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Headline: How France’s “Civilizing Mission” Forged an Empire and Shaped the Modern World

Paris – Beyond military might, the French Empire strategically employed language, education, and cultural assimilation to establish and maintain its dominion, according to a new documentary. The film, released by Al Jazeera English, examines how the “mission civilisatrice,” the French doctrine aiming to “civilize” colonized societies, served as both a method of control and a catalyst for resistance.

The documentary explores how the French colonial administration implemented this doctrine in Algeria, Indochina, and West Africa. Schools, legal systems, and bureaucracies were wielded as tools of empire to reshape the identities, loyalties, and cultures of colonized populations, often replacing local traditions with French norms while maintaining a firm grip on political and economic control. The film highlights the brutal realities of settler colonialism and repression in Algeria, the co-existence of education and exploitation in Indochina, and the manipulation of social hierarchies in West Africa through language policy and indirect rule.

The film argues that the French’s approach to colonialism had significant consequences and shows that resistance movements challenged the very foundations of the “civilizing mission,” forcing France to confront the contradictions inherent in its imperial project. These anticolonial struggles, ranging from intellectual movements to armed uprisings, not only weakened imperial rule but profoundly reshaped French politics, culture, and national identity.

The documentary draws parallels between France’s past methods and contemporary forms of influence, specifically highlighting the role of American “soft power” through Hollywood, television, digital platforms, and the dominance of US institutions in higher education. It argues that these channels promote American values and narratives globally in ways that mirror earlier imperial ambitions.

Crucially, the documentary emphasizes that the legacy of French colonialism is not confined to the past. Modern debates surrounding language, immigration, secularism, and inequality are directly rooted in colonial systems designed to classify, discipline, and extract. Many of today’s state institutions, education models, and economic relationships still reflect structures initially imposed under the French Empire. By examining how cultural control, education, and administration functioned as instruments of power, the film reveals how the legacy of French colonialism continues to shape modern capitalism, global inequality, and postcolonial relations today.

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