French Gabon

France began colonizing the territory of Gabon by Captain Louis Eduard Bue-Vilome , who established a ship parking lot in Gabon Bay and entered into an agreement with the leader of the Mongong tribe Anchuve Cove Raponcombe ^[ 18 ^] in 1839 , whom the French captain converted to Christianity and named "King Denis" .

In the years 1840-1860, the French colonialists entered into agreements with all the leaders of local tribes on the coast - on the "protection and patronage of France" ^[1] .

In 1849, the French captured the Portuguese ship of the slave traders , and the Africans liberated by the French founded the settlement of Libreville , the current capital of Gabon ^[1] .

From the middle of the XIX century, the French began to penetrate into the deep regions of the country. In the years 1875-1880, Pierre de Brazza , who explored the Congo river basin , concluded a series of agreements with the leaders of local tribes. In 1880, de Brazza founded the city of Franceville in the east of present-day Gabon. In 1883, de Brazza was appointed government commissioner of the French Republic in West Africa (the territory of modern Gabon and Congo).

Since the end of the 19th century, the French colonialists began creating plantations of export crops in Gabon - coffee and cocoa , logging, and also building roads and seaports.

In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories that became part of French Equatorial Africa ^[1] .

During World War I, soldiers from Gabon participated in the fighting as part of the French units. In the province of Voleu Ntem , clashes took place between Senegalese shooters and German units from Cameroon .

During World War II , fights took place in Gabon between local colonial troops (formed from blacks ) against the troops of General Charles de Gaulle who landed in November 1940. The Gabonians opposed de Gaulle because they considered him a rebel who rebelled against the legitimate government of France .

• Trans-Gabon Railway