Gabon (France)

This article is about the specific polity Gabon (France) and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

Gabon was a French Colony (at times part of French Equatorial Africa and French Congo from an administrative point of view) on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa created in 1888.

Establishment

December 1888: The General Commissioner was created by the decree of December 11, 1888 which brought together the establishments of Gabon with the Territories of the Congo, under the authority of the General Commissioner of the Government in the Congo.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. World War I

Was a global conflict between two coalitions, the Allies (primarily France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the Central Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). It was mainly caused by the competition of the western countries over domain in Europe and in the rest of the world with their colonial empires. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers. The war also caused the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Russian Civil War.

1.1.World War I African Theatre

Was the African Theatre of World War I.

1.1.1.Kamerun Campaign

Took place in the German colony of Kamerun in the African theatre of the First World War when the British, French and Belgians invaded the German colony.

March 1916: Provisional division of militarly occupied German Kamerun between France and the United Kingdom.

2. World War II

Was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 (it started sooner in certain regions) between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (mainly the Soviet Union, the U.S.A., the U.K., China and France). It was the war with more fatalities in history. The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war in Europe began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The war ended with the complete defeat of the Axis powers, which were occupied by the Allies.

2.1.World War II (All other Vichy France Colonies)

Refers to the events that happened in French Colonies that decided to be loyal to the German puppet state of Vichy France.

July 1940: With the creation of Vichy France, initially all French colonies were aligned with Vichy.

2.2.World War II (West African Theatre)

Was the West And Central African theatre of World War II.

2.2.1.Battle of Gabon

Was a battle that resulted in Free France forces gaining control of French Equatorial Africa from Vichy France.

October 1940: Free French forces crossed into French Equatorial Africa and took the town of Mitzic.

November 1940: The Vichy garrison at Lambaréné, Gabon, capitulated.

November 1940: Libreville was captured by Free France forces on 10 November.

November 1940: On 12 November, the final Vichy forces at Port Gentil, Gabon, surrendered without a fight. Governor Masson - despairing of his actions - committed suicide.

3. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

January 1892: Gabon formally added to French Congo in 1891.

January 1907: In 1906 the French Colonial Authorities made Gabon a separate colony.

November 1911: With the Morocco-Congo Treaty of 1911, Germany recognized French domination over Morocco in exchange for new territories in Central Africa (the so-called Neukamerun territories). A smaller area in north-eastern Cameroon, known as Duckbill (German: "Entenschnabel", French: "Bec de canard), was incorporated into French Equatorial Africa instead.

August 1960: Gabon became an independent country.