The Island of Madagascar, served as an extremely strategic and resource rich island for many
centuries.
Colonial powers that controlled this island, has massive influence not only over the region,
but could assert naval influence all along the Horn of Africa from this point.
Attempts of conquest had been made by European powers off and on for centuries, but a largely
unified and isolationist native culture, managed to always beat them back.
But it was only a matter of time before their luck ran out.
In this episode, we will be discussing the French annexation of Madagascar.
The Merina Kingdom had existed on the island since the mid 16th century, this kingdom would
more be the one to eventually unify the whole island.
The Merina kingdom had gradually expanded it's control over much of the island, known
as Imerina.
However, by the late 18th century, the island was still split between four main kingdoms.
In 1787, Prince Ramboasalama, gained the throne to one of these kingdoms, and set it's sight
towards unification.
It wouldn't be he that managed this objective though, his son, Radama the first, would be
the one to achieve such a feat.
With supplemented western tech, Radama went west, gradually expanding the territorial
might of his empire, all throughout the early 1800's.
Radama also established British missionary schools in the capital, but many of the population
didn't take terribly kindly to the Christian religion, while they weren't openly hostile,
conversions were much slower then in other locations.
The British attempted to have a great influence via the missionary school, but it largely
fell flat.
The Kingdom worked to keep it self very culturally unique, and outside of some minimal weaponry,
trade, and the one missionary school, bulked against European powers to a large degree.
He would die at the young age of 35 in 1828, largely due to the many years of campaign
and heavy amounts of alcohol.
Radama didn't name a successor, and while custom dictated that his eldest son would
take the throne, but his son died while in transit to the capital.
The news of his sons death was kept secret for a number of days, in fear of reprisal
and rebellion.
A major military general in the Merina kingdom, found this out, and with supporters, put Radama's
wife, Queen Ranavalona I to the throne.
The 33-year reign of Ranavalona I, was characterized by a struggle to preserve the cultural isolation
of Madagascar from modernity.
She culled much of the outside trade agreements, and promoted a stance of self-reliance as
a nation.
Early in her reign, the queen took steps to distance Madagascar from the purview of European
powers, first putting an end to a friendship treaty with Britain, then placing increasing
restrictions on the activities of the missionaries, who operated schools where basic education
and trade skills were taught in addition to the Christian religion.
In 1835 she forbade the practice of Christianity among the population, and within a year nearly
all foreigners had left her territory.
She continued the conquests of her young husband, eventually cementing her rule over the whole
island.
The constant campaign and high death rates of laborers, meant the population as a whole
on the island nearly halved between the 1820's and the 1870's.
Her son and heir, Radama the second signed a very unpopular charter, that allowed the
French access to much of the islands natural resources.
As the Queen aged, the French were eager to see Radama to the throne, viewing him as a
great way to expand French influence over the whole island.
They pressured him to sign a treaty in French, a language he wasn't overtly fluent in, that
granted France the ability to intervene in the name militarily if unrest occurred.
The French had this as a pretext, but would only do so if the British allowed, as the
British had a much stronger foot-hold on the island itself then the French at the time.
A plot to over-throw the queen and install Radama was attempted in 1857, but it fell
apart before it even began.
The Europeans in the courts palace, were confined to their chambers, and eventually forced out
of the country some years later.
Ranavalona died in her sleep in 1861.
Following this, a series of coups occurred for many years, largely due to the aristocract,
being against the non-isonalist way that the Monarch tended to act.
This would continue until the reign of Ranavalona III, the last monarch of Madagascar.
In the early 1880's the French right-wing gained power in the nation, and sought to
invade the island to curb British influence, aiming to put the islands under direct French
control.
The revocation of the Lambert Charter and a nasty letter to Napoleon the third, was
used as a pretext for invasion in 1883.
The invasion was helped in the fact that a group of the native population, the saklavan
minority, remained largely loyal to the French.
When the French invaded the northern end of the Island, Ranavalona the third sent her
armies out to meet them head on, contacting the German Empire for assistance, as the two
nations had signed a treaty of friendship eariler that year.
But during the Berlin conference, Madagascar was listed under as the French sphere of influence,
so neither the Germans or British pledged support for the island nation.
The Madagascarian troops weren't a match for the French, and after three years of fighting,
question mark, I literally couldn't find any battle information, so I have no idea what
happened, likely just a lot of baguettes and white wine.
But in 1887, Ranavalona and her allies simply couldn't match the French and eventually surrendered,
being forced to sign the peace of Tamatave, which gave the French control over Diego Suraize,
as well as pay 600,000 golden francs to Lambarts heirs.
In addition, the French were now able to conduct the foreign affair of Madagascar, while the
British relinquished all claims to the land.
The treaty essentially established the Mernia kingdom as a French protectorate, but of course,
Ranavalona didn't agree to this, and since the end of the first war, was plotting another
war against the occupiers, trying to curry favors from various western powers to assistance
them in their independence.
In December of 1894, the French declared war again, invading and occupying the major ports
of Tomasina in the east and Mahajanga in the west.
While some troops were landed, it wasn't until May of 95, that the main french corps of 15,000
arrived.
They campaigned during the islands rainy season, and it was very devastating to the French
forces for disease.
However, As soon as the French landed and started marching, a series of revolts against
the islands government occurred, severely weakening the islands defenses, and adding
another 6,000 men to the French ranks.
The first major battles, took place later in the year, after the French column lost
nearly a third of its numbers due to diseases.
The two main battles occurred at Tsarasaotra on the 29 June 1895, and at Andriba on the
22 August, both resulting in French victories, and the elite native units being largely decimated
by French guns.
In September, the French had managed to reach the capital, and with an artillery battery
aimed at the palace, and it already murdering a lot of individuals in the Palace, the queen
surrendered.
She was forced to sign another treaty, stating the whole of Madagascar as a French protectorate.
Originally, she was going to stay as a figure head on the island, but the French government,
viewed her as too much of a risk for rebellions, and instead exiled her to Algeria in 1897.
Rebellions continued on for many years after this, which was only quelled in 1906, and
thus.