French failures in West Africa revived racism and redefined their civilizing mission

Evidence

In particular, old racisms revived and new ones took root. Both policies were symptomatic of a certain disillusionment with prewar civilizing tenets, especially those with a “liberating” dimension. These policies in turn presaged a new interpretation of the Third Republic’s civilizing mission, which would emerge as well in the 192o’s. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 494