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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 [First Page] [117], (1) Lines: 0 to 1 ——— 0.0pt PgV ——— Normal Page PgEnds: TEX [117], (1) 7. TheVichy Regime and the “Traditional” Elements of African Society Chiefs, Soldiers, and Muslims There is no other African institution so closely related to the concept of “tradition” in the French colonial discourse than that of the African chief. From the outset of the colonial takeover of West Africa the administration vacillated on the question of the chiefs—that is, whether to leave the traditional chiefs in power and govern the population through them or to appoint new chiefs who would ensure the continuity of African tradition but also be under tighter, more efficient control. Ultimately the French preferred to appoint chiefs loyal to them who underwent administrative training. These chiefs were integrated into the lower levels of the colonial administrative hierarchy.1 In the 1930s, however, the French also began to fear that the chiefs would lose touch with their subjects. As a result of the practice of educating Africans, a new elite was emerging that tended to be less subservient to the colonial regime and whose members were eager to replace the chiefs as the leaders of the African population. The new policy sought to entrench the chiefs more firmly in local society by strengthening their traditional legitimacy.2 As we have seen, the policy of association aimed to restore the chiefs’ power and encouraged colonial administrators to treat this elite with respect so as to use the chiefs as intermediaries between the government and the rural African masses. During the Vichy period the colonial aim of strengthening the chiefs’ authority became even more crucial. The new and dangerous circumstances allowed African chiefs greater room to maneuver, and the colonial administration was deeply aware of this. The pressure the Vichy administration was under made it endeavor to maintain both the chiefs’ status and the respect of the population toward them. Colonial dependence upon 118 Vichy Encounters with African Society 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 [118], Lines: ——— 0.0pt ——— Normal PgEnds: [118], the chiefs grew even stronger under Vichy, when it became much easier to move to British colonies. The chiefs, for their part, were encouraged by Vichy propaganda on the issue of tradition, particularly the importance of maintaining traditions in Africa. The new regime emphasized an already existing colonial preference for “traditional” elites over “assimilated ” Africans. It seems that the new circumstances, in addition to the new rhetoric, encouraged chiefs to apply for new nominations and/or improved salaries.3 While most were content with aiming for minor goals, some of the more influential rulers took the opportunity to fulfill greater political ambitions. The following two cases each demonstrate a chief’s ability to manipulate the new situation to his own advantage. Playing between the Two Frances: The Kings of the Mossi and the King of the Abron Manipulation of the new circumstances was especially easy in areas that were adjacent to British colonies, where the Free French forces were active. Even before Vichy areas that were close to British borders were sometimes problematic for the French due to Africans’ attempts to cross over to escape forced labor, a practice that was abolished in the British West African colonies in 1927. Such immigrants were not welcomed by the British, as they too did not want open borders between their colonies and those of the French. In the Vichy period, however, the rules of the game changed. Such immigration now took on a different meaning: even when the motives of Africans who wished to cross the border remained the same as before, the very act became political and even ideological. For the British and Gaullists this provided a way to undermine Vichy authority and stability in West Africa, and they used the phenomenon as an effective propaganda tool. As for the Africans, they were happy about the relative ease with which they could now cross into British colonies and evade both the hardships of forced labor and the severe economic conditions in their own...

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