The Central African Republic, bordered by Chad, Sudan and the Republic of Congo, was a struggling country prior to the new regime in the 1960s. Its people were forced to provide intensive labor under French colonial rule, which sparked many anti-colonial political movements (“Central African Republic | History” ). The Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa, or Mouvement d’Évolution Sociale de l’Afrique Noire (MESAN), became the country’s first political party led by Barthélemy Boganda (“Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa” ). Its purpose was to obtain basic rights and “preach a message of social change and liberty” (Warburton 32). MESAN’s success led to the election of the Central African Republic’s first president, David Dacko, in …show more content…
His father, a village chief of the Mbaka tribe, was murdered for his retaliation against French colonial rule; Bokassa’s mother committed suicide shortly after this occurred (“The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed”). French missionaries took him in and allowed him to attend local mission schools when he was twelve. Due to his upbringing, Bokassa enlisted in the French colonial army at the start of World War II. He became an experienced soldier and was quickly promoted to captain; an award like the Croix de Guerre showcased his heroic actions during World War II. In addition to the Croix de Guerre, Bokassa was presented with the Legion d’Honneur, the most honorable military decoration of France (“The Black Past”). This award was established by Napoleon Bonaparte, who would later have quite the influence on Bokassa’s …show more content…
This was most likely due to the resources available to them, provided they showed interest in the Central African Republic’s well-being. With everyone on his side, 1972 marked the year that Bokassa made the decision to rule until his death; anyone who disagreed with him was executed (“The Black Past”). This is where absolute power and lavish spending came into play: ”Bokassa established personal monopolies over Central Africa’s production of diamonds, ivory and coffee, and treated government coffers as his own. Chinese funds for a university, for example, bought one of his four châteaux in France” (“The Central African Republic, Where Emperor Bokassa ruled with Violence and Greed”). In 1976, he became Emperor Bokassa I and renamed his country “The Central African Empire.” This was followed by a massive crowning ceremony the next year, complete with an outfit inspired by Napoleon and other imported gifts for himself (“Violence and Greed”). The total cost of his coronation exceeded $20 million (“President of Central African Republic”). While there were many factors involved in his selfishness, the desire to emulate Napoleon’s greatness may have been the most