The British Invasion of Madagascar and its Role in the Formation of an Independence Movement (1942-1946)

Abstract

For a few months in 1942, the island of Madagascar stood at the center of the attention of Britain, France, the United States and the Axis powers. Understanding the Allied operation to take hold of Madagascar to prevent its takeover by Japan can help identify the strategic importance of the island. However, research on the political and social implications of this event on the native population who lived under the Vichy French colonial rule at that time is limited. The main objective of this study was to explore the consequences of the Battle of Madagascar on the local population. More precisely, it was to find out in what ways did the political, economic and social impacts of the operation and the occupation by British troops imapct the affirmation of an independence movement. Data from primary sources located in the French and British national archives were analyzed to look for the signs of a resurging self-determination movement. The analysis of French and British police and intelligence reports revealed several key points. First, there was no organized, institutional resistance during the war, although the nationalist leaders secretely sought support from the British authorities. Second, the British intervention in 1942 to remove the Vichy leadership and replace it with the Fighting France government in 1943 didn’t liberate the Malagasy subjects from colonial exploitation. Third, the Vichy period’s hardened colonial practices (1940-1942) were the decisive factors which led to the progressive formation of a large-scale opposition especially after World War II, although the British invasion created a dynamic that led to the formation of a more institutionalized resistance. The findings suggest that the British and French policies during the 1942-1946 period, by dismissing the demands of the Malagasy for more autonomy, planted the seeds of a violent postwar period which would culminate during the revolt of 1947.