Togoland français French Togoland Mandate of France ← 1916-1960 → Flag Capital Lomé Language(s) French Political structure League of Nations Mandate Historical era World War I  - Occupation August 27, 1914  - Togoland partitioned December 27, 1916 1916  - League of Nations mandate July 20, 1922  - Autonomy 1955  - Independence April 27, 1960 1960

French Togoland in pale purple (British Togoland in pale green)

French Togoland was a France Mandate territory in West Africa, which later became the Togolese Republic.

[edit] Mandate territory

On August 26, 1914, the German protectorate of Togoland was invaded by French and British forces and fell after five days of brief resistance. Togoland was divided into French and British administrative zones in 1916, and following the war, Togoland formally became a League of Nations mandate divided for administrative purposes between France and the United Kingdom.

After World War II, the mandate became a UN trust territory, still administered by French commissioners.

By statute in 1955, French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French union, although it retained its UN trusteeship status. A legislative assembly elected by universal adult suffrage had considerable power over internal affairs, with an elected executive body headed by a prime minister responsible to the legislature. These changes were embodied in a constitution approved in a 1956 referendum. On September 10, 1956, Nicolas Grunitzky became prime minister of the Autonomous Republic of Togo. However, due to irregularities in the plebiscite, an unsupervised general election was held in 1958 and won by Sylvanus Olympio. On April 27, 1960, in a smooth transition, Togo severed its constitutional ties with France, shed its UN trusteeship status, and became fully independent under a provisional constitution with Olympio as president.

[edit] See also

• List of colonial heads of French Togoland
• History of Togo

v • d • e French overseas empire Former v • d • e Former French colonies in Africa and the Indian Ocean Mahgreb Algeria · Morocco (Arguin Island) · Tunisia French West Africa Côte d'Ivoire · Dahomey · French Sudan · Guinea · Mauritania · Niger · Senegal · Upper Volta   French Togoland · James Island · Albreda French Equatorial Africa Chad · Gabon · Middle Congo · Oubangui-Chari Comoros Anjouan · Grande Comore · Mohéli   French Somaliland (Djibouti) · Madagascar · Ile de France · Seychelles v • d • e Former French colonies in the Americas New France  (Acadia • Louisiana • Canada • Terre Neuve) 1655 – 1763 Inini · Berbice · Saint-Domingue (Haiti) · Tobago · Virgin Islands · France Antarctique · France Équinoxiale French West India Company v • d • e Former French colonies in Asia and Oceania French India Chandernagor · Coromandel Coast · Madras · Malabar · Mahé · Pondichéry · Karaikal · Yanaon French Indochina Cambodia · Laos · Vietnam (Annam • Cochinchina • Tonkin) Middle East Lebanon · Sanjak of Alexandretta · Syria (Alawite State • Jabal al-Druze • State of Aleppo • State of Damascus) Other Asian Ceylon · Kwangchowan Oceania New Hebrides (Vanuatu) France-Asia relations · French East India Company Present v • d • e Overseas departments and territories of France   Inhabited areas Overseas departments1 French Guiana · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Réunion Overseas collectivities French Polynesia · Mayotte2 · Saint Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna Special status New Caledonia   Uninhabited areas Pacific Ocean Clipperton Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands Île Amsterdam · Île Saint-Paul · Crozet Islands · Kerguelen Islands · Adélie Land Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean Banc du Geyser3 · Bassas da India3 · Europa Island3 · Glorioso Islands2, 3, 4 · Juan de Nova Island3 · Tromelin Island5 1 Also known as overseas regions.  2 Overseas department by 2011, claimed by Comoros.  3 Claimed by Madagascar.  4 Claimed by Seychelles.  5 Claimed by Mauritius.

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