ABSTRACT
When the Brazzaville Conference began in early 1944, administrators and politicians, including Charles de Gaulle and Félix Éboué, gathered in meeting rooms in Brazzaville, the original capital of Afrique Française Libre, for this momentous occasion, and people throughout the world looked to the city to witness France’s actions and whether colonial reforms were actually going to occur. Over the course of this colonial summit, participants made it clear that they were merely providing non-binding recommendations. As a result, the French clung to their colonies with no semblance of a hope for the end of colonial rule in the near future. This chapter focuses on the complex history of the Brazzaville Conference and explores the political landscape that led to the decision to create this summit, major recommendations, the ways Africans engaged with the conference, and responses to the gathering.
