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Africa @ War #2
France in Centrafrique: From Bokassa and Operation Barracude to the Days of EUFOR
France in Centrafrique explores the pre- and post-colonial history of the Republic of Central Africa as well as giving the reader a taste of the country's involvement in WWII itself. The main focus of this volume is on Central Africa's independence and the rise to power of Jean Bedel Bokassa including the Focard network and Françafrique connections, France's military links with RCA (defense agreements), the republic's post independence military, its politics and Bokassa's coup. It takes a staggering look at Central Africa under Bokassa's leadership and the ensuing break down in its relationship with France. Operation Baracuda was the natural culmination of that soured relationship and in this book de Cherisey examines "France's last colonial expedition", the planning of the operation, its players, a step-by-step breakdown and its outcome.
To bring the reader up to speed with the RCA de Cherisey discusses the years after Bokassa, a new political rule, the effects on the army and the relationship with France all the way to Operation Almandin I, II and III. France's involvement in the RCA is deep-seated and ongoing. This book concludes with a look at Operation Boali, Bozizé's coup and the international fallout in terms of further intervention both from France and the EUFOR.
Peter Baxter is an author, amateur historian and African field, mountain and heritage travel guide. Born in Kenya, Peter has lived and travelled over much of southern and central Africa. He was educated in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), leaving the country after independence for an extended bout of travel before returning in 1989. Since then he has guided in all the major mountain ranges south of the equator, helping develop the concept of sustainable travel, and the touring of battlefield and heritage sites in East Africa. Peter lives in the United States, working on the marketing of African heritage travel as well as a variety of book projects. His interests include British Imperial history in Africa and the East Africa campaign of the First World War in particular. He is married with three children.
To bring the reader up to speed with the RCA de Cherisey discusses the years after Bokassa, a new political rule, the effects on the army and the relationship with France all the way to Operation Almandin I, II and III. France's involvement in the RCA is deep-seated and ongoing. This book concludes with a look at Operation Boali, Bozizé's coup and the international fallout in terms of further intervention both from France and the EUFOR.
Peter Baxter is an author, amateur historian and African field, mountain and heritage travel guide. Born in Kenya, Peter has lived and travelled over much of southern and central Africa. He was educated in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), leaving the country after independence for an extended bout of travel before returning in 1989. Since then he has guided in all the major mountain ranges south of the equator, helping develop the concept of sustainable travel, and the touring of battlefield and heritage sites in East Africa. Peter lives in the United States, working on the marketing of African heritage travel as well as a variety of book projects. His interests include British Imperial history in Africa and the East Africa campaign of the First World War in particular. He is married with three children.
80 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 27, 2020
I purchased this book because I was searching for more detailed and insightful information on French operations in Africa (at least in English language books). While Baxter’s book did add to my knowledge, I was still disappointed.
Baxter gives a short but concise history of French involvement in equatorial Africa (the book is only 63 pages total). The first Operation, known as “Barracuda”, was the French military’s removal of “Emperor” Jean-Bedel Bokassa, a former French ally, in 1978.
Following Barracuda, Baxter goes on to describe the chaotic leadership struggles of the Central African Republic. While Baxter does describe occasional details of French units in the region, most of the rest of the book notes French “help” in various episodes but does gives little detail about what this “help” entails.
Many of the books I searched for in this area so far also mention French assistance but often lack detail and do not describe the nuts and bolts of French policy in Africa in terms of its goals, context, and history. This one may not help either.
Baxter gives a short but concise history of French involvement in equatorial Africa (the book is only 63 pages total). The first Operation, known as “Barracuda”, was the French military’s removal of “Emperor” Jean-Bedel Bokassa, a former French ally, in 1978.
Following Barracuda, Baxter goes on to describe the chaotic leadership struggles of the Central African Republic. While Baxter does describe occasional details of French units in the region, most of the rest of the book notes French “help” in various episodes but does gives little detail about what this “help” entails.
Many of the books I searched for in this area so far also mention French assistance but often lack detail and do not describe the nuts and bolts of French policy in Africa in terms of its goals, context, and history. This one may not help either.
September 21, 2017
Very synthesized view of France’s ties with Central Africa and more broadly with her former colonies but interesting nonetheless. Lots more could be said but wouldn’t be the point of the book.
The book is very clear and concise and doesn’t turn a blind eye of the various French government’s actions to preserve what they considered their own backyard for decades.
Hence the book is in a way more political than military, grunts on the ground being merely an extension of France’s politics through their local strawmen, and military operations being generally skimmed through.
This collection is very similar to Osprey’s: excellent introduction on a topic that usually drives the need to dig deeper into the subject and go looking for more detailed books.
The book is very clear and concise and doesn’t turn a blind eye of the various French government’s actions to preserve what they considered their own backyard for decades.
Hence the book is in a way more political than military, grunts on the ground being merely an extension of France’s politics through their local strawmen, and military operations being generally skimmed through.
This collection is very similar to Osprey’s: excellent introduction on a topic that usually drives the need to dig deeper into the subject and go looking for more detailed books.
March 15, 2015
This book is a military history of French involvement in the Central African Republic from independence until about 2011-- that is, just before the current crisis in which the Seleka toppled CAR President Bozize, and were themselves ousted by self-defense militias turned ethnic cleansing marauders, the Anti-Balaka. I believe France has had a role to play in every single change of power in the Central African Republic since independence except for the Seleka coup that installed Djotodia in 2013. They certainly supported his ouster (and curiously stood aside for the civilian slaughter in Bangui that followed).
The book adds some interesting details on how various interventions played out, especially the mechanics of French-supported or French-led coups (information like which parachute troops deployed, who secured where and how, etc.). The sole focus on military history means a huge part of French involvement in CAR is left out: namely, the enormous corporate and government economic investments driving military actions. There is nothing in the book about the rubber, uranium, gold, and diamond investments that French troops protected and very little about the direct ways certain French politicians enriched themselves off personal investments in CAR. Without this context, the book fails to be more than a play-by-play.
For a shorter but more complete work on France in CAR, see Crisis Watch's 2007 report Central African Republic: Anatomy of a Phantom State.
The biography of Bokassa, Dark Age: Political Odyssey of Bokassa, by Brian Titley is a longer-form work that does a good job explaining the first few decades of CAR's history, in all its deeply French-involved military, economic, and political glory.
The book adds some interesting details on how various interventions played out, especially the mechanics of French-supported or French-led coups (information like which parachute troops deployed, who secured where and how, etc.). The sole focus on military history means a huge part of French involvement in CAR is left out: namely, the enormous corporate and government economic investments driving military actions. There is nothing in the book about the rubber, uranium, gold, and diamond investments that French troops protected and very little about the direct ways certain French politicians enriched themselves off personal investments in CAR. Without this context, the book fails to be more than a play-by-play.
For a shorter but more complete work on France in CAR, see Crisis Watch's 2007 report Central African Republic: Anatomy of a Phantom State.
The biography of Bokassa, Dark Age: Political Odyssey of Bokassa, by Brian Titley is a longer-form work that does a good job explaining the first few decades of CAR's history, in all its deeply French-involved military, economic, and political glory.
May 8, 2014
This is one of very few books on the Central African Republic available by anglophone writers. It's a good crash course on recent history, covering reasonably well the period from Bokassa to Bozize, with emphasis on the military role played by the French through the numerous incarnations of peacekeeping and stabilising missions. Little has changed since this book was published in 2011; it remains valid and is a good read.
January 8, 2013
This title by Peter Baxter covers French political and military involvement in the Central African Republic from the colonial days (albeit briefly) roughly up to the present. It primarily focuses on the post-independence era from Bokassa's reign up to the EUFOR involvement.
The book is well-laid out, edited, and written, and there are plenty of illustrations. The quality is very much on part with an Osprey title, and much heavier on actual content than a typical Osprey booklet. The text is supplemented by a number of pictures, though they do seem to rely heavily on public domain contact to fill in the edges. It is by no means a bad thing, but some of the illustrations as a result are not always totally germane to the content. The pictures also tend to precede the text that they correspond with to a degree. Both of these really are minor issues, however, and by-and-large, the pictures are clearly reproduced and enhance the book's value.
The book is also a near perfect length at 80 pages (though the text is quite small). It covers relatively new territory in the world of African history but feels neither too short nor overstays its welcome. I have a feeling that were the book be longer it might lose some readers or simply run out of relevant information to cover. As it is, however, this is worth a read for African military history buffs, those interested in French involvement in Africa, or recent Central African Republic history.
The book is well-laid out, edited, and written, and there are plenty of illustrations. The quality is very much on part with an Osprey title, and much heavier on actual content than a typical Osprey booklet. The text is supplemented by a number of pictures, though they do seem to rely heavily on public domain contact to fill in the edges. It is by no means a bad thing, but some of the illustrations as a result are not always totally germane to the content. The pictures also tend to precede the text that they correspond with to a degree. Both of these really are minor issues, however, and by-and-large, the pictures are clearly reproduced and enhance the book's value.
The book is also a near perfect length at 80 pages (though the text is quite small). It covers relatively new territory in the world of African history but feels neither too short nor overstays its welcome. I have a feeling that were the book be longer it might lose some readers or simply run out of relevant information to cover. As it is, however, this is worth a read for African military history buffs, those interested in French involvement in Africa, or recent Central African Republic history.
August 1, 2025
Good brief overview to the history of the Central African Republic after the first world war as well as look into the system of France Afrique from the French political view and even brief French African world war two history. Peter Baxter is a go to historian to get an overview of events in Africa. If you have a passing interest in any topic he has a book about read it. You can sit down for a few hours learn the basics and decide if you want to research it further or if you're content with the basic knowledge.
September 4, 2014
There are few books written in English about the French involvement in Africa. The relationship with Paris and its former colonies is a tight one, but not always in good terms. This book tries to fill this void but the effort is half-hearted. The author should focus more on analysis and the text could be something different from the "copy&paste" we see in this book. There are also some unforgivable mistakes in it. The author states tha Bokassa was a légionnaire when, in fact, he was a tirailleur. This mistake is not something to be taken lightly as the author was supposed to have researched about one the main characters of the book. In another occasion the author wrongly label French marines (RIMa) crossing a river in jeeps as airborne marines (RPIMa). The French marines wear the common royal blue beret while the French airborne marines wear the distinctive maroon/red berets. But even with those mistakes the book is quite interesting and the list of French post-1962 interventions in the continent is worth having.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews