Contemporary Relations Between the United Kingdom, France, and their former West African Colonies Open Access

Lieggi, Nicholas (Spring 2024)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/8623j011k?locale=en
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Abstract

Since the end of the colonial era, the United Kingdom and France’s relationships with their former colonies in West Africa have been impacted by a number of different internal and external factors. These factors include, among others, Chinese neocolonial influence, and the style of governance in the colonial period. This paper examines these two elements, exploring their impact on the diplomatic, martial, and economic relationships between these former colonies and their metropoles. The theory behind this paper argues that colonies that were directly governed during the colonial period have stronger relationships in all aspects with their former metropoles relative to those that were indirectly governed, while former colonies that have greater Chinese neocolonial investment will have weaker ties with their metropoles relative to former colonies that have lesser investment by China. Using a series of linear regression models, supplemented by between-effects panel regression models, some support is found for the notion that formerly directly governed colonies have greater ties to their former metropoles relative to formerly indirectly governed colonies. Additional linear regressions models, supplemented by fixed-effects panel regression models, found the opposite effect than was theorized for the impact that Chinese neocolonial influence has on Britain and France’s relationships in West Africa. 

Table of Contents

1        Introduction 1

2        Literature Review 4

3        Theory 11

Contextualized Hypotheses 15

4        Data and Methods 17

Predictor Variables 17

Style of Colonial Governance 17

Neocolonialism 18

Outcome Variables 20

Diplomatic Alignment 20

Economic Relationship 21

Military Relationships 23

5        Research Design 26

6        Results 30

7        Discussion 38

8        Limitations and Future Research 42

9        Conclusion 45

Appendix A - Summary Statistics by Nation 47

Appendix B - Main Model Regression Tables 49

Appendix C - Panel Model Regression Tables 55

Bibliography 60

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