Shaping Imperial Youth: French Youth and the Ligue Coloniale de la Jeunesse in the Late Nineteenth Century

Abstract This article analyses the existence of an imperial youth in late-nineteenth-century France through the study of an association created for and by French young men in 1897, the Ligue coloniale de la jeunesse. Thanks to a thorough examination of a booklet edited by the Ligue comprising the names and information of 288 members, combined with other archival sources, it aims at writing a social history of the French imperial youth. In order to retrace the mindset and socialization of this youth, the article first scrutinizes the place of the Ligue in the colonial associative landscape and its recruitment, underlining the various profiles of its members. Second, it analyses the activities offered by the Ligue, divided into three main categories following its motto: propaganda, education, assistance. Lastly, it confronts the Ligue’s aim to shape colonial careers with the colonial prospects formulated by its members and their completion. In doing so, this article highlights the importance of the colonial world in the projections of French young men regarding their place in society, their training, and their professional future. More generally, it contributes to a better understanding of what youth meant during a time of thriving imperialism.