Towards a Francophone Community

Between 1968 and 1971, Quebec almost succeeded in becoming the sole representative of French Canadians within la Francophonie - the international community of French-speaking states. Robin Gendron examines relations between Canada and French Africa from 1945 to 1968 within the context of Canada's deteriorating relations with France and Quebec's aggressive pursuit of its own international interests in the 1960s. Using extensive archival research, Gendron rebuts the argument of Quebec nationalists and scholars that the Canadian governmentbs neglect of French Africa forced Quebec to develop its own international identity. Towards a Francophone Community shows that there had been active federal interest in French African affairs since the late 1940s, within the context of developments in NATO and the Cold War, the vagaries of Canadabs relations with France, and the Quiet Revolution in Quebec. Gendron argues that the subordination of Canadian interests in French Africa to other foreign policy concerns during the 1950s and early 1960s ultimately weakened Canadabs ability to prevent Quebec from participating in la Francophonie.