Summary of Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

In the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia," the speaker explores the complex geopolitical tensions between France and Russia in the African Sahel region. The speaker discusses the historical significance of French colonialism in Africa and its impact on current conflicts, specifically in relation to the Sahel's former economic colonies, such as Guinea, Niger, and Mali. The speaker highlights the ongoing proxy war between France and Russia, with Russia's mercenary Vagner group replacing French troops in some African countries, and the potential economic implications for France, including access to uranium and oil. The speaker also touches upon the historical exploitation of African colonies through the CFA Frank currency system and the resulting economic instability. The volatile situation in the Sahel region, exacerbated by climate change, desertification, and nomadic populations, has led to instability and the rise of terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The speaker argues that France's actions in the region, including military interventions and economic control, have contributed to the current tensions and may be reminiscent of its past colonial tactics.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia", the speaker discusses the ongoing proxy war between France and Russia across the African continent, specifically in the Sahel region. The speaker highlights the series of coups that have occurred in various African countries since 2020, including Nier and Gabon, which have led to instability and the rise of radical Islamist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The speaker notes that these countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nier, were former economic colonies of France and that the expulsion of French troops and ambassadors has been met with the arrival of Russian troops from the mercenary Vagner group. The speaker argues that this is a complex proxy war that challenges France's neocolonial domination over its former colonies and threatens the foundation of France's prosperity. The speaker also suggests that this is a theater of Russia's war with the West and that it is a conflict that is not well-understood in the Western world.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia", the speaker discusses the historical significance of French colonialism in Africa, specifically in the Sahel region, and how it intersects with France's current geopolitical objectives and Russia's ambitions. The Sahel region, a narrow band of land running from the Red Sea to the Atlantic, was once a wealthy and prosperous area due to its role as a trading hub between Africa and the Mediterranean. However, European trading vessels and the establishment of new maritime trading routes led to a decline in the Sahel's economic fortunes. When the French colonial empire was established in the late 19th century, it expanded across the Sahel region without considering the historically important overland camel trading routes or the biogeographic realities of the region. The French saw the Sahel as a source of rich natural resources and sought to establish their authority and crush local political rulers. Unlike other European colonial projects, the French regarded Algeria as an integral part of France, leading to the mass colonization of European settlers. After World War II, France sought to maintain its status as a global power by using its vast colonial project in Africa. Part of this included the establishment of the CFA Frank, a new currency for French colonies in Africa, which was deliberately overvalued relative to the French Frank to strengthen the French currency against the US dollar. This history of French colonialism in Africa and the unique relationship between France and its African colonies is relevant to understanding the current geopolitical tensions between France, Russia, and Africa.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia," the speaker discusses France's historical exploitation of its African colonies through the use of the CFA Frank currency system. This system enabled France to import raw materials from its colonies at below-market rates and sell finished products back for above-market rates. When African countries began calling for independence in the 1950s, France responded with violence, most notably in the Algerian War, which lasted from 1954 to 1962 and resulted in the deaths of over 1 million Algerians and the displacement of over 900,000 French settlers. After the Algerian War, France attempted to maintain control of its remaining African colonies through covert means, offering them cooperation agreements that required them to remain within the CFA Frank system. When Guinea rejected these offers in 1958, France retaliated by destroying Guinean infrastructure and cutting off all foreign aid. The speaker suggests that France's current actions towards Russia, such as its military buildup in Eastern Europe and its opposition to Russian influence in Africa, may be reminiscent of its past colonial tactics.
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia," the speaker discusses France's historical relationship with its former colonies in Africa, specifically Guinea and Niger, and how their access to uranium has been a strategic interest for France. The French saw Guinea's attempts to generate hyperinflation and crash their economy as a direct threat to their CFA Frank system and responded with violent methods, including arming rebels and assassinating leaders. In Niger, France discovered large uranium reserves and wanted continued access to it for strategic autonomy and to power their nuclear energy industry. France became the world's most aggressive pursuer of nuclear power, relying on imports from Kazakhstan and Niger for 80% and 20% of their uranium needs, respectively, in 2022. The speaker also mentions France's historical desire to maintain access to oil in Gabon after granting it independence.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia", the speaker discusses France's historical relationship with Gabon and its former president Omar Bongo. The Bongo family ruled Gabon for decades, enabling French oil company Total to dominate Gabonese oil production in exchange for annual bribes. France reportedly covered around 13% of the Gabonese budget during this time, with most of the funds going into the Bongo family's personal accounts. Omar Bongo is said to have had a fortune of $130 million stashed in a US bank, making him one of the wealthiest heads of state in the world despite Gabon's high oil-driven GDP per capita growth and widespread poverty. The speaker also mentions the CFA Frank system, which has been in place since the 1960s, allowing France to maintain economic control over its former West African colonies. The system, which pegs the local currencies to the euro, has helped keep inflation rates low but has been criticized by Africans for limiting their monetary sovereignty. The speaker does not directly connect this historical context to France's supposed preparations for war with Russia.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia", the speaker discusses the economic relationship between France and the countries using the CFA Frank currency in Africa. The European Central Bank, which controls the monetary policy of the CFA Frank countries, prioritizes combating inflation in Europe, while these underdeveloped African nations focus on investing in infrastructure and creating jobs. Historically, CFA Frank members were required to maintain 50% of their liquid reserves with the French treasury, but even after this policy was removed in 2019, France still prints all of the CFA Frank currency and exerts significant influence over their economies. This lack of control over their monetary policy has hindered these countries from achieving full sovereignty and economic growth. The speaker argues that France has financially benefited from this system at the expense of African nations, leading to low economic growth rates and a lack of development in domestic industries. The speaker also mentions that the local elites, who are often closely connected to France, have plundered the countries' resources, further exacerbating the economic issues. The speaker concludes by noting that France's exploitative system in Africa has been in place for over 60 years and that without major reforms, the Africans themselves may eventually rebel against the system due to growing populations and increasing demographic abilities to question and challenge the French-centric economic systems.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia", the speaker discusses the ongoing conflict in the Sahel region of Africa and how climate change, desertification, and nomadic populations are contributing to instability. The Sahel, home to large nomadic pastoral groups like the Targ and Fani, has experienced significant temperature rises since the Industrial Revolution, leading to increased droughts, erosion, and desertification. These environmental challenges force nomadic people to move south, often leading to violence with sedentary societies. The Targ people, in particular, have a long history of rebellion against postcolonial states. In 2012, a major Targ rebellion in Northern Mali nearly toppled the government and threatened to create a jihadist state. France, concerned about the potential refugee crisis and the threat to its neocolonial interests, launched a military intervention in Mali in 2013 to restore control. Despite deploying over 10,000 troops, the vast and sparsely populated Sahel region made it difficult to adequately defend against Islamist insurgents, who continued to regroup and expand their operations into neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Niger. By mid-2015, Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS had returned to the region, leading to a significant increase in terrorist attacks and violence.
• 00:35:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia", the speaker discusses the volatile situation in the Sahel region, specifically in Mali and Burkina Faso. Since the French counterinsurgency operation began in 2015, over 20,000 people have been killed in terror attacks in these countries. In 2022, the French troops were expelled from Mali, leading to a surge in violence and the rise of Islamist factions, including Jim, backed by Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State Sahel Province. The new anti-French military regime in Mali then hired the Russian mercenary group Vagner to replace the French troops, marking a shift from French to Russian influence in the region. The Vagner group's success in the Central African Republic paved the way for their expansion into other African countries struggling with rebellions. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, France imposed sanctions on Russia, and the Vagner group seized the opportunity to present itself as a capable and alternative security partner to these countries without the colonial and neocolonial baggage associated with France. Despite accusations of war crimes and massacres, the Vagner group's anti-colonial message resonated well with Africans tired of French influence. The Russian government then took control of the Vagner group, renaming it the Africa Core, and offered regime survival packages to countries experiencing coups and insurgencies.
• 00:40:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia", the speaker discusses the geopolitical tensions between France and Russia in the Sahel region of Africa. The speaker explains that Mali and Burkina Faso, two countries in the Sahel and the second and third largest gold producers in Africa, have been experiencing rebellions. Russia reportedly seeks access to these gold mines as a means of covertly evading Western sanctions to fund its war effort in Ukraine. The speaker also mentions that these countries have been welcoming the Russian Africa Corps, which aims to smuggle the gold out of these mines and disrupt French access to raw materials like uranium. Additionally, these countries have announced their withdrawals from the French-controlled CFA Frank system and are discussing the creation of their own currency. The speaker suggests that this represents a significant defiance to France and could inspire other countries in the region to follow suit. Russia is seen as capitalizing on this anti-French sentiment to advance its own objectives in the region. The speaker also mentions that France's intervention in Libya and the resulting chaos played a role in the current situation in Mali.
• 00:45:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "Why France is Actually Preparing for War With Russia," the speaker discusses how France's involvement in the Sahel region, specifically in relation to the spread of terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, has evolved into what he calls France's "Forever War." He explains that due to the controversial nature of the topic, much of the content covering how these groups established themselves and how French military campaigns against them were conducted would likely be demonetized and age-restricted on YouTube, making it difficult for viewers to access. However, he was able to produce a 40-minute video on the subject for Nebula, a subscription-based platform where creators have more freedom to explore darker topics. Nebula offers exclusive content from over 30 creators, including the speaker's Modern Conflicts series and a new series called War Room, which covers the latest global crises. The speaker also mentions that Nebula is co-owned by its creators and that they can produce content with bigger budgets than on YouTube. Lifetime memberships to Nebula are currently being sold for $300, providing access to all content forever.