Popular Frontr War and Fourth Republic Politics in Senegal From Galandou Diouf to L.S. Senghor 1936-1952 Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Daphne N. Topouzis School of Oriental and African Studies London University 1989 ProQuest Number: 10752702 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10752702 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Table of Contents Acknowledgments.....................................................i Abbreviations...................................................... ii Introduction........................................................ 1 Chapter I: Popular Front Ideology, Policy-Making and Reforms: The de Coppet Era (1936-1939).............. 11 The Popular Front in Power.................................... 14 The Colonial Doctrines of the Popular Front.................. 18 a) The Radical Socialists................................. 18 b) The SFIO................................................ 19 c) The PCF ...........................................23 d) The Comite de Vigilance des Intellectuels Antifascistes...........................................24 Leon Blum's Colonial Cabinet.................................. 25 Marius Moutet, Minister of Overseas France............... ...27 Marcel de Coppet, Governor-General of AOF 3 0 The Conference of Governors-General, 193 6 3 2 The Inquiry Commission........................................ 35 Political Reforms.............................................. 38 Economic Policy................................................ 41 Labour Reforms................................................. 4 5 The Popular Front and Islam........................ 50 The indigenat and prestations 5 2 Education....................................................... 55 Conclusions.....................................................56 Chapter II: Citizen Politics in the Three Communes: The Galandou Diouf Era, 1936-1940.................60 The 1930-34 Economic Depression.............................. 63 The Political Arena After Blaise Diagne......................66 a) Galandou Diouf and the RNP ............................. 67 b) Lamine Gueye and the PSS................................7 3 The 1936 Legislative Elections....................... 78 The Political Impact of the Popular Front................... 81 a) The Creation of Popular Front committees......... 81 b) The Foundation of the PCF-Section Senegalaise... 83 c) Moutet's Trip to Senegal................................8 3 d) The SFIO................................................ 85 The PSS - SFIO Fusion........................................ 89 Diouf-de Coppet Relations..................................... 94 The Thies Strike of September 1938......................... 100 a) The Background to the Strike.......................... 100 b) The Setting of the Strike............................. 106 c) The Aftermath and Implications of the Thies Crisis..110 Conclusions....................................................113 Chapter III: The War, Vichy and the Boisson regime, 1939-1942............... 116 African Military Contribution in the Second World War....119 a) Conscription......................... 120 b) Prisoners of War ..................................... 125 c) Demobilization....................................... 128 The Myth of the Loyal African: Part 1 ...................... 129 The Armistice in French West Africa....................... 132 Pierre Boisson, High Commissioner of Black Africa....... 137 The Pursuit of Neutrality in the War....................... 143 The Battle of Dakar ................................... 145 'Operation Menace'.......................................... 14 6 Conclusions.................................................. 153 Chapter IV: The Impact of Vichy Rule, 1940-1942.............. 157 The Suspension of African Political Activity.............. 159 Boisson's 'Politique d'Action et d'Autorite'.............. 160 a) Policy Changes within the Colonial Administration.160 b) Political and Administrative Reconstruction....... 163 c) Trade Union Activity................................. 168 d) Indigenat and Prestations........................... 169 e) The Press............................................. 171 Economic Repercussions of the War.......................... 173 a) Vichy Economic Planning..............................173 b) The Decline of the Peanut Economy................. 176 c) The Foundations of Industrialization.............. 179 The Impact of Vichy Ideology and Propaganda.............. 18 3 a) The Legion Francaise des Anciens Combattants .... 187 b) African Resistance................................... 194 Conclusions...................................................196 Chapter V: Free France in Senegal, 1943-1945.................. 199 The 'Return' of AOF in the War............................. 2 01 a) Mobilization.......................................... 208 b) The 'Restoration' of Republican Liberties.......... 209 c) The Impact of American Anti-Colonialism............ 217 d) Soviet Ideology and the Formation of the GEC ...... 220 The Revival of Political Life: Patriotic Associations.... 222 The Battle for Groundnuts.................................. 2 28 The Myth of the Loyal African: Part Two The Return of the Soldiers and the Thiaroye Mutiny.... 234 Conclusions..................................................244 Chapter VI: Senegal in French Postwar Colonial Policy-Making 1944-1952.......................... 247 Senegalese Aspirations after the Second World War ........ 248 The Brazzaville Conference, 1944........................... 251 The Constituent Assemblies of 1945-1946................... 256 a) The Debate on Colonial Representation................257 b) The 1945 ANC Elections................................ 260 c) Gueye and Senghor in the Constituent Assemblies.... 264 d) The Lamine Gueye Law of 1946...... ....274 e) The Intearoupe des Elus d'Outre Mer and the Etats Generaux de la Colonisation Francaise........ 279 The Constitution of the IV Republic........................ 284 The Bamako Congress of 1946 and the Birth of the RDA..... 286 The IOM and the Revival of the Intercrroupe ............... 290 The Legislative Elections of 1951.......................... 297 Conclusions.................................................. 300 Chapter VII: Citizen Politics of the Lamine Gueye Era: 1945-1948............................. 303 Patriotic Associations and Political Parties.............. 305 Lamine Gueye and the Bloc Africain......................... 3 07 The SFIO Reaches its Apogy, 194 6 ........................... 314 The Decline of the Bloc Africain........................... 319 The SFIO Political Machine.................................. 322 An Opposition in Flux....................................... 323 a) The Mouvement Autonomiste Africain.................. 325 b) The Mouvement Nationaliste Africain................. 325 c) The Communist Groups (MUR. PPS, PTI. PODT, CEFA)...326 The Groupements d'Etudes Communistes....................... 33 0 The Rassemblement Democratiaue Africain................... 332 Opposition Politics in the Protectorate................... 337 The Dakar-Niger Strike of 1947-48......................... 339 Conclusions.................................................. 350 Chapter VIII: The Rise to Power of Leopold Sedar Senghor 1948-1952 .......................353 'Citizens,' 'Sujects' and the SFIO......................... 355 The Gueye-Senghor Rift and the Foundation of the BPS 3 59 BPS Membership, Doctrine and Tactics.......................3 67 BDS-RDA Relations and the ' Desapparentement'.............. 3 78 The Legislative Elections of June 1951.....................383 Islam as a Political Force..................................391 The Aftermath of the Legislative Elections................ 397 Conclusions.................................................. 399 Conclusions....................................................... 402 Appendixes........................................................ 412 Bibl iography......................................................417 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many I would like to thank for their support during this project. The London University SSRC scholarship enabled me to spend six months in Senegal and nine months in Paris. My supervisor, Dr. Donal B. Cruise O'Brien never failed to inspire, help and encourage me throughout the difficult moments of this undertaking. His patience and guidance far exceeded what I deserved and I can hardly express the gratitude I feel for his,continued support. Professor Martin Klein of the University of Toronto helped me generously in many ways. He introduced me to the faculty of the History Department of the University of Dakar and read my first draft upon which he made valuable comments. My parents, Yanni and Troll, deserve a special mention for their love and encouragement. I would also like to thank Brenda McComb, a very close friend whose hospitality, personal stamina and emotional