Assimilation (French colonialism)
As a policy of assimilation of the attempt of France and Portugal was designated to train in their African colonial territories by destroying the native traditions and Europeanization an elite willing to cooperate and to privilege. This colonialist special form of assimilation failed, after the struggle for democratization in the result of the Second World War had also captures the African colonies.
Colonial policy of assimilation in France
The idea to gain by engaging in the colonial administrative apparatus at least minorities for cooperation, the self-understanding further corresponded to parts of the French nation, that France was on the one hand capable of assimilation of foreign nations (such as with Franks, Normans or the Caribbean mulatto happen ), on the other hand whether from democratic- republican tradition also obliged not only to " civilize " but to integrate subject peoples under administrative law as well. It was after the Congo Conference first formulated by the jurist Arthur Girault in his book Principes de colonization et de Legislation Coloniale (1895 ). Purpose of which was to grant subject to Africans not only certain civic rights, but they are so well eg to commit to military service. In connection with the recruitment of African soldiers therefore the inhabitants of four Senegalese cities ( quatre communes) were declared in 1916 to full-fledged citizens. For these cities, then, for example, was Blaise Diagne sent to the French National Assembly in Paris. The 1924 Law on the indigénat ( natives statute ) differed between assimilated ( Assimilées ) and natives ( Days of Glory ). Assmilierte example, could purchase property and no longer were under the obligation ordered by the authorities to " public work".
Information from non- residents had to Senegal for the acquisition of citizenship do military service and service in the colonial authorities and a French education, a fortune and French ( Christian ) show life, but were not even full-fledged citizen. However, some even made careers in the colonial authorities, Félix Éboué example, became governor of Guadeloupe, Chad and very French Equatorial Africa.
Since the assimilation of French education, which in turn depended often based on Christian missionary schools, she was in the predominantly Muslim North and West Africa as successful as in Equatorial and Central Africa. After the Second World War, the former colonial policy, however, could no longer be maintained. With the financial aid from the French Union citizenship rights to all inhabitants of the colonies and the indigénat was abolished in 1946, the concept of assimilation has become obsolete.
Colonial policy of assimilation Portugal
The Portuguese policy of assimilation was initially borrowed from the French model. In 1921 Portugal had enacted a statute natives ( Estatuto do indígena ). Only those who mastered the Portuguese language in speech and writing, accepted the Christian religion, had done military service and was able to prove ownership or income, was released as Assimilado from forced labor and could be integrated into the lower colonial authorities. The proportion of assimilados on the population remained minimal. In Angola, which had been longest under Portuguese colonial rule ( in effect since the Christianization of the Kingdom of Kongo in 1500 ), the proportion was in 1950 with 0.77 % at the highest.
After the failure of the French policy of assimilation even created Portugal 1954 Assimilado status, forced labor and 1961 the Eingeborenstatut from, but only to now between "civilized " and distinguish " non- civilized ". But the Goan Catholics and the descendants of Portuguese immigrants Macanesen Cape Verde received full civil rights. Instead of the principle of assimilation, Portugal now looked through the ideology of Lusotropikalismus chosen for civilizing the Africans.
While the French policy of assimilation was at least partially successful (some of the African elites remained pro-French, even after the independence of the colonies ), they struck in the Portuguese colonies to even the opposite. Just the few assimilados placed themselves at the forefront of the independence movement.