Part 1: Setting the Stage
Deleted member 163405
African Yugoslavia: A West African Story
The Beginning and Opening Thoughts
December 1st 1944: The Thiaorye Massacre was the touchstone that would start a revolution. Senegalese soldiers in French Senegal, staged a mutiny against France, as the nation had neglected to pay its colored veterans of the Second World War. Poor conditions and poor pay by the government caused the mutiny of over 1,300 tirailleurs who were actually a diverse group of soldiers from Guinea, Upper Volta, Sudan, Senegal, Benin, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, and Togo. These former POW’s from the war had placed in a temporary holding camp, and this is when the trouble began. Talks of pay discrepancies and poor conditions around the camp led to a mass mutiny breaking out. The French soldiers, from the 6th Regiment Colonial Artillery, guarding the camp opened fire killing anywhere from an estimated 74 to 300 Colored soldiers.
(This is where the first split in our timeline occurs.)
As the Second World War War is still drawing to a close, the leader of the French Provisional Government, Charles De Gaulle refuses to ensure payment promises and other claims made to colonial soldiers are settled. His focus was that of ending Nazi Germany, and he would not spare any money or time on so called colored soldiers, who many claimed were prone to open revolt anyways.
January 1st 1945: As containment of the massacre continued to spread throughout France’s African colonies, the first protests sprung up in Dakar. Veterans, some enlisted men, and a small colored middle class flooded into the dusty streets, where they clashed with police, and local French colonial forces. Words were exchanged and soldiers claim rocks were throne, prompting them to open fire on the protesters, sending them scattering into alleys and buildings. Whispers throughout the city told of the New Years Massacre, as Dakar experienced a mass exodus of black civilians and intellectuals, and even desertion within their own colonial forces.
One important man who heard the aftermath of the massacres, was Léopold Sédar Senghor, a veteran of the war who had been released for medical reasons, and helped the French resistance felt deeply betrayed by France. Once a relatively moderate African Socialist, and moderately pro-French he turned staunchly against France. He believed that Africa must unite soon, and drive the French out for good. He realized he must return home, Senegal and all of West Africa were and dire straits and he must be there to help guide her.
Explanation and After thought: Hello, Hi, and Howdy, my name is DKing but you may call me DeVante or anything else you wish. This will be my first posting here on alternate history forums, and this has been an idea I’ve had kicking in my brain for a long time now, maybe a year+. This timeline will see a United French West African state (not all of French West Africa mind you) and the development of African socialism, and a truly pan Africanist state. Some may complain about that this is total ASB, and all I ask is that you keep an open mind and try to enjoy. Thank you and have a good evening.
The Beginning and Opening Thoughts
December 1st 1944: The Thiaorye Massacre was the touchstone that would start a revolution. Senegalese soldiers in French Senegal, staged a mutiny against France, as the nation had neglected to pay its colored veterans of the Second World War. Poor conditions and poor pay by the government caused the mutiny of over 1,300 tirailleurs who were actually a diverse group of soldiers from Guinea, Upper Volta, Sudan, Senegal, Benin, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, and Togo. These former POW’s from the war had placed in a temporary holding camp, and this is when the trouble began. Talks of pay discrepancies and poor conditions around the camp led to a mass mutiny breaking out. The French soldiers, from the 6th Regiment Colonial Artillery, guarding the camp opened fire killing anywhere from an estimated 74 to 300 Colored soldiers.
(This is where the first split in our timeline occurs.)
As the Second World War War is still drawing to a close, the leader of the French Provisional Government, Charles De Gaulle refuses to ensure payment promises and other claims made to colonial soldiers are settled. His focus was that of ending Nazi Germany, and he would not spare any money or time on so called colored soldiers, who many claimed were prone to open revolt anyways.
January 1st 1945: As containment of the massacre continued to spread throughout France’s African colonies, the first protests sprung up in Dakar. Veterans, some enlisted men, and a small colored middle class flooded into the dusty streets, where they clashed with police, and local French colonial forces. Words were exchanged and soldiers claim rocks were throne, prompting them to open fire on the protesters, sending them scattering into alleys and buildings. Whispers throughout the city told of the New Years Massacre, as Dakar experienced a mass exodus of black civilians and intellectuals, and even desertion within their own colonial forces.
One important man who heard the aftermath of the massacres, was Léopold Sédar Senghor, a veteran of the war who had been released for medical reasons, and helped the French resistance felt deeply betrayed by France. Once a relatively moderate African Socialist, and moderately pro-French he turned staunchly against France. He believed that Africa must unite soon, and drive the French out for good. He realized he must return home, Senegal and all of West Africa were and dire straits and he must be there to help guide her.
Explanation and After thought: Hello, Hi, and Howdy, my name is DKing but you may call me DeVante or anything else you wish. This will be my first posting here on alternate history forums, and this has been an idea I’ve had kicking in my brain for a long time now, maybe a year+. This timeline will see a United French West African state (not all of French West Africa mind you) and the development of African socialism, and a truly pan Africanist state. Some may complain about that this is total ASB, and all I ask is that you keep an open mind and try to enjoy. Thank you and have a good evening.