Article ID: CBB004652231

Mobilizing Empire: The Citroën Central Africa Expedition and the Interwar Civilizing Mission (January 2020)

unapi

The Citroën Central Africa Expedition of 1924–25 has long attracted the attention of scholars, but most study the mediation and consumption of the journey in French mass culture. This article shifts the focus to the conceptualization, justification, and logistical planning of the Central Africa Expedition to trace the development of a close partnership between the private automobile manufacturer and various sectors of the French state. The Central Africa Expedition is indicative of the changing nature of the French civilizing mission during the interwar period, when the French transitioned to building transportation and communications infrastructure as part of the project of colonial mise en valeur (development). In their attempts to make empire profitable and governable, French businesses and administrators sought to use technology and infrastructure to enhance mobility in Africa, to the purported benefit of colonizer and colonized alike.

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Authors & Contributors
Hart, Jennifer
Torsten Feys
Karel Martens
Jean Gecit
Stéphanie Ponsavady
Natasha Pairaudeau
Concepts
Colonialism
Imperialism
Mobility
Technology and State
France, colonies
Automobiles
Time Periods
20th century
19th century
21st century
Early modern
20th century, early
Places
Africa
France
Ghana
Americas
United States
Congo (Brazzaville)
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