Hope to review it if I have time.
But it far transcends the limits of its title. Highly recommended.