A La Gloire de Notre Empire d'Outre-Mer [The Glory of Our Overseas Empire]
- Title:
- A La Gloire de Notre Empire d'Outre-Mer [The Glory of Our Overseas Empire]
- Alternate Title:
- A La Gloire de Notre Empire d'Outre-Mer
- Collection:
- Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection
- Creator:
- La Ligue Maritime et Coloniale Francaise [The French Maritime and Colonial League]
- Other Creators:
- Giroud-Rivoire, Lyon, printer.
- Date:
- 1942
- Posted Date:
- 2024-04-25
- ID Number:
- 2467.01
- File Name:
- PJM_2467_01.jpg
- Style/Period:
- 1940 - 1959
- Subject:
- Advertising & Promotion
Imperialism
Not So Persuasive
Pictorial
World War II - Measurement:
- 22 x 35on sheet 27 x 41 (centimeters, height x width)
- Notes:
- This colorful map is, for the most part, typical of a patriotic imperial cartographic tribute of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a celebration of those who explored and colonized Africa for the French, a tribute to "The Glory of Our Overseas Empire." The major 19th century explorers are identified by name, and the tracks of their "Grandes Explorations Francaises" are shown, along with a list of names and dates of some three dozen other explorations. French flags decorate portions of north and west Aftrica. Stereotypical images are shown of a well-dressed North African (perhaps a Berber), a black native, and a classic colonist. The map was published as a supplement to Mer et Colonies, the monthly publication of the French Maritime and Colonial League, a public organization with roots in the 19th century supported by more than 500,000 members in 1930.
But this map is in fact not at all typical, because of its date: May 1942. In June 1940, after France's sudden and dramatic defeat by the Germans, the parties agreed to the establishment of an "independant" and "neutral" collaborationist French state headquartered at Vichy in the south, headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain, a hero of World War I. Under this arrangement, the Vichy French government was technically responsible for civil administration, including continuing administration of the colonies, while contributing substantial amounts of money, food, and other support for the German war effort. There is evidence of this arrangement on the face of this map itself. At the bottom of the page is a plea for viewers to join ("adherez a") the League, followed by two addresses. One is in the "Zone Occupee," at the League's headquarters on rue de Mogador in Paris. The other is in the "Zone Non Occupee," at 13, rue Lucas, Vichy. The map was printed in Lyon, in Vichy territory.
It is possible that this publication was intended in part by the Germans and their French collaborators to calm and reassure the French public, to suggest that things were more or less as before the invasion. But it seems unlikely that many French citizens would be disposed to celebrate the "Glory" of France's African colonies at a time when the fate of those colonies - and of the nation itself - was entirely at the mercy of their German conquerors.
After the War, Marshall Petain was convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment. France's holdings in Africa today consist of Reunion and two other small islands in the Indian Ocean. And the League apparently still exists, with headquarters in Paris.
Cornell University Library is pleased to present this digital collection of Persuasive Maps, the originals of which have been collected and described by the private collector PJ Mode. The descriptive information in the “Collector’s Notes” has been supplied by Mr. Mode and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cornell University. - Source:
- Mer et Colonies [Sea and Colonies], May 1942, supplement.
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- For important information about copyright and use, see http://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/copyright.