Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) was a psychiatrist, a political activist, and a writer of books and articles.
He was born in the French colony Martinique in 1925. His ancestors were from Africa. They were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to be slaves in the French colony Martinique.
In 1925, when Frantz Fanon was born, slavery was a part of the past, but Martinique was still a French colony.
In 1940, when he was 15, the colonial power France was defeated by Nazi Germany.
As a result of the French defeat, the territory of France was divided into two parts:
** One part (the southern and eastern area) became Vichy France, a puppet state established by Germany.
** The other part (the northern and western area) was occupied by Nazi Germany.
What happened to the French colonies? Each colony had two options:
# 1. Support Vichy France which was a puppet state
# 2. Support the Free French Forces which were established by general Charles de Gaulle
In Martinique, the local administration decided to support Vichy France.
Frantz Fanon was not happy about this choice, but since he was still a very young man, he could not do anything to change it.
In 1943, when he was 18, he decided that he wanted to join the Free French Forces. He wanted to fight for France against Nazi Germany. Since he was 18, he was old enough to join the French army.
He joined the Free French Forces which were established by general Charles de Gaulle.
He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and he entered the war against Nazi Germany in Europe.
Fighting in the war was hard. While he was in the Free French Forces, he was shocked to discover that this army had a high level of racism.
All officers were white. Some soldiers were white, while other soldiers like Frantz Fanon were people of colour.
Charles de Gaulle could not recruit his army in France. He had to go to the French colonies and ask the local population to join his army.
Charles de Gaulle and his white officers needed assistance from people in the colonies. These people were not white, but Charles de Gaulle had no choice. He had to use them to fight against Nazi Germany.
Frantz Fanon discovered that the people of colour could be sacrificed. They were often used as cannon fodder. But they were not respected.
In 1944, when the German forces were expelled from France, the new French government began moving the coloured troops to the south of France and sending them to North Africa. They were no longer needed.
Frantz Fanon had joined the fight for France, because he believed the French army had high ideals, but he realised that this was not the case.
The Free French Forces had a high level of racism. Frantz Fanon was disappointed with what he saw while he was in this army.
He was wounded during the war, but he survived.
When the war was over, he entered the University in Lyon, because he wanted to be a psychiatrist. He studied for several years. He graduated in 1951.
Now he was ready to begin a career as a psychiatrist. He wanted to find a good job.
In 1953, he saw that a psychiatrist was wanted in Algeria, which was another French colony.
A position was available at the hospital in Blida, a town located ca. 35 km south-west of the capital Algiers.
When he applied, he got the position. This was the beginning of a new chapter of his life
On the surface, life in Algeria was peaceful and harmonious.
But below the surface a serious conflict between the French and the local population was building up.
A secret underground movement was created: FNL, the National Liberation Front.
In 1954, the French army was defeated in Vietnam in the battle of Dien Bien Phu. This battle marked the end of French colonialism in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
The story about the French defeat and the Vietnamese victory was reported all over the world.
In Algeria, members of the local population were happy to hear this story.
They said to themselves:
“If the Vietnamese can defeat the French in Vietnam, then we can defeat the French in Algeria!”
The French defeat in Vietnam was the signal to start the war of liberation in Algeria.
Later in 1954, the war for liberation began. It was a long and bloody war. Both sides used harsh measures.
Frantz Fanon was in the middle of this situation.
As a psychiatrist, he had to take care of Algerians who had been tortured by the French military.
As a psychiatrist, he also had to take care of French soldiers who were traumatised, because they had used torture on Algerian prisoners.
Frantz Fanon was opposed to racism. He had experienced racism in Martinique. He had experienced racism in the French army.
When he lived and worked in Algeria, he observed the conditions of colonialism.
He felt the FNL had the legal and moral right to demand an end to colonialism.
He felt the FNL had the legal and moral right to fight for independence, since the French government refused to change its policy.
He began to work with the FNL. He was not born in Algeria. He was born in Martinique. But he understood the politics of racism and colonialism.
In 1957, the French authorities decided that Frantz Fanon had to go because of his support for the FNL. He was deported from Algeria.
From 1957 until the end of his life he worked for the FNL in exile. He travelled to other countries where he conducted a campaign for Algerian independence and against French colonialism.
Around 1960, he became sick. He had leukemia. He was allowed to enter the US to get treatment in an American hospital.
But the doctors were not able to save him.
He died in 1961.
He did not live long enough to see the revolutionary movement FNL achieve victory. In 1962, the brutal war finally came to an end and Algeria was proclaimed an independent republic.
Today Frantz Fanon is remembered as a man who lived a short life. In his short life, he campaigned against racism and colonialism.
He supported the struggle for freedom and independence of former colonies.
Different people have different views about him:
** In many (former) French colonies, he is regarded as
a hero
** In France, some people have a negative view of him, because he opposed the French policy of colonialism
REFERENCES
# 1. The following items are available online
The Revolutionary Humanism of Frantz Fanon
Adam Shatz: Where Life Is seized:
# 2. Books
Frantz Fanon:
A Biography
By David Macey
(2001 = hardcover)
(2012 = paperback)
The Rebel’s Clinic:
The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon
By Adam Shatz
(2024 = hardcover)
(2025 = paperback)
*****
Black Skin, White Masks
By Frantz Fanon
(1952)
*****
The Wretched of the Earth
By Frantz Fanon
(1961)
*****
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