Albert Grodet

Grodet was appointed Governor of Martinique in September 1887, serving for just over a year. He then went into the reserve for a few years.[1] He gave his support to the Congrès colonial national that opened on 10 December 1889 with the goal of "creating permanent relations among the diverse societies that are occupied with colonial questions." This was an early step in creating the influential colonial lobby in France.[2] In April 1891 he was appointed Governor of French Guiana. He was particularly interested in developing public education in the colony. He was recalled in 1893.[1] In Martinique and French Guiana Grodet gained a reputation as a tough boss who would keep tight control over his subordinates. He also became known for poor judgement and mismanagement.[3]

In 1893 Théophile Delcassé, Under-Secretary for Colonies, appointed Grodet commandant-supérieur of French Sudan in place of Louis Archinard in the hope of regaining control of the Sudanese budget and administration. Delcassé told Grodet, "the period of conquest and territorial expansion must be considered definitely at an end."[4] Grodet was thought to be strong enough to face down the army officers, and certainly was not intimidated by them. He felt no need to be tactful.[5] However, as a civilian Grodet had no control over his senior officers, who greeted him with "a wall of silence deliberately calculated to prevent me from taking any action." The code books had been removed so that he could not even monitor army communications.[6] The only way he could have asserted his authority would have been to install civilians in key administrative posts, but this was impossible due to the unsettled state of the country.[7]

When Grodet reached Sudan the acting commandant-supérieur, Eugène Bonnier, had already left on an expedition against Timbuktu despite strict instructions by the government to the contrary.[4] Grodet reached Kayes on the Senegal River on 26 December 1893. The same day Bonnier left Ségou 350 miles (560 km) to the east on the Niger River bound for Timbuktu, which he expected to take without difficulty.[3] Bonnier was following instructions he had been given by Archinard to continue the prepared plan for occupation of Timbuktu.[8] At Mopti on 1 January 1894 a message reached Bonnier from Grodet ordering him to return to Ségou. Bonnier replied that his gunboats under Lieutenant Boiteux, which had gone in advance, had run into trouble at Kabara and he had to rescue them. On 5 January 1894 a furious Grodet sent letters that relieved Bonnier of his command. On 10 January 1894 Bonnier reached Timbuktu, which he entered without opposition, and joined Boiteux.[9] Bonnier continued on from Timbuktu, and in the early morning of 15 January 1894 he and most of his column were massacred by a force of Tuaregs.[7]

Samori Ture made a treaty with Grodet in which the French were to pay him an annual tribute in return for peace, then retired to the area south of French Sudan along the borders of what are now Mali, Guinea and the Ivory Coast.[10] The war against Samori continued at increasing cost.[4] During the war the only way the French could maintain the loyalty of the tirailleurs was to give them plunder, which meant slaves. The French also depended on slaves as porters, and the liberty villages became pools of forced labour.[11] The practice was clearly illegal under the French law of 1848, which said "the principal that the soil of France liberates the slave who touches it is applied to colonies and possessions of the Republic."[12] Grodet wrote in September 1894, "I cannot admit that on territory of the Republic at the headquarters of a cercle, among the articles of purchase and of sale are representatives of the human species."[13] Grodet asked that liberty villages be established where there were none, and complained strongly about distribution of slaves.[14] In 1894 Grodet tried to abolish the practice, but his army commanders made every effort to ensure the tirailleurs did not hear of this, since they might desert.[11] Grodet was anti-clerical and was disliked by the missionaries, but one of them wrote of him[14]

He had a thankless task which he performed in a malicious and maladroit manner, but men of good will always be grateful to him for his courageous initiative against slavery, the great plague of the Sudan. This praiseworthy act earned him the hostility of men who are in general upright, but warped by absolutely false ideas on this important question.[14]

Henri Gaden wrote of Grodet after dining with him on 7 February 1895 that he was "well received, polite and talkative... With the eye of a half-deranged person, he is impulsive. A droll individual. Not at all what is needed for the countries around here, despite the high opinion he has of himself. [He] found a very difficult situation here and much hostility, but he has managed to make the situation even worse in attracting everyone's rancour."[15] In May 1895 Graden wrote "... what a blunder to appoint a civilian Governor in a colony where the Governor would be the only civilian; and an individual who knows absolutely nothing about the country! It is unimaginable!".[16] Grodet was blamed for the lack of economic growth in the colony and for the defeat by Samori in the Ivory Coast of Parfait-Louis Monteil's Kong column.[17] Grodet returned to France on leave in July 1895. He was replaced by Colonel Edgard de Trentinian.[16][18] The Sudan was returned to military control as part of the newly formed French West Africa federation.[4]

While waiting for his next posting Grodet assisted the French Ambassador in Bern during arbitration of the Franco-Brazilian conflict over the borders of French Guiana, which had been referred to the President of the Swiss Confederation. In 1900 he was appointed Acting Governor of the Congo, holding office until 1902. He was again appointed Governor of French Guiana in 1903 and recalled in 1904. He retired from the colonial service in 1905.[1]