@@matthewct8167 Yeah this is true I think. I mean the French helped the USA in achieving independence from us but not out of any love for the US but out of hate for the UK aha
It's funny this, how some people can make the most uninteresting an boring topic engaging. Reminds me of a snow blizzard that lasted for days where I had nothing else to do than to read my mums books on knitting and weaving..
I just returned from my first trip to West Africa (Senegal) and this is exactly the sentiment related to us by everyone from cab drivers to professionals. People on the street definitely support these coups as the French are seen as ongoing colonizers that are still pulling the strings for their benefit. Thanks Peter for explaining the big picture and I feel much more informed now.
@@SuperCatacataeven the Chinese agree with westerners. The infrastructure that all African nations chose to not maintain are coming back to haunt them. And they still will continue to blame all others but themselves. There is a reason Africa is a piece of garbage - and Africans are the ones who don’t want to change.
Man for the first time i can tell you this was Complete random raving. Just making stuff up. I can start with the kindergarten approch of the french colonial empire. Pretty hilarious considering the french focus the hold of their colony of a group of small island producing tobacco and sugarcane which was the most profitable colony in the world at the time. For the case of africa it happen later when france didnt “own the sea” like the brit so it make sense to have a big unified chunk of land close to france. For the second half about putting puppet president i straight up started laughing when he said the brit didnt involved themself in foreign country politics 😂 like the shah of iran, irak after ww1, israel, the suez canal crisis… i didnt even bother going further in the videos at this point. Plus the leader that received a coup in africa have been elected by their population so i dont see the link with the french empire other than wagner pushing the good old “french are the roots of all your problem” songs allongside the Islamist group… but hey the colonial empire time is perfect scapegoat to justify african problem, i garanty you in 20 years they will still rant about it like it was yesterday...
I just found this guy and I avoided watching him cause I thought he'd offer the same left-wing take on global politics that most Americans on YT seem to offer...I'm pleasantly surprised that I don't sense any political leaning in Peter's videos
@@raphaelperrin18 No my comment wasn't sarcasm if that's what you meant...why, do you sense a political persuasion? Right-wing commentators on this subject are greatly outnumbered by left-wing ones so perhaps to me it just seems like he's unbiased because he's not spouting the usual narrative
You know he has a heavy pro-American bias right? Just like all the British and American news outlets who’ve predicted the downfall of the euro many times
I also read that because the British were so happy to work within existing power/community structures they were happy to absorb the locals into their administration and when they pulled out, the system kept working, But in French colonies bureaucratic power was much more focused on a top heavy , highly trained French administrators and when the French pulled out, the system collapsed.
In my experience living in Africa nearly 15 years, every English former colony was so much worse off than french colonies. Just as an example, Benin and Nigeria ....night and day in comparison even though they are neighbors.
Yeah, nothing says success like Belize or Guyana. The other former British colonies on the American mainland. They make their former Spanish colony neighbors look like Switzerland!
Even the US only started to become a global power once the Catholic people of Europe - Southern Germans, Irish and Italians - stated to show up. All the British heavy parts of the US, the South and Appalachia, are the drains on the power of that nation.
No he doesn't what a dopey take he can't even read french I bet. He's just giving his English centric opinion. They say the same trash about french colonisation in America even though France controlled the two most important ports in the western hemisphere
Peter, your "superpower" is getting down to the bedrock of what makes things happen; what a fascinating explanation of how things have worked in Africa. I don't know enough to know whether you're right, but you're certainly thought-provoking.
Dude that is so cold., but damn hilarious. We could ask the Americans: _Is the real reason the Americans want slavery back so the NFL Owners can go back to actually owning their players?_
As a colony, South Africa was a two-fer for Great Britain. It had climate and soils capable of supporting large-scale cereals farming and cattle raising, as well as providing a means to control trade from Asia to Europe passing around the Cape of Good Hope.
South Africa 😊also had its own native “Prophet” with a vision like Native American “Ghost Dance.” This project went something like “Kill all your cattle, the Ancestors will make the White Man disappear.” So, the Xhosa killed their cattle and when nothing happened, they were impoverished and starving. They had to move from their lands and work in the farms of the White Man.
South Africa was not a British colony It was a Dominion like India. They absorbed previous European settlements and African tribes into the nation and then gave it autonomy. I don't know why people think India was a crown colony like America or Canada or Australia or New Zealand But south Africa before the British like Canada had English settlements that were completely departed from the UK until being forcibly merged like the boer republics
I have read (in 'The Struggle for Africa') that other difference between British and French attitudes was that a Britain sought to educate an administrative class who would run their country post-independence, although that was curtailed due to the rush of independence movements post-war. Even so, as Peter Z described there were native administrators and institutions in place to some extent at least. The French attitude by contrast seems to have been to almost take offence at independence demands and ultimately to leave their colonies largely unprepared for self-administration.
Not a single person of Indian origin was allowed to move beyond a Senior Clerk level in the British administration in India (same applies for military). I wouldn't give them too much credit for 'training' the administrative class.
@@sriharshacv7760 We're really scraping the bottom of the pit here trying to decide who was the better colonizer. Both countries have used their post cold war hegemon to control the rest of the world. None is better.
@@twomp5613 I wouldnt say they're irrelevant eventhough its far from the British Empire era level of influence now. They've maintained their influence over Europe despite Brexit because of the "Special Relationship" with the US. They still have "City of London" which is a powerful global financial center---They're essentially the US relay point over the EU as you probably saw with the war in Ukraine.
As a Nigerian, i am grateful the reguon that became my country was colonized by the British and not the French. At least the British actually laid down socioeconomic and political frameworks that led to some semblance of stable nation building and they were more benevolent than the French.
Yeah, people complain about the Brits and, while not without merit, they were in fact the lesser evil. True hell comes from being a colony of either Russia or China. Or France. Or Spain.
Yeah, people complain about the Brits and, while not without merit, they were in fact the lesser evil. True hell comes from being a colony of either Russia or China. Or France. Or Spain.
As a French, I'm afraid the problem with the French approach is even worst than what you describe. Scratching bellow the national prestige, there is a deeply ideological jacobin/universalist view of the world: we French must "enlighten" other peoples against their will even if it means destroying our very country in the process. I'm glad it finally backfires tremendously as we don't deserve anything else, and there might still be a bit of my old France to save before it turns into yet another Maghreb/Sahel country. Don't do "French Revolutions" guys...
You got to admit though that French chaos and humor is more fun than German order and whatever it is they have instead of humor. Maybe to fun atm but you made me laugh out loud, thank you.
I am in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire right now. ......been coming here for 20 years. My wife was born and raised in Dakar. I even was fortunate enough to Parachute into Botswana with the 75th Ranger Regiment. ...Lived in many other places across Africa, likewise. Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire are extremely connected with France. Good report here, because those 2 countries as connected as they are to France, will be total game changers if things become desperate. Senegal is the only West African nation to never have a Coup and they are proud of this.....that and forcing their Presidents to have term limits. Great Report. ❤️💪
Funnily enough, our former colonies think we still benefit largely from them economically... So: which is it? Was it bad investment or are we milking these countries still?
@@damiendelvallee7256 pretend you have a brain for a second and that is possible for both of these to be true simultaneously. If you’re comparing French colonies to British colonies they’re not even close to as profitable or as strategic for many years throughout history. The only reason the French colonies have value today is because of new energy discoveries that were completely foreign to the old regimes. And yes today France does completely rape these countries of the resources to prop up its failing empire. Bingo two truths in the same sentence
I never thought I will get to compare which colonial system was best, but Peter said something that clicked economics wise, and that was that the Brits allowed a more laxed attitude to locals to run their shop (supported by the rule of law, property rights, and free market capitalism.), while the French adopted this "clean slate" and controlled everything. I took a look at how the top 5 former colonies from each performed nowadays GDP wise and oh my: France Top Former Colonies: 1. Vietnam - $141.67 billion; 2. Algeria - $207.96 billion; 3. Morocco - $95.98 billion; 4. Cameroon - $24.98 billion 5. Cote D'Ivoire - $24.68 billion; British Former Colonies( I left the US out as they when on their own a while ago): 1. Canada - $1.82 trillion - low population only 40 mil; 2. Australia - $1.52 trillion - low population 23 mil; 3. Nigeria - $477 Billion; 4. Hong Kong - 369.2 billion - even lower population at 7.413 million; 5. Last but not least - India - $1.84 trillion - I left them last as they are over 1 billion in population and its normal to have a huge economy. The former British colonies are kicking butt economic wise compared to the French ones as all they had to do was to simply pick up from where the Brits left them and carry on like nothing happened, while the French ones were left with "puppet dictators" the French liked to continue to allow them to rob these countries.
Russians adopted all the worst French Revolution ideas and implemented them in their colonies and if you look at the former Russian colonies they are the poorest in the world. As Peter said about the French, you can apply a magnitude to the Russians - colonies were an ego-boosting tool for them, and almost never about economics. The Russians destroy everything, including their own country in the name of their "great" ego.
Great comment ! I feel similar stats could be made about the Spanish , Portugese , Italians , Belgians , Dutch & Germans. (and their respective former colonies in comparison to the British)
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British Colonies: Canada and Australia predominantly consist of white Anglo descendants from colonizers. Regarding the others, let's utilize per capita income as an indicator: 1. Vietnam, $3,875 2. Algeria, $3,996 3. Morocco, $3,291 4. Cameroon, $1,508 5. Cote D'Ivoire, $2,581 6. Nigeria, $2,513 7. Hong Kong, $43,369 8. India, $2,216 Britannia rules the waves?
@ Yes because even your manipulated list shows Britannia influenced Hong Kong with its low tax banking culture to be the most advanced and prosperous out of all. Things like mercantile culture , tax code , legal framework matter. I would call that an ' own goal ' on your part .
His videos make a lot of sense & the way he narrates his views is very amusing too. Different colonial approaches of French & Brits were very well explained.
Who left the European Union ? The French or the Brits ? You've got your answer there. As a frenchman I feel threatened and triggered by the Brits' decision to Brexit. It is as if they are having a go at taking our crown as most arrogant nation with delusions of grandeur in Europe. How dare they !
The French will not swallow their pride, before walking away. What they will do is close their purse and let the Africans deal with it themselves. As soon as it turns too expensive for an ego trip, the French will cut their losses and stroll back home.
@@jefrobeaudine6196Lol from the looks of it, the Africans nations are closing their purse (cheap resources) and France are going to find some other place to exploit. There's a reason France don't want to leave, even when ask to.
The Brits really were experts at the Empire game. And generally left a land more industrious and profitable than before they found it. Where is Frances's equivalent of Singapore or Hong Kong? Where Frances's former colonies have fallen into authorianism Britain's tend to be more democratic on average.
Zeihan literally explains that the Brits went after the most profitable lands while the French took huge worthless chunks of land because they had to cope from getting their asses handled by the Germans
Here in India we did not even know what food was till the British taught us what cooking was. We only ate spices and grass. Historians estimate -b- trillions of humans must have died due to this diet.
France was more into spreading French culture and civilization. Like the Romans. The French Empire did not last long enough to make all the Colonial populations into Frenchmen.
@@rutvikrs So, you Indians are still bitter I see... I'm not even British, I'm Brazilian, but I wonder just exactly for how longer more will you guys keep b*ching about the Brits...
Very insightful summing up of the Frence overseas or colonies. Spent a number of years living in some of these places and never really understood the French connections. It could be an exciting ride for some.
You have 26,000 views in one hour my good man. It’s refreshing to find your show. Yes, someone delivering factual world information. I am a newcomer here to this channel but find your subject matter interesting and educational. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge with us all.
All the way from England, don't forget that roughly half the British Empire was aquirred purely to stop it falling into French hands.Ultimately it was the thousand year rivalry that drove each to greater and greater heights,then we both signed the Entante Cordial and our countries have been in decline ever since.England and France have to get back to making war on each other if they want to improve.
The real BREXIT benefit is that the EU (France and Germany) does not saddle us with rules that suit their interests. We are free to choose our own destiny, it would be better if we could offload the remoaners to the Mainland and get on with things, we are the second biggest economy and the highest rated military in Europe, by the 2030's we will be the biggest economy, Germany is in recession and burning hugh amounts of lignite coal and poisoning the whole of Europe!?!
Senegalese here. Yeah the way he described the difference in colonial management between England and France is true, but the exemple is the worst one he could have chosen. yup Gambia is entirely enclaved in Senegal and the british wanted it just because they wanted a port in west africa, that's it. there has never been a time when Gambia was econocally more developped than Senegal. the Senegal river is longer, larger, more navigable and pass by 4 countries that were french colonies. and yes Senegal isn't the best place to live but compared to our neihbors, nah this is paradise. never had a coup, pretty politically stable and not too big of a population where it's heavily straining the infrastructure asside from Dakar ofc(population 5 millions)
As an African who read African history in an African university, you are spot on in your analysis on French colonialism. These guys were and still are the worst colonialists ever!
Fascinating. Of all the videos I’ve watched on the topic, this is the first to explore the historical background and offer a cogent explanation of why former French colonies are particularly vulnerable to coups.
The British used the Roman empire model. The British were changed by their colonies. They used the Mandarin bureaucracy model to change the British mechanism of government, and by extension, the governments in their colonies
My impression is that many French are unaware or don’t consider their 40+ interventions in Africa since decolonization as especially worth mentioning. It’s as if they see it as a necessary policing routine for immature young nations.
@@SeruraRenge11 One of the enduring flaws of the French (as a polity, that is)... unable to see the possibility of learning from someone else. They've never really gotten over their long tenure as the Great Power of the Western world (despite that tenure coming to an end at least 400 yrs ago).
@@RD-jc2eu Kraut the Austrian youtuber once said this, I'm not sure if it's a widespread saying "An American goes abroad, learns the rest of the world is not like America, and is surprised and bewildered at that fact. A Frenchman goes abroad, KNOWS the rest of the world is not like France, but declares that it SHOULD be" Also, that tenure ended much more recently that that. 200 years ago was Napoleon, 100 years ago they were still considered the preeminent military land power in Europe that held the line against Germany for 4 years. Hell the Scramble for Africa only happened in the late 1800s, before that France didn't even really have a true empire to speak of compared to what England had and what Spain used to have. It really all fell apart with the double knockout of losing both Indochina and Algeria.
@@SeruraRenge11yup. Berlin conference of 1884 really kicked of the scramble for Africa. Much of Africa has been independent for as long as it was ever colonized.
One of the issues Peter overlooked here is the extent to which France maintained and benefited from it's colonies after decolonization. The British, Portuguese, Belgian, Dutch and Spanish more or less walked away. The economies of former French colonies were more likely to be largely controlled from Paris and the French maintained a very active military presence in all of them. As Peter pointed out, buckets of cash and proxies violence played a huge role. Also, culturally, the ruling classes (and the competition) maintained a strong French cultural affinity to France. This was absent in most other former colonies and somewhat muted in former anglo colonies.
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"Also, culturally, the ruling classes (and the competition) maintained a strong French cultural affinity to France.. This was absent in most other former colonies and somewhat muted in former anglo colonies". Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah had a great cultural influence from Britain. The three of them were barristers in London!
The british walked away because they had already been building institutions and transferring management to locals long before decolonisation was a trend. Take Singapore. Many of our Non-govt institutions in education, healthcare, economics and even religion are british institutions that are run by locals.
@@jayshen84 in Africa,significant parts of the administration and the private sector managerial class were Indian. Tragically, Africanization policies stripped Indians of their roles and property (as in Kenya and Uganda) but left white owned corporations intact.
There is a previous video in which he says the French still have an empire; he was referring to the African colonies and left out Guadalupe, islands off East Africa and French Polynesia.
This is a good analysis. This time however something major has changed. 1. The Social media revolution is enabling the common people of French West Africa to compare themselves with other African countries which are doing much better, and demand better for themselves. 2. The population is much younger, more dynamic and better informed than ever before. This is not business as usual.
You have a good point. However, being more informed with misinformation that gets promulgated as factual on social media is not a recipe for success. Just like in programming- garbage in= garbage out
@@intractablemaskvpmGy It is no secret that African economies are growing the fastest in the world today. The African middle classes are expanding faster than any other on the planet. The youth of the Sahel can see this and want have a piece of the action.
In France’s defence, the French are not very good at building republics. They love revolutions and are currently on their 5th republic French Republic.
Always amuses me that despite the different paradigms at work between British and French colonial motivations, it's the British that ended up with a Commonwealth of persisting Anglo countries. That and the lack "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" going on in the French colonization efforts.
I mean there are 14 countries that the French have forced to keep half their foreign reserves in the French central bank. They get tax and cash payments from them. I think this matters economically to them.. I just don't know if that's enough to keep them engaged cause they are currently dealing with an internal push to get foreign ie migrant influences out of their country. Dropping Africa and walking away may be a seen as a step towards doing that
We dont get cash payment from them, rather the countries keeping their foreign reserves with us get interest on their deposit. Those countries , in exchange for keeping the money that way, get a garanteed exchange rate with euros, which helps avoid inflation
Peter I loved how you described this and I must say it's pretty accurate!! Although your comparison of French and English colonial phylosophy is "post Durham report" (I know you love dates and events of the sorts).
It's unfair to compare any empire, other than the Roman or Mongolian empire to Britain. And to be fair it's not fair to compare them to the Brits. No one will ever come close to achiving what Britain did.
Your point is interesting but ultimately it means that France’s Africain adventure is an exercise with little economic or strategic value which means it can be abandoned with little if any economic consequences. France now has an opportunity to take a European leadership position, because of energetic and demographic reasons Africa Just gets in the way of these ambitions, and may as well be abandoned. The retreat from Niger could be permanent and France could/should focus on Europe where it can play a more interesting strategic role
@@campfireeverythingIt's definitely true now. Why do you think France refuse to leave these countries, even when asked? Cheap African resources is something France won't give up easy.
Apart from uranium in Niger and bauxite in Guinea, there is no "cheap African resources" the French can't get somewhere else. Arguably, South Africa is way more important to them. @@Sweet-Rat-Milk
@@Sweet-Rat-Milk @aronestrada-go3hg You guys have never been to France I think. It is absolutely minted and it will take a long time for that to change. And anyway YOU go run the numbers on their economy. It's one of the most robust, diversified and complete economies in the world, which doesn't need much from Africa that it can't get elsewhere.
One thing Peter didn't mention is how French do international relation. Sometimes country doesn't intervene because they want the land. They just want to mess up and tie down the other power trying to get it.
Uuh.. on the economic interest: French actually do have pretty high interest as the regional currencies the West African CFA franc/Central African CFA franc, do generate significant economic benefit to France as they do things like keep a lot of the reserves in the French central bank.
Plus they get all the resources of these countries. Even French presidents themselves admitted that France without Africa is a second class power. Can't believe he didn't know about that...
Everything clicked on this one…. 1. Perfect sound diffusion 2.Very enticing subject matter 3. Great flow of the Narrative as usual. 6.He did not mention the floral French African currency , which is the controlling factor in these economies , the CFA Franc. Yet , given it is an afterthought , I am sure he knows about the currency role in French banks . As matter of fact he might’ve mention in past videos or keynote speeches. 7.The jabs at the French government cadre were amusing if not outright in the money. Peter Zeihan videos at the morning break are an habit forming. Just as welcomed as morning breakfast.
Hey Peter, this was an awesome colonial analysis. Could you please also tell us your view on Spanish ruling in the Americas? and the other parts of the world where they left their mark, as far as the Philipines and so on? God bless you for sharing all this knowledge with all of us, man.
From what an old anthropology prof told me years ago Spanish as opposed to British in US left: 1. Very top down bureaucratic structures. Everyone deferring to El Jefe. 2. A focus on extractive wealth -mining, logging etc- instead of more capital/labor intensive efforts 3. Much more open to marrying/mixing with locals.
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@@quininde 4. Civil administration as in Peninsular Spain (Laws, Viceroyalties, Courts, even the Inquisition...) 5. Foundation of cities using allways a standard design (grid layout with central Plaza, Church/Cathedral, Civil power building as governor's, mayor's, council...). Still in place. 6. Civil Service and Army open to locals. During the Independence Wars indians remained loyal to the crown 7. Catholic vision of the world 8. Common language (Spanish, lingua franca between Native Americans). Lost only in Philippines. 9. Common currency (Spanish dollar/Real de a Ocho) and Customs. Only one-fifth of the acquired wealth, including gold and silver, was sent to Spain, a taxation known as "Quinto Real" (The King's Fifth)
As a Venezuelan colonized by Spanish, sure wish it had being the British, in other words I blame the Spanish for our Latin America misery.
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@@57lsuarez Independence was in 1821. You had 200 years to solve your problems. It is as Spanish would blame the Romans for their misseries. If fact the Independence wars were Civil Wars. 90% of combatants were American Spanish. Less than 10% Peninsular soldiers.
@ I’m Mexican and agree with your comment. Many Latin Americans blame the Spanish to avoid taking responsibility for the sh7th0le€ created all over LATAM. Some LATAM cities are indeed prosperous and first-word-like and they surely don’t have that victim mentality about the conquistadores 200 years ago.
a nation? the french tried to recapture the colony of "indochina". then the vietnamese (ho chi minh himself) asked the americans for help in their independence struggle but they refused (to not piss the french off so they could make a deal with them concerning post war europe) and when the vietnamese turned to the communists for help instead the americans eventually came back and killed, raped, tortured and abused millions of them in return (instead of helping them in the first place). and if any of you wonder... EVERY single colonial state tried to recapture their colonies after WW2. the french, english, dutch, portuguese - until as late as the 70s in some cases. there, summed it up for you. hope you liked it. you're welcome.
May be we could try French Polynesia After all the French just nuked that place again and again. Or we could ask the New Zealanders about the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior?? Or the Algerians where the French also tests a few nukes. Put it this way if it wasn't for croissants some, decent wine and girls with that sexy accent we might have let the Germans just keep the place back when.
@@tonywilson4713 its the supreme example of the British trying to get something to work with a pragmatic and slightly botched job. I can not find a nice way of putting what the French did so best I say nothing.
Its not just cultural, its wipe out everything with your own culture. The spanish colonialism was also cultural but they allowed the locals also to mostly rule themselves and keep their traditions as long as they converted. This is why virtually all of the former spanish colonies are a very strong mix of both indigenous stuff and spanish stuff, unlike the french and portuguese or even the british ones.
@@ceejay1476 Well the French, perhaps justifiably, see their culture as sophisticated and refined. Their intention in the first instance, is to gift it altruistically, which i’ll fully admit is arrogant. But in comparison, the British engaged in vicious divide and conquer tactics, to shamelessly extract wealth and exploit native populations. They didn’t even pretend to be helping. The French at least tried to give and not only take. Not to diminish the brutality and criminality of colonial projects.
“We drained Africa for 4 and a half centuries. Next, we plundered its raw materials. After that, we said: they (Africans) are good for nothing. In the name of religion, we destroyed their culture and now, as we have to act with elegance, we are picking their brains with scholarships. Thereupon, we are claiming that the unfortunate Africa is not in a brilliant condition, and is not making elites. Having enriched on its back, we are now lecturing". Jacques Chirac, President of France, 2007
@@JoeyDaBull derp derp … this was a quote from Jacques Chriac, the president of France until 2007. So when Chirac says “we” he is talking about France. Learn to read bro, should open up the world for you.
I think he meant during colonial times. Senegal is richer now because it was one of France's "colonies modèles", and the two countries remain very close to this day and make a lot of business together, just like Ivory Coast.
Niger is only the third biggest supplier of uranium for france. Its significant, 17% and it was one of the safest canals for uranium, but if it comes to it, its a loss france can take. What the french government is afraid of loosing the most is influence, and future markets.
Maybe to fuel their own considerable sunk costs in nuclear reactor infrastructure, other nations can potentially sidestep this need by switching to the far more abundant (and un-weaponisable) Thorium via simpler molten salt cooled Thorium reactors.
Peter Zeihan, what about the CFA Franc?? It is run by the French National Bank and these are the countries using it currently: Benin. Burkina Faso. Guinea-Bissau. Ivory Coast. Mali. Niger. Senegal. Togo. There is profit there I believe and lots of it. This may be the real link to the coups.
@@rob6927 He doesn't know the topic well. Just saying stuff. Claiming France has no National Interest yet has the most bases in Africa of any European country. Peter is lost on this topic.
I hope you're really enjoying Colorado. It's beautiful there. I really enjoyed my last trip up to Colorado Springs, Denver, and Durango. The color of the sky there is legendary. Clean air and mountain living helps you stay grounded and unbiased.
Some of this is simplistic - Brits didn't have much choice in their approach, for example.. and weren't very nice overlords as this comparison makes them out to be - but your point stands. France sees (North) Africa as their backyard; they used to see it as France, and would won't take aggression lightly.
As usual Zeihan's narrative misses out the essential information which doesn't suit US interests which in the Sahel, involves displacing France. The French were so big in Niger not so much for prestige as to get the cheap uranium. France massively depends on nuclear power, more than any other large country and their nuclear industry was getting ridiculously cheap uranium from the previous Niger regime. This is a big enough reason for France to fight a war there, regardless of prestige.
From The End of The World […]pg177 [t]he French did just that, with increasingly maniacal hwa-hwa-hwainess.” Peter, your latest book is a masterpiece, a masterclass and so much more. In the epilogue you called it “not a call to action.” [pg.471] and say that it’s about the new normal and where that normal leads. As an English major I’ve read many a book, and it is rare that I read a book more than once as I try to cover the corpus of great literature, but your book i’ve read over and over again. I listen to the audiobook version every day. At the end of the day it’s because it’s just that damn good and I feel like I understand not only how we got here, but also a great deal more about where we’re going. Thank you.
Funny he didn't mention the money thing; i.e. the CFA franc. Who said the French weren't interested in controlling and raking in the dough, at least for some people?
Excuse my Anglophile tendencies as a post-colonial it still amuses me that the British were able to conglomerate the largest empire the world has ever seen while focusing on the financial bottom lines, whereas the French were concerned with the amount of blue on the map and said "Tres bien, mon ami!" Yet the Americans seem determined to steer the wheel of global providence. Semper Fi, amigo, seems the most fitting idiosyncrasy.
The United States - in many ways, inherited the role of the British Empire. Churchill , who loved the empire, said as much as the brits started letting it go under US pressure to end colonialization as a condition of our assistance in WW2. What the brits built was a very effective mercantile empire. What the Americans did was expand the scaffolding of that empire using navel power to back trade, while allowing the actual empire part of the empire to die to independence movements and local governance. If you think it through, this was the only way colonialism could have ended. The French however, were rivals of the British System. They weren't happy with this new arrangement and kept their fingers in the pie.
My Indian friends all similarly told me that there were some benefits of being under British rule. Their opinions: 1) Indians became more unite. They then had a common enemy. 2) An outsider's language - English - became an official language so there was no fight on this. 3) The British built railroad system in India, increasing commerce and transportation. This has the effect of reducing the animosity that existed among the castes, religions, people, languages, and politics. This, in turns, helps lay the foundation for democracy.
France is going to have problems because it's young population is firmly against colonialism or any form of repression to African nations (as well as France proper). The African nations don't want to be ruled anymore; French youth agree but most Africans are practically incapable of running their countries efficiently without mass corruption. France will have to give those places up eventually because Tomorrow's French citizen doesn't want them on the economic rolls anymore and want the gov to focus on French nationals.
which from a French ego standpoint is a disaster but from an economic one, it's actually not that bad if those countries provide little to no benefit to the "French empire".
I'm imagining the old generation saying something like this: I'm a colonialist, my dad was a colonialist, his dad was a colonialist, and by god you're going to be a colonialist.
The Russian interest is controlling France's energy supply. A new natural gas pipeline from Nigeria to Algeria crosses Niger. It is also the interest of the Saudi who have supported jihadis in the region. It is a similar case in Syria except the Saudis had been backing jihadis against Russians who want to prevent pipelines from the Arabian peninsula through turkey to Europe.
eter I would like to suggest that as a part of your calculus the CFA, the French guaranteed currency, is and would be a far more effective weapon than a suitcase full of cash or assassination. The CFA also covers 14 countries in 2 zones (West and Central) and the French central bank holds, as part of the agreement 30% of the member state's foreign currency reserves.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Peter's description of the French and the English is hilarious ... and so true!
I always got the impression that the Brits are more practical and less petty than the French😂
@@matthewct8167 Yeah this is true I think. I mean the French helped the USA in achieving independence from us but not out of any love for the US but out of hate for the UK aha
@@matthewct8167 Oh no Matt, if you study the American Revolution, trust me the British are just as petty as French. LOL 😁
When I think of the French, I think of the castle scene in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” with the French guys taunting them.😂
@@Arcanine1995It also seems that the USA inherited the french inclination to rebel without a plan and rebell for contradictory causes.
Even when I think I might not find one of Peter's topics interesting, he makes it interesting.
It's funny this, how some people can make the most uninteresting an boring topic engaging. Reminds me of a snow blizzard that lasted for days where I had nothing else to do than to read my mums books on knitting and weaving..
I think he's drunk in this one
I just returned from my first trip to West Africa (Senegal) and this is exactly the sentiment related to us by everyone from cab drivers to professionals. People on the street definitely support these coups as the French are seen as ongoing colonizers that are still pulling the strings for their benefit. Thanks Peter for explaining the big picture and I feel much more informed now.
It's not a sentiment... It's facts
Andrew Millison commenting in a Zeihan video? My worlds are colliding....
Its true. their banking system is still based on extracting income out of their former colonies.
@@endikaeche4359 Tell us you are French without telling us you are French.
@@SuperCatacataeven the Chinese agree with westerners. The infrastructure that all African nations chose to not maintain are coming back to haunt them. And they still will continue to blame all others but themselves. There is a reason Africa is a piece of garbage - and Africans are the ones who don’t want to change.
This was one of the best videos he has made recently. Made a lot of sense to me
Man for the first time i can tell you this was Complete random raving. Just making stuff up. I can start with the kindergarten approch of the french colonial empire. Pretty hilarious considering the french focus the hold of their colony of a group of small island producing tobacco and sugarcane which was the most profitable colony in the world at the time. For the case of africa it happen later when france didnt “own the sea” like the brit so it make sense to have a big unified chunk of land close to france. For the second half about putting puppet president i straight up started laughing when he said the brit didnt involved themself in foreign country politics 😂 like the shah of iran, irak after ww1, israel, the suez canal crisis… i didnt even bother going further in the videos at this point. Plus the leader that received a coup in africa have been elected by their population so i dont see the link with the french empire other than wagner pushing the good old “french are the roots of all your problem” songs allongside the Islamist group… but hey the colonial empire time is perfect scapegoat to justify african problem, i garanty you in 20 years they will still rant about it like it was yesterday...
I just found this guy and I avoided watching him cause I thought he'd offer the same left-wing take on global politics that most Americans on YT seem to offer...I'm pleasantly surprised that I don't sense any political leaning in Peter's videos
@@Arcanine1995 hopefully your ironic haha
@@raphaelperrin18 No my comment wasn't sarcasm if that's what you meant...why, do you sense a political persuasion? Right-wing commentators on this subject are greatly outnumbered by left-wing ones so perhaps to me it just seems like he's unbiased because he's not spouting the usual narrative
@@raphaelperrin18 Yea, so that doesn't explain why there in Sahel.
Just discovered your channel and now I can't live without it, best thing on RUclips, don't ever stop please!
If you haven't already, go check out his informations about China. It is worldview changing.
You know he has a heavy pro-American bias right? Just like all the British and American news outlets who’ve predicted the downfall of the euro many times
I also read that because the British were so happy to work within existing power/community structures they were happy to absorb the locals into their administration and when they pulled out, the system kept working, But in French colonies bureaucratic power was much more focused on a top heavy , highly trained French administrators and when the French pulled out, the system collapsed.
In my experience living in Africa nearly 15 years, every English former colony was so much worse off than french colonies.
Just as an example, Benin and Nigeria ....night and day in comparison even though they are neighbors.
@@markopecinovic4475 I mean this is demonstrably untrue.
@@markopecinovic4475Kenya and Djibouti??
Yeah, nothing says success like Belize or Guyana. The other former British colonies on the American mainland.
They make their former Spanish colony neighbors look like Switzerland!
Even the US only started to become a global power once the Catholic people of Europe - Southern Germans, Irish and Italians - stated to show up.
All the British heavy parts of the US, the South and Appalachia, are the drains on the power of that nation.
Brits had the greatest navy several times over, so really, the French got what the British weren't too bothered about.
The first analyst who truly understands the French. He nailed it, again.
Yeah yeah, the first guy ever
If you think you understand the French, you don't understand the French.
No he doesn't what a dopey take he can't even read french I bet. He's just giving his English centric opinion. They say the same trash about french colonisation in America even though France controlled the two most important ports in the western hemisphere
your comment is dopey
@@voiceofreason2674 Oui oui triggered Francophone😂 Lingua franca is English and European hegemon is somehow the US😂
Peter, your "superpower" is getting down to the bedrock of what makes things happen; what a fascinating explanation of how things have worked in Africa. I don't know enough to know whether you're right, but you're certainly thought-provoking.
Does this mean the French need to find another continent to get their soccer players?
ooof
They won’t. African players the best
Dude that is so cold., but damn hilarious.
We could ask the Americans: _Is the real reason the Americans want slavery back so the NFL Owners can go back to actually owning their players?_
Too bad America and President Trump have the Best Africans 💯 ❤️ 🇺🇸
Lol
Gotta admit, I was mesmerised by the quality and clarity of the information here. Thank you so much for the high-speed geopolitics lesson!
I'm not sure Peter is even sober in this video LOL
@@shazmosushiThat only makes his communication abilities even more mindboggling.
As a colony, South Africa was a two-fer for Great Britain. It had climate and soils capable of supporting large-scale cereals farming and cattle raising, as well as providing a means to control trade from Asia to Europe passing around the Cape of Good Hope.
To say nothing of the gold mine (earlier) and diamond mine (later) scoops.
If you look at the colonial map. I feel like the British colonial strategy was to secure a sea route to India.
@@dspserpicoThey followed the Portuguese and Dutch. So yes.
South Africa 😊also had its own native “Prophet” with a vision like Native American “Ghost Dance.” This project went something like “Kill all your cattle, the Ancestors will make the White Man disappear.”
So, the Xhosa killed their cattle and when nothing happened, they were impoverished and starving.
They had to move from their lands and work in the farms of the White Man.
South Africa was not a British colony
It was a Dominion like India. They absorbed previous European settlements and African tribes into the nation and then gave it autonomy.
I don't know why people think India was a crown colony like America or Canada or Australia or New Zealand
But south Africa before the British like Canada had English settlements that were completely departed from the UK until being forcibly merged like the boer republics
I have read (in 'The Struggle for Africa') that other difference between British and French attitudes was that a Britain sought to educate an administrative class who would run their country post-independence, although that was curtailed due to the rush of independence movements post-war. Even so, as Peter Z described there were native administrators and institutions in place to some extent at least. The French attitude by contrast seems to have been to almost take offence at independence demands and ultimately to leave their colonies largely unprepared for self-administration.
Africa should just stop interacting with the West. China and Russia are good alternatives for trade and technology
Not a single person of Indian origin was allowed to move beyond a Senior Clerk level in the British administration in India (same applies for military). I wouldn't give them too much credit for 'training' the administrative class.
@@sriharshacv7760 We're really scraping the bottom of the pit here trying to decide who was the better colonizer. Both countries have used their post cold war hegemon to control the rest of the world. None is better.
@@G-hg2imhow has Britain done that there literally irrelevant now and just follow what ever the USA does. No offense to the UK.
@@twomp5613 I wouldnt say they're irrelevant eventhough its far from the British Empire era level of influence now. They've maintained their influence over Europe despite Brexit because of the "Special Relationship" with the US. They still have "City of London" which is a powerful global financial center---They're essentially the US relay point over the EU as you probably saw with the war in Ukraine.
As a Nigerian, i am grateful the reguon that became my country was colonized by the British and not the French. At least the British actually laid down socioeconomic and political frameworks that led to some semblance of stable nation building and they were more benevolent than the French.
Yeah, people complain about the Brits and, while not without merit, they were in fact the lesser evil.
True hell comes from being a colony of either Russia or China. Or France. Or Spain.
Yeah, people complain about the Brits and, while not without merit, they were in fact the lesser evil.
True hell comes from being a colony of either Russia or China. Or France. Or Spain.
Nigeria is one of the richest nations in all of Africa. Only Egypt has a bigger economy.
It could have been much worse than the French. One word - Belgium.
@@ivancho5854True
Its a relief to hear someone explain this situation
As a French, I'm afraid the problem with the French approach is even worst than what you describe. Scratching bellow the national prestige, there is a deeply ideological jacobin/universalist view of the world: we French must "enlighten" other peoples against their will even if it means destroying our very country in the process. I'm glad it finally backfires tremendously as we don't deserve anything else, and there might still be a bit of my old France to save before it turns into yet another Maghreb/Sahel country. Don't do "French Revolutions" guys...
Wouldn’t you rather see France saved, than destroyed?
You got to admit though that French chaos and humor is more fun than German order and whatever it is they have instead of humor. Maybe to fun atm but you made me laugh out loud, thank you.
France is the Faith and the Faith is France… Hilaire Belloc
Can you imagine Léon Bloy saw France today?
@@Halbared. Well said!
@@rpgbbLeon bloy? who is he?
I am in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire right now. ......been coming here for 20 years. My wife was born and raised in Dakar. I even was fortunate enough to Parachute into Botswana with the 75th Ranger Regiment. ...Lived in many other places across Africa, likewise. Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire are extremely connected with France. Good report here, because those 2 countries as connected as they are to France, will be total game changers if things become desperate. Senegal is the only West African nation to never have a Coup and they are proud of this.....that and forcing their Presidents to have term limits. Great Report. ❤️💪
Great audio quality to go along with the rest of the content. Thanks, Peter!
Love the vlog style ones too but this is high quality
"The French cared about how their maps looked, the British cared about how their wallets looked" - extremely insightful point.
Funnily enough, our former colonies think we still benefit largely from them economically... So: which is it?
Was it bad investment or are we milking these countries still?
_Capital old bean. Simply capital._
--- Brits while looking at their accounting books.
@@damiendelvallee7256 pretend you have a brain for a second and that is possible for both of these to be true simultaneously. If you’re comparing French colonies to British colonies they’re not even close to as profitable or as strategic for many years throughout history. The only reason the French colonies have value today is because of new energy discoveries that were completely foreign to the old regimes. And yes today France does completely rape these countries of the resources to prop up its failing empire.
Bingo two truths in the same sentence
I have learned more in some of these videos then whole semesters. Thank you Mr. Zeihan.
I never thought I will get to compare which colonial system was best, but Peter said something that clicked economics wise, and that was that the Brits allowed a more laxed attitude to locals to run their shop (supported by the rule of law, property rights, and free market capitalism.), while the French adopted this "clean slate" and controlled everything.
I took a look at how the top 5 former colonies from each performed nowadays GDP wise and oh my:
France Top Former Colonies:
1. Vietnam - $141.67 billion;
2. Algeria - $207.96 billion;
3. Morocco - $95.98 billion;
4. Cameroon - $24.98 billion
5. Cote D'Ivoire - $24.68 billion;
British Former Colonies( I left the US out as they when on their own a while ago):
1. Canada - $1.82 trillion - low population only 40 mil;
2. Australia - $1.52 trillion - low population 23 mil;
3. Nigeria - $477 Billion;
4. Hong Kong - 369.2 billion - even lower population at 7.413 million;
5. Last but not least - India - $1.84 trillion - I left them last as they are over 1 billion in population and its normal to have a huge economy.
The former British colonies are kicking butt economic wise compared to the French ones as all they had to do was to simply pick up from where the Brits left them and carry on like nothing happened, while the French ones were left with "puppet dictators" the French liked to continue to allow them to rob these countries.
Russians adopted all the worst French Revolution ideas and implemented them in their colonies and if you look at the former Russian colonies they are the poorest in the world. As Peter said about the French, you can apply a magnitude to the Russians - colonies were an ego-boosting tool for them, and almost never about economics. The Russians destroy everything, including their own country in the name of their "great" ego.
Thanks for validating... what a difference. Everything makes more sense with what I know about the Frenchies...
Great comment !
I feel similar stats could be made about the Spanish , Portugese , Italians , Belgians , Dutch & Germans.
(and their respective former colonies in comparison to the British)
British Colonies: Canada and Australia predominantly consist of white Anglo descendants from colonizers. Regarding the others, let's utilize per capita income as an indicator:
1. Vietnam, $3,875
2. Algeria, $3,996
3. Morocco, $3,291
4. Cameroon, $1,508
5. Cote D'Ivoire, $2,581
6. Nigeria, $2,513
7. Hong Kong, $43,369
8. India, $2,216
Britannia rules the waves?
@ Yes because even your manipulated list shows Britannia influenced Hong Kong with its low tax banking culture to be the most advanced and prosperous out of all.
Things like mercantile culture , tax code , legal framework matter.
I would call that an ' own goal ' on your part .
Great to see you speaking about Africa. Please continue 🙌🏾👏🏾👏🏾
His videos make a lot of sense & the way he narrates his views is very amusing too. Different colonial approaches of French & Brits were very well explained.
"The French are capable of swallowing their ego and walking away!" I've met quite a few French people - and I can't say that I believe this one bit.
you don't call it La Grande Nation for nothing
Shouldn't that have been "aren't" capable ?
Who left the European Union ? The French or the Brits ?
You've got your answer there.
As a frenchman I feel threatened and triggered by the Brits' decision to Brexit. It is as if they are having a go at taking our crown as most arrogant nation with delusions of grandeur in Europe. How dare they !
The French will not swallow their pride, before walking away. What they will do is close their purse and let the Africans deal with it themselves. As soon as it turns too expensive for an ego trip, the French will cut their losses and stroll back home.
@@jefrobeaudine6196Lol from the looks of it, the Africans nations are closing their purse (cheap resources) and France are going to find some other place to exploit.
There's a reason France don't want to leave, even when ask to.
The Brits really were experts at the Empire game. And generally left a land more industrious and profitable than before they found it. Where is Frances's equivalent of Singapore or Hong Kong?
Where Frances's former colonies have fallen into authorianism Britain's tend to be more democratic on average.
Zeihan literally explains that the Brits went after the most profitable lands while the French took huge worthless chunks of land because they had to cope from getting their asses handled by the Germans
Here in India we did not even know what food was till the British taught us what cooking was. We only ate spices and grass. Historians estimate -b- trillions of humans must have died due to this diet.
France was more into spreading French culture and civilization. Like the Romans. The French Empire did not last long enough to make all the Colonial populations into Frenchmen.
@@rutvikrs
So, you Indians are still bitter I see... I'm not even British, I'm Brazilian, but I wonder just exactly for how longer more will you guys keep b*ching about the Brits...
@@rutvikrsdon't exaggerate. You were munching curry and painting them dots on your dottie sculls long before civilization showed up 😎🤫
Damn, even with something like colonialism it still makes me happy knowing that we had a better approach than the French.
But not for football, or even rugby :)
@@anotherlin something something agincourt
It’s still the best approach. Quit thinking like a kh uk
Doing the same thing in Ukraine.
@@craigtownsley3615 mon ami, le fait que je puisse vous répondre en français devrait quand même vous indiquer qui a fini par gagner cette guerre.
Very insightful summing up of the Frence overseas or colonies. Spent a number of years living in some of these places and never really understood the French connections. It could be an exciting ride for some.
You have 26,000 views in one hour my good man.
It’s refreshing to find your show. Yes, someone delivering factual world information.
I am a newcomer here to this channel but find your subject matter interesting and educational.
Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge with us all.
Propaganda sells.
All the way from England, don't forget that roughly half the British Empire was aquirred purely to stop it falling into French hands.Ultimately it was the thousand year rivalry that drove each to greater and greater heights,then we both signed the Entante Cordial and our countries have been in decline ever since.England and France have to get back to making war on each other if they want to improve.
Ah, so THAT was the real Brexit benefit they were counting on!!!!
@@cathjj840 What was? I haven't seen any benefit from Brexit yet, nor will we see one in the future!
The real BREXIT benefit is that the EU (France and Germany) does not saddle us with rules that suit their interests. We are free to choose our own destiny, it would be better if we could offload the remoaners to the Mainland and get on with things, we are the second biggest economy and the highest rated military in Europe, by the 2030's we will be the biggest economy, Germany is in recession and burning hugh amounts of lignite coal and poisoning the whole of Europe!?!
Give it time. The latest wave of migrants need to settle in first before they can start having a go at each other
@@Evan490BC I'll give you a clue: It's irony all the way down
Another great tell it like it is analysis .Big thanks ,PZ.
Senegalese here. Yeah the way he described the difference in colonial management between England and France is true, but the exemple is the worst one he could have chosen. yup Gambia is entirely enclaved in Senegal and the british wanted it just because they wanted a port in west africa, that's it. there has never been a time when Gambia was econocally more developped than Senegal. the Senegal river is longer, larger, more navigable and pass by 4 countries that were french colonies.
and yes Senegal isn't the best place to live but compared to our neihbors, nah this is paradise. never had a coup, pretty politically stable and not too big of a population where it's heavily straining the infrastructure asside from Dakar ofc(population 5 millions)
Very interesting perspective their Peter, I didn't think of things that way.
As an African who read African history in an African university, you are spot on in your analysis on French colonialism. These guys were and still are the worst colonialists ever!
Germans?
Belgians?
Spaniards?
Nice profile pic!
@@alexnisbet2078well Germany had the land for about a year so not decades of oppression.
I appreciate the sound quality very much!
Great video it is nice to have a full in-depth explanation of the French part of the europeans and their former colonies meme
Fascinating. Of all the videos I’ve watched on the topic, this is the first to explore the historical background and offer a cogent explanation of why former French colonies are particularly vulnerable to coups.
The British used the Roman empire model.
The British were changed by their colonies. They used the Mandarin bureaucracy model to change the British mechanism of government, and by extension, the governments in their colonies
Thanks Peter ... the volume is perfect and the update even better. 😎 Respect.
My impression is that many French are unaware or don’t consider their 40+ interventions in Africa since decolonization as especially worth mentioning. It’s as if they see it as a necessary policing routine for immature young nations.
To be fair...France kinda sees everyone not French as immature.
And to be fair…it probably is necessary policy in SOME, but definitely not all, cases.
@@SeruraRenge11 One of the enduring flaws of the French (as a polity, that is)... unable to see the possibility of learning from someone else. They've never really gotten over their long tenure as the Great Power of the Western world (despite that tenure coming to an end at least 400 yrs ago).
@@RD-jc2eu Kraut the Austrian youtuber once said this, I'm not sure if it's a widespread saying
"An American goes abroad, learns the rest of the world is not like America, and is surprised and bewildered at that fact. A Frenchman goes abroad, KNOWS the rest of the world is not like France, but declares that it SHOULD be"
Also, that tenure ended much more recently that that. 200 years ago was Napoleon, 100 years ago they were still considered the preeminent military land power in Europe that held the line against Germany for 4 years. Hell the Scramble for Africa only happened in the late 1800s, before that France didn't even really have a true empire to speak of compared to what England had and what Spain used to have. It really all fell apart with the double knockout of losing both Indochina and Algeria.
@@SeruraRenge11yup. Berlin conference of 1884 really kicked of the scramble for Africa. Much of Africa has been independent for as long as it was ever colonized.
Good introduction. Your information has always been good. Your organization of information just gets better with every video. Thank you so much.
One of the issues Peter overlooked here is the extent to which France maintained and benefited from it's colonies after decolonization. The British, Portuguese, Belgian, Dutch and Spanish more or less walked away. The economies of former French colonies were more likely to be largely controlled from Paris and the French maintained a very active military presence in all of them. As Peter pointed out, buckets of cash and proxies violence played a huge role. Also, culturally, the ruling classes (and the competition) maintained a strong French cultural affinity to France. This was absent in most other former colonies and somewhat muted in former anglo colonies.
"Also, culturally, the ruling classes (and the competition) maintained a strong French cultural affinity to France.. This was absent in most other former colonies and somewhat muted in former anglo colonies". Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah had a great cultural influence from Britain. The three of them were barristers in London!
The british walked away because they had already been building institutions and transferring management to locals long before decolonisation was a trend.
Take Singapore. Many of our Non-govt institutions in education, healthcare, economics and even religion are british institutions that are run by locals.
@@jayshen84 in Africa,significant parts of the administration and the private sector managerial class were Indian. Tragically, Africanization policies stripped Indians of their roles and property (as in Kenya and Uganda) but left white owned corporations intact.
There is a previous video in which he says the French still have an empire; he was referring to the African colonies and left out Guadalupe, islands off East Africa and French Polynesia.
British Common Wealth does not speak to walking away...
Love it. Thank you for improving the quality of the video.
This is a good analysis. This time however something major has changed. 1. The Social media revolution is enabling the common people of French West Africa to compare themselves with other African countries which are doing much better, and demand better for themselves. 2. The population is much younger, more dynamic and better informed than ever before. This is not business as usual.
You have a good point. However, being more informed with misinformation that gets promulgated as factual on social media is not a recipe for success. Just like in programming- garbage in= garbage out
Hey East Africa. Two words: France Telecom. They are called "Orange" now. Without them, most of French Africa has no internet.
@@intractablemaskvpmGy It is no secret that African economies are growing the fastest in the world today. The African middle classes are expanding faster than any other on the planet. The youth of the Sahel can see this and want have a piece of the action.
In France’s defence, the French are not very good at building republics. They love revolutions and are currently on their 5th republic French Republic.
objection, they are so good at it, they made five in a row
Sixth republic* you're just not aware of the big change happening in the shadows
@@prsimoibn2710first galactic republic. Your just not aware of their space ambitions
France pulling off communist revolutions before communist revolutions were cool.
@@LilBlAcK76 that's actually funny
I learn a lit from Peters daily videos - he makes an entertaining presentation
GREAT audio upgrade, congrats!
Always amuses me that despite the different paradigms at work between British and French colonial motivations, it's the British that ended up with a Commonwealth of persisting Anglo countries. That and the lack "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" going on in the French colonization efforts.
I love you, I'm understanding more and more with each video
A great lesson in social/economic history. Include French chauvinism and you have a powder keg
I cant lie...this one was really rather good! I'm not always on the same page as you, but this one i learnt from 👍
I mean there are 14 countries that the French have forced to keep half their foreign reserves in the French central bank. They get tax and cash payments from them. I think this matters economically to them.. I just don't know if that's enough to keep them engaged cause they are currently dealing with an internal push to get foreign ie migrant influences out of their country. Dropping Africa and walking away may be a seen as a step towards doing that
We dont get cash payment from them, rather the countries keeping their foreign reserves with us get interest on their deposit. Those countries , in exchange for keeping the money that way, get a garanteed exchange rate with euros, which helps avoid inflation
Peter I loved how you described this and I must say it's pretty accurate!!
Although your comparison of French and English colonial phylosophy is "post Durham report" (I know you love dates and events of the sorts).
It's unfair to compare any empire, other than the Roman or Mongolian empire to Britain. And to be fair it's not fair to compare them to the Brits. No one will ever come close to achiving what Britain did.
The Achemenid Persian Empire deserves a spot on that list as well
2:28 because it was awesome. Peter rocks.
Your point is interesting but ultimately it means that France’s Africain adventure is an exercise with little economic or strategic value which means it can be abandoned with little if any economic consequences.
France now has an opportunity to take a European leadership position, because of energetic and demographic reasons Africa Just gets in the way of these ambitions, and may as well be abandoned. The retreat from Niger could be permanent and France could/should focus on Europe where it can play a more interesting strategic role
My thought too: France can't concentrate on both Europe and Africa and will choose the former.
Always Fascinating!!!
“without Africa, France will slide down into the rank of a third [world] power”. Jaques Chirac, Past President of France, 2007
It might have been true at some point, but it's not true now.
@@campfireeverythingIt's definitely true now. Why do you think France refuse to leave these countries, even when asked?
Cheap African resources is something France won't give up easy.
@@campfireeverything it is true. Go run the numbers and then circle back.
Apart from uranium in Niger and bauxite in Guinea, there is no "cheap African resources" the French can't get somewhere else. Arguably, South Africa is way more important to them. @@Sweet-Rat-Milk
@@Sweet-Rat-Milk @aronestrada-go3hg You guys have never been to France I think. It is absolutely minted and it will take a long time for that to change.
And anyway YOU go run the numbers on their economy. It's one of the most robust, diversified and complete economies in the world, which doesn't need much from Africa that it can't get elsewhere.
Thank you for this explanation. This clarified so much.
One thing Peter didn't mention is how French do international relation.
Sometimes country doesn't intervene because they want the land. They just want to mess up and tie down the other power trying to get it.
He mentioned that with assasinations. watch again.
Nobody is looking to take it over except desperate Russians or naive Chinese, it seems of little interest for France!?!
Thanks for all the work you do
Struggling to think of one French assassination of an African leader in the last 30 years.
That was his point. the leaders were pro-French. if they needd to go that far, you will hear, but the reasons will of couurse b propaganda
Briliant... always good to hear your point of view. Will like to hear more about the french ambasedor in Niger
Uuh.. on the economic interest: French actually do have pretty high interest as the regional currencies the West African CFA franc/Central African CFA franc, do generate significant economic benefit to France as they do things like keep a lot of the reserves in the French central bank.
Plus they get all the resources of these countries. Even French presidents themselves admitted that France without Africa is a second class power.
Can't believe he didn't know about that...
Everything clicked on this one….
1. Perfect sound diffusion
2.Very enticing subject matter
3. Great flow of the Narrative as usual.
6.He did not mention the floral French African currency , which is the controlling factor in these economies , the CFA Franc. Yet , given it is an afterthought , I am sure he knows about the currency role in French banks . As matter of fact he might’ve mention in past videos or keynote speeches.
7.The jabs at the French government cadre were amusing if not outright in the money.
Peter Zeihan videos at the morning break are an habit forming. Just as welcomed as morning breakfast.
Hey Peter, this was an awesome colonial analysis. Could you please also tell us your view on Spanish ruling in the Americas? and the other parts of the world where they left their mark, as far as the Philipines and so on? God bless you for sharing all this knowledge with all of us, man.
From what an old anthropology prof told me years ago Spanish as opposed to British in US left:
1. Very top down bureaucratic structures. Everyone deferring to El Jefe.
2. A focus on extractive wealth -mining, logging etc- instead of more capital/labor intensive efforts
3. Much more open to marrying/mixing with locals.
@@quininde 4. Civil administration as in Peninsular Spain (Laws, Viceroyalties, Courts, even the Inquisition...)
5. Foundation of cities using allways a standard design (grid layout with central Plaza, Church/Cathedral, Civil power building as governor's, mayor's, council...). Still in place.
6. Civil Service and Army open to locals. During the Independence Wars indians remained loyal to the crown
7. Catholic vision of the world
8. Common language (Spanish, lingua franca between Native Americans). Lost only in Philippines.
9. Common currency (Spanish dollar/Real de a Ocho) and Customs. Only one-fifth of the acquired wealth, including gold and silver, was sent to Spain, a taxation known as "Quinto Real" (The King's Fifth)
As a Venezuelan colonized by Spanish, sure wish it had being the British, in other words I blame the Spanish for our Latin America misery.
@@57lsuarez Independence was in 1821. You had 200 years to solve your problems. It is as Spanish would blame the Romans for their misseries. If fact the Independence wars were Civil Wars. 90% of combatants were American Spanish. Less than 10% Peninsular soldiers.
@ I’m Mexican and agree with your comment. Many Latin Americans blame the Spanish to avoid taking responsibility for the sh7th0le€ created all over LATAM. Some LATAM cities are indeed prosperous and first-word-like and they surely don’t have that victim mentality about the conquistadores 200 years ago.
Greetings from Godzone. Loving that umbrella map projection.. Reminds me of Londo Molari from Babylon 5 😂.
Perhaps another interesting case to look into is how the French and the British tried to establish a nation, or not, in Vietnam after World War 2.
Oh Sh*t dude - do you really want to open up that can of worms????
a nation? the french tried to recapture the colony of "indochina". then the vietnamese (ho chi minh himself) asked the americans for help in their independence struggle but they refused (to not piss the french off so they could make a deal with them concerning post war europe) and when the vietnamese turned to the communists for help instead the americans eventually came back and killed, raped, tortured and abused millions of them in return (instead of helping them in the first place).
and if any of you wonder... EVERY single colonial state tried to recapture their colonies after WW2. the french, english, dutch, portuguese - until as late as the 70s in some cases.
there, summed it up for you. hope you liked it. you're welcome.
May be we could try French Polynesia
After all the French just nuked that place again and again.
Or we could ask the New Zealanders about the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior??
Or the Algerians where the French also tests a few nukes.
Put it this way if it wasn't for croissants some, decent wine and girls with that sexy accent we might have let the Germans just keep the place back when.
@@tonywilson4713 its the supreme example of the British trying to get something to work with a pragmatic and slightly botched job. I can not find a nice way of putting what the French did so best I say nothing.
Oh look bots having conversations. Tell me more about your investments 😂
Geopolitics made EZ. Thank u Mr. Zeihan!
I learnt that the French colonial style is cultural, as opposed to the British which is economic. So very consistent w/ what Peter said.
Its not just cultural, its wipe out everything with your own culture. The spanish colonialism was also cultural but they allowed the locals also to mostly rule themselves and keep their traditions as long as they converted. This is why virtually all of the former spanish colonies are a very strong mix of both indigenous stuff and spanish stuff, unlike the french and portuguese or even the british ones.
@@ceejay1476 India is still extremely Indian, and barely British.
@@gsomethingsomething2658 And yet they are absolutely fanatical about cricket, not to mention English is widely spoken.
@@kchall5 Yup. And most Indians are happy that we abolished the practice of sati... well, most Indian women.
@@ceejay1476 Well the French, perhaps justifiably, see their culture as sophisticated and refined. Their intention in the first instance, is to gift it altruistically, which i’ll fully admit is arrogant. But in comparison, the British engaged in vicious divide and conquer tactics, to shamelessly extract wealth and exploit native populations. They didn’t even pretend to be helping. The French at least tried to give and not only take. Not to diminish the brutality and criminality of colonial projects.
Thanks Peter!
France never gave up its empire. An empire of ego. Britain left English Common Law and functioning institutions. Big difference.
Please discuss Dominica - Haiti and Dominican Republic - France vs Spain.
“We drained Africa for 4 and a half centuries. Next, we plundered its raw materials. After that, we said: they (Africans) are good for nothing. In the name of religion, we destroyed their culture and now, as we have to act with elegance, we are picking their brains with scholarships. Thereupon, we are claiming that the unfortunate Africa is not in a brilliant condition, and is not making elites. Having enriched on its back, we are now lecturing". Jacques Chirac, President of France, 2007
"we." ur logic is flawed.. that entire statement uses a lot of assumption and pre notions that r not fact..
@@JoeyDaBull derp derp … this was a quote from Jacques Chriac, the president of France until 2007. So when Chirac says “we” he is talking about France. Learn to read bro, should open up the world for you.
I love your content. As a kid that loved geography I had thought the same
Unless these countries experiencing coups get monetary independence their efforts are wasted even if they claim to kick out the French.
These countries are working on transitioning to a new currency The Eco. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco_(currency)
@@peakz8548 With full cooperation of France, by the way. Shows that the supposed French domination is not quite what people think it is.
very interesting...Thanks for your insights!
Even in the hood of Chicago
ppl wake up at 5am just to hear what Pete’s got.
Dog we love you 💯
Keep it coming my friend 😎
Good video Peter. One thing I would add is The Gambia isn't more prosperous than Senegal. Senegal has both higher HDI and higher GDP per capita.
I think he meant during colonial times. Senegal is richer now because it was one of France's "colonies modèles", and the two countries remain very close to this day and make a lot of business together, just like Ivory Coast.
"It's the transition into the rainforest."
Actually, the Sahel is the transition into tropical savannah.
Well the french will secure their access to uranium one way or the other. Thats the one economic interest they realy have in the region.
Niger is only the third biggest supplier of uranium for france. Its significant, 17% and it was one of the safest canals for uranium, but if it comes to it, its a loss france can take. What the french government is afraid of loosing the most is influence, and future markets.
Maybe to fuel their own considerable sunk costs in nuclear reactor infrastructure, other nations can potentially sidestep this need by switching to the far more abundant (and un-weaponisable) Thorium via simpler molten salt cooled Thorium reactors.
It's an economic interest for Niger specifically. And it's not a life or death matter. France has other suppliers and several years of reserves.
1:16 As a French I found this way of putting it hilarious
Peter Zeihan, what about the CFA Franc?? It is run by the French National Bank and these are the countries using it currently: Benin.
Burkina Faso.
Guinea-Bissau.
Ivory Coast.
Mali.
Niger.
Senegal.
Togo.
There is profit there I believe and lots of it. This may be the real link to the coups.
And also leeching on those countries' resources. He's saying almost complete rubbish there, as usual.
@@rob6927 He doesn't know the topic well. Just saying stuff. Claiming France has no National Interest yet has the most bases in Africa of any European country. Peter is lost on this topic.
@G-hg2im Well, what can you expect. He can't even say the word "nuclear" after all... That's the kind of expert he is.
I hope you're really enjoying Colorado. It's beautiful there. I really enjoyed my last trip up to Colorado Springs, Denver, and Durango. The color of the sky there is legendary. Clean air and mountain living helps you stay grounded and unbiased.
Some of this is simplistic - Brits didn't have much choice in their approach, for example.. and weren't very nice overlords as this comparison makes them out to be - but your point stands. France sees (North) Africa as their backyard; they used to see it as France, and would won't take aggression lightly.
I missed the part where we discussed Niger Uranium and a gas line to the Mediterranean
As usual Zeihan's narrative misses out the essential information which doesn't suit US interests which in the Sahel, involves displacing France. The French were so big in Niger not so much for prestige as to get the cheap uranium. France massively depends on nuclear power, more than any other large country and their nuclear industry was getting ridiculously cheap uranium from the previous Niger regime. This is a big enough reason for France to fight a war there, regardless of prestige.
From The End of The World […]pg177 [t]he French did just that, with increasingly maniacal hwa-hwa-hwainess.”
Peter, your latest book is a masterpiece, a masterclass and so much more. In the epilogue you called it “not a call to action.” [pg.471] and say that it’s about the new normal and where that normal leads.
As an English major I’ve read many a book, and it is rare that I read a book more than once as I try to cover the corpus of great literature, but your book i’ve read over and over again. I listen to the audiobook version every day. At the end of the day it’s because it’s just that damn good and I feel like I understand not only how we got here, but also a great deal more about where we’re going.
Thank you.
Finally someone who is not afraid to be politically incorrect/speak the truth on RUclips. This is brilliant. More, please.
Right! I’m so excited for him to discuss Jewish behavior and black American behavior
This channel isn't about being politically incorrect or not, it's about geopolitics analysis. He just gives the dry facts.
Fascinating!
These places are current French colonies, the French Empire never died. Just moved into the shadows.
Funny he didn't mention the money thing; i.e. the CFA franc. Who said the French weren't interested in controlling and raking in the dough, at least for some people?
Interesting analysis, entertaining too.
Excuse my Anglophile tendencies as a post-colonial it still amuses me that the British were able to conglomerate the largest empire the world has ever seen while focusing on the financial bottom lines, whereas the French were concerned with the amount of blue on the map and said "Tres bien, mon ami!"
Yet the Americans seem determined to steer the wheel of global providence. Semper Fi, amigo, seems the most fitting idiosyncrasy.
The United States - in many ways, inherited the role of the British Empire. Churchill , who loved the empire, said as much as the brits started letting it go under US pressure to end colonialization as a condition of our assistance in WW2. What the brits built was a very effective mercantile empire. What the Americans did was expand the scaffolding of that empire using navel power to back trade, while allowing the actual empire part of the empire to die to independence movements and local governance.
If you think it through, this was the only way colonialism could have ended. The French however, were rivals of the British System. They weren't happy with this new arrangement and kept their fingers in the pie.
Great video
My Indian friends all similarly told me that there were some benefits of being under British rule. Their opinions:
1) Indians became more unite. They then had a common enemy.
2) An outsider's language - English - became an official language so there was no fight on this.
3) The British built railroad system in India, increasing commerce and transportation. This has the effect of reducing the animosity that existed among the castes, religions, people, languages, and politics. This, in turns, helps lay the foundation for democracy.
Good to see Negan branching out
France is going to have problems because it's young population is firmly against colonialism or any form of repression to African nations (as well as France proper). The African nations don't want to be ruled anymore; French youth agree but most Africans are practically incapable of running their countries efficiently without mass corruption. France will have to give those places up eventually because Tomorrow's French citizen doesn't want them on the economic rolls anymore and want the gov to focus on French nationals.
Let the Chinese run the place, and lose money, like the French did.😄
which from a French ego standpoint is a disaster but from an economic one, it's actually not that bad if those countries provide little to no benefit to the "French empire".
Well, a number of Chinas' African Belt & Road clients are defaulting on infrastructure payments now.@@mudra5114
Yea the French youth and really all white youth are brain damaged when it comes to power projection.
I'm imagining the old generation saying something like this:
I'm a colonialist, my dad was a colonialist, his dad was a colonialist, and by god you're going to be a colonialist.
holy shit! i can't believe you're not hiking!
The Russian interest is controlling France's energy supply. A new natural gas pipeline from Nigeria to Algeria crosses Niger. It is also the interest of the Saudi who have supported jihadis in the region. It is a similar case in Syria except the Saudis had been backing jihadis against Russians who want to prevent pipelines from the Arabian peninsula through turkey to Europe.
eter I would like to suggest that as a part of your calculus the CFA, the French guaranteed currency, is and would be a far more effective weapon than a suitcase full of cash or assassination. The CFA also covers 14 countries in 2 zones (West and Central) and the French central bank holds, as part of the agreement 30% of the member state's foreign currency reserves.