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French Upper Volta

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Upper Volta
Haute-Volta
Constituent of French West Africa
1919–1932

1947–1958
Flag of Upper Volta

Dark green: French Upper Volta
Light green: French West Africa
Dark gray: Other French possessions
Darkest gray: French Republic
Anthem
La Marseillaise
CapitalOuagadougou
DemonymUpper Voltese
Government
Governor 
• 1948–1953
Albert Mouragues
• 1957–1958
Yvon Bourges
• 1958
Max Berthet (acting)
Premiera 
• 1957–1958
Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly
• 1958
Maurice Yaméogo
Historical eraInterwar · Cold War
• Established
1 March 1919
• Abolished
5 September 1932
• Reestablished
4 September 1947
• Autonomy
11 December 1958
5 August 1960
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Upper Senegal and Niger
Côte d'Ivoire
French Sudan
Colony of Niger
Republic of Upper Volta
Today part ofBurkina Faso
a. President of the Government Council.
Part of a series on the
History of Burkina Faso
Flag of Burkina Faso
Bura
Bura-Asinda		 Prehistoric
c. 3rd–13th century
Mossi Kingdoms c. 11th century – 1896
Kong Empire c. 1710 – 1898
French Upper Volta
1919–1932
1947–1958
Republic 1958–1984
Burkina Faso
(1984–present)
Agacher Strip War 1985
Assassination of Sankara 1987
Compaoré rule 1987–2014
Burkinabè revolution 2014
Transitional period 2014–2015
Jihadist insurgency 2015–present
Burkinabé coup d'état 2015
2015 elections and aftermath 2015–2022
January and September coup d'état 2022
Upper Volta stamp of 1931, marking the Paris Colonial Exhibition
Threshing African rice in Banfora Department, 1931

Upper Volta (French: Haute-Volta) was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and the Côte d'Ivoire.[1] The colony was dissolved on 5 September 1932, with parts being administered by the Côte d'Ivoire, French Sudan and the Colony of Niger.

After World War II, on 4 September 1947, the colony was revived as a part of the French Union, with its previous boundaries. On 11 December 1958, it was reconstituted as the self-governing Republic of Upper Volta within the French Community, and two years later on 5 August 1960, it attained full independence. On 4 August 1984, the name was changed to Burkina Faso.

The name Upper Volta indicates that the country contains the upper part of the Volta River. The river is divided into three parts, called the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta.

History

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Main article: History of Burkina Faso
Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa at a dispensary in Toma, 1920s

Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Upper Volta was dominated by the empire-building Mossi/Mossi Kingdoms, who are believed to have come up to their present location from present-day northern Ghana. For centuries, the Mossi peasant was both farmer and soldier, and the Mossi people were able to defend their religious beliefs and social structure against forcible attempts to convert them to Islam by Muslims from the northwest.[2]

When the French arrived and claimed the area in 1896, Mossi resistance ended with the capture of their capital at Ouagadougou. In 1919, certain provinces from Upper Senegal and Niger were united into a separate colony called the Upper Volta in the French West Africa federation. In 1932, the new colony was dismembered in a move to economise;[3] it was reconstituted in 1937 as an administrative division called the Upper Coast. After World War II, the Mossi renewed their pressure for separate territorial status and on 4 September 1947, Upper Volta became a French West African territory again in its own right.

The indigenous population was highly discriminated against. For example, African children were not allowed to ride bicycles or pick fruit from trees, "privileges" reserved for the children of colonists. Violating these regulations could land parents in jail.[4]

A revision in the organisation of French overseas territories began with the passage of the Basic Law (Loi Cadre) of 23 July 1956. This act was followed by reorganisational measures approved by the French parliament early in 1957 that ensured a large degree of self-government for individual territories. Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French community on 11 December 1958.[2][5]

Upper Volta achieved independence on 5 August 1960.[2] The first president, Maurice Yaméogo, was the leader of the Voltaic Democratic Union (UDV). The 1960 constitution provided for election by universal suffrage of a president and a national assembly for five year terms; however, soon after coming to power, Yaméogo banned all political parties other than the UDV.[6]

Colonial governors

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Lieutenant Governors (1919–1932)

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Governors (1947–1958)

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High Commissioners (1958–1960)

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Ambassadeurs

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Haute-Volta
De À Ambassadeur
1960 1961 Paul Masson[7]
1961 1963 Jacques Ravail[8]
1963 1967 Francis Levasseur
1967 1973 Raoul Delaye
1973 1977 Paul Blanc
1977 1981 Jean Le Cannellier
1981 1983 Gaston Boyer[9]
Burkina Faso
De À Ambassadeur
1983 1987 Jacques Le Blanc[10]
1987 1992 Alain Deschamps
1992 1995 Gérard Simon[11]
1995 1999 François Cousin[12]
1999 2003 Maurice Portiche[13]
2003 2006 Francis Blondet[14]
2006 2010 François Goldblatt[15]
2010 2013 Emmanuel Beth[16]
2013 2016 Gilles Thibault[17]
2016 2019 Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes [tr][18]
2019 auj. Luc Hallade[19]

People born in French Upper Volta

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Discoverfrance.net
  2. ^ a b c "Upper Volta". Background Notes. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of Public Communications. 1979. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Skinner, E.P. (1989). The Mossi of Burkina Faso: chiefs, politicians and soldiers. Waveland Press Inc.
  4. ^ Figures de la révolution africaine, de Kenyatta à Sankara, La Découverte, 2014, pp. 271-288.
  5. ^ "4 AFRICAN STATES ATTAIN FREEDOM; France Gives Independence to Ivory Coast, Niger, Dahomey and Volta". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  6. ^ Benin, The Congo, Burkina Faso, Politics, Economics and Society, 1989, Joan Baxter and Keith Somerville, Pinter Publishers, London and New York, (Book)
  7. ^ Haut-commissaire en Haute-Volta de 1958 à 1960 avant d'être nommé, pour quelques mois, envoyé exceptionnel et plénipotentiaire.
  8. ^ Envoyé exceptionnel et plénipotentiaire puis ambassadeur.
  9. ^ Les ambassadeurs de France à Ouagadougou : portraits croisés.
  10. ^ La nouvelle dénomination de l'État est Burkina Faso à compter du 4.
  11. ^ Décret du 4 novembre 1992, JORF No. 260 du 7 novembre 1992, NOR MAEA9220439D.
  12. ^ Décret du 26 septembre 1995, JORF No. 226 du 28 septembre 1995, NOR MAEA9520399D.
  13. ^ Décret du 8 avril 1999, JORF No. 84 du 10 avril 1999, NOR MAEA9920159D.
  14. ^ Décret du 22 août 2003, JORF No. 196 du 26 août 2003, texte No. 46, NOR MAEA0320332D.
  15. ^ Décret du 12 octobre 2006, JORF No. 238 du 13 octobre 2006, texte No. 51, NOR MAEA0620336D.
  16. ^ Décret du 25 août 2010, JORF No. 0198 du 27 août 2010, texte No. 48, NOR MAEA1021395D.
  17. ^ Décret du 20 août 2013, JORF No. 0194 du 22 août 2013, texte No. 37, NOR MAEA1315836D.
  18. ^ Décret du 8 août 2016, JORF No. 185 du 10 août 2016, texte No. 34, NOR MAEA1617313D.
  19. ^ Décret du 8 juillet 2019, JORF No. 0158 du 10 juillet 2019, texte No. 75, NOR EAEA1918407D.

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