The Fourth Republic’s founding charter invoked 1789 rights while fighting colonial wars.

Evidence

Though, like its predecessor, the Fourth Republic was born as a consequence of military defeat by the Germans, the constitution it gave itself started with what looked like a bright enough image. Its preamble led off that: “It… solemnly reaffirms the rights and freedoms of man and citizen as set forth in the Declaration of Rights of 1789” and went on to declare that: “France, together with the overseas peoples, forms a Union founded upon equality of rights and of duties, without distinction of race or of religion.” France would, it stressed, “never employ its forces against the liberty of any people”. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 191

Categorization

• XREF: Directly connects to the reader’s goal of tracing how the French Revolution’s ideals were invoked, then ‘fought back’, against colonial resistance. — connects to: French protests against torture deepened the army’s contempt for the Fourth Republic — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 735; Every Fourth Republic premier refused to accept Algerian independence — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 776; Colonial dominion was justified as the natural right of those capable of ruling
• QUESTION: Worth tracing how the 1789 Declaration was selectively deployed against both Algerian claims and French policy.

Broader Connections

• Colonial dominion was justified as the natural right of those capable of ruling #complicates (0.50)