First Colonial Empires: Spain and Portugal
A century later, Spain and Portugal lost their place in the colonial race due to their inability to adapt to technological advancements and other factors.
The positions of these two great empires were taken over by England and France. As the largest colonial powers in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, England and France not only shaped history but also caused the deaths of millions of people through their rivalry.
France officially began its colonial empire efforts in 1524, focusing on the Americas and Africa.
It established dominance in over 20 countries, particularly in North and Northwest Africa, maintaining this control and exploitation for about 300 years. During this time, France held a third of Africa, which contributed to the growth of Paris with wealth from its colonies.
Countries in West Africa, such as Senegal, the Ivory Coast, and Benin, became virtual open-air slave markets, where Black Africans were forcibly loaded onto ships.
A significant portion of the Black individuals transported as laborers to Europe and the Americas died due to neglect during the journey. France's actions in Africa led to the deaths of over two million people, and these enslaved individuals played a crucial role in the construction of modern France, especially Paris.
Today, the city known as the city of lovers and the cradle of civilizations was, in fact, built on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Africans and Africa's natural resources.
Modern France, constructed from Africa's resources, became a stage for both the continuation of exploitation and the search for the legacies of the exploited.
With the 20th century, France began to lose its colonies, accelerating migration from these regions to France. Today, a significant portion of France's population consists of people from former French colonies.
Waves of African migrants rebuilt war-torn France after World War II, but this did not lead to their full acceptance in society.
Despite their achievements, African-origin French citizens, referred to as the "Other," have not received the respect they seek from French society, leading to the formation of suburbs.
The creation of these suburbs is partly due to the reluctance of the French to see the people they had exploited for centuries living beside them. They were not ready for a reckoning and effectively pushed African-origin citizens to the outskirts of their cities.
Etymologically, the word "suburb" comes from "ben," meaning authority, and "lieue," meaning place.
Historically, the term was used to refer to settlements outside the walls, expressing the concept of the "Other" for nearly a millennium.
French suburbs became centers of danger and fear, particularly in the 1970s, as millions whose lands had been exploited struggled to survive in the suburbs around Paris.
These areas, seen as residences of the "Other," became living representations of France's colonial history. The French still refer to these places as "crime hubs."
Since the 1990s, the French have feared potential uprisings in the suburbs and the rapid rise of Islam among the local population.
This pressure has led French governments to impose tighter controls in the suburbs, while the spread of Islam continues to grow at an alarming rate.
