The conundrum whether to opt for a ‘federation’ or a ‘confederation’ was solved by inventing the term ‘Community’, a word used by de Gaulle himself in a speech on 13 July. It had the advantage of sounding generous while having no precise juridical meaning – indeed no meaning at all. In reality, the new constitution offered the African states no more than the Loi Cadre of the Fourth Republic. All key areas of sovereignty – foreign policy, defence, finance – remained with France; and the states retained the French flag and national anthems. The result was less than many African leaders wanted.
