1963 Dahomeyan coup d'état

Coup d'état 1963 Dahomeyan coup d'état October 28, 1963 Republic of Dahomey Ended Benin Government of Benin (Cristophe Soglo faction) Benin Government of Benin (Hubert Maga faction) Benin Christophe Soglo Benin Hubert Maga File:Dahomey. 2-66. LOC 76696103.jpg The 1963 Dahomeyan coup d'état was staged on October 28, 1963, by Christophe Soglo, who took control of the Republic of Dahomey to prevent a civil war. He overthrew Hubert Maga, whose presidency faced extreme economic stagnation and a host of other problems. Background The West African colony of French Dahomey, the present-day nation of Benin, was largely ignored by the French during its colonial era in French West Africa.Dossou-Yovo 1999 59. Dahomey had a weak economy due to a lack of known natural resources. The last time the colony had a favorable trade balance was in 1924. Its main export was intellectuals, and was known as the Latin Quarter of Africa due to its rich cultural landscape.Magnusson 2001 218. On August 1, 1960, Dahomey gained its independence and prominent politician Hubert Maga was chosen as its first president.Matthews 1966 143. At the time, Dahomey was also facing a major economic recession and after independence, France stopped subsidies. Maga helped counter this by investing in infrastructure and encouraging civil servants to take Dahomey as their residence. Still, Dahomey's GDP grew by 1.4 percent annually from 1957 to 1965, making Dahomey's economy one of the weakest in Africa.Decalo 1973 457. The economic stagnation triggered intense regionalistic attitudes in Dahomey.Dossou-Yovo 1999 60. Parties epitomising the idea began with the 1951 French National Assembly elections. Capitalising on growing cynicism for the domination of southern Dahomey in the French colony's politics, Maga allied himself with the northern tribes. Sourou-Migan Apithy, whom academic Samuel Decalo described as "the grandfather of Dahomeyan politics", kept the second seat, which he had first won in 1945. Apithy represented the people living in southeast Benin, while a third figure, Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin, represented the southwest. Attempts to counteract regionalism failed, as did the establishment of a one-party state.Decalo 1973 454. Coalitions between Maga, Apithy, and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin were similarly unsuccessful, as each sought absolute power.Decalo 1973 457–458. In early 1961, the president began applying repressive measures on the opposition press and anyone suspected of trouble-making, thus practically eliminated Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin's voice in the country.Matthews 1966 145. By April, most Dahomeyan Democratic Union (UDD) members had expressed interest in joining the Dahomeyan Unity Party, and Maga not only supported this but encouraged it. A notable exception was Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin himself. The choice was soon made for him; the entire UDD was dissolved by Maga on April 11.Carter 1963 231. Maga then attempted to design a four-year growth plan, to begin on January 1, 1962, that contained many ambitious acts.Carter 1963 198. It was designed to increase yield in agriculture and was financed by French capital.Matthews 1966 148. Part of the plan was to cut all wages by ten percent.Matthews 1966 147. Young Dahomeyans would contribute "human investment", or forced labor on the fields. Maga decided to reshuffle the cabinet in February 1962. He added the planning and development duties to Apithy's office to quench his apparently unquenchable thirst for power.Matthews 1966 150. Nonetheless, he accused Maga of being a dictator, and the series of demonstrations the vice president coordinated would ultimately depose his boss. They were not sparked by Maga himself, but rather the murder of David Dessou.Matthews 1966 151. Dessou riots January 1962 saw the poisoning of Dessou, an official of the Sakete sub-prefecture.Ronen 1975 191. The deputy from his constituency, named Christophe Bokhiri, was accused of the crime and duly arrested. He was released after his fellow deputies in the National Assembly requested to suspend proceedings against him under the parliamentary immunity clauses of the Dahomey Constitution,Keesing's Worldwide, LLC. 1963 19762. specifically Article 37. Maga, meanwhile, was away in Paris during all of this. The people of Dahomey, on the other hand, were outraged on the release of Bokhiri. They incited racial clashes in the summer of 1963, as the murderer and the victim were of different tribes. Demonstrations were organized in Porto Novo on October 21 and soon spread to Cotonou.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,897004,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20081222103519/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,897004,00.html dead December 22, 2008 Sounds in the Night November 8, 1963 Time Time Inc. 2008-11-09 They remained somewhat orderly before the trade unionists were involved. While still led by Maga, the trade unionists were still upset by the wage cut and used the case to further their interests. In addition, they criticized what they called Maga's "squander-mania", such as the construction of a presidential palace. Most of the demonstrations were peaceful, although several demonstrators destroyed a sign containing Maga's name on a hospital.https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/183597382.html?dids=183597382:183597382&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=OCT+29%2C+1963&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Army+Takes+Over+Dahomey&pqatl=google https://web.archive.org/web/20110525124311/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/183597382.html?dids=183597382:183597382&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=OCT+29,+1963&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Army+Takes+Over+Dahomey&pqatl=google dead May 25, 2011 Army Takes Over Dahomey Associated Press October 29, 1963 The Washington Post A17 2008-12-23. Six trade unionists were arrested on the second day of demonstrations, causing the unions to call a general strike.Matthews 1966 152. By the end of the second day, protesters forced the National Assembly to put Bokhiri back in jail, which simultaneously enforced a curfew. In light of recent events, Maga cancelled his trip to the United States and returned to Dahomey immediately. Appealing for peace, he convened a special National Assembly session. The protesters and trade unionists were indifferent to these actions; when Maga agreed with their demands and replaced his government with a provisional one in which Apithy and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin had equal standing, they organized themselves to "boo" this new order. Armed northerners came down to Cotonou to support Maga and clashed with dissenters, killing two. The protesters, however, would not return to their jobs until Maga no longer held his.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HhUOAAAAIBAJ&dq=hubert%20maga&pg=7033%2C4287109 Army Chief Takes Over Control In Dahomey October 29, 1963 St. Petersburg Times Times Publishing Company 2 2008-11-15July 2026 InternetArchiveBot . Coup On October 28 Chief of Staff of the 800-man Dahomeyan Army Christophe Soglo took control of the country to prevent a civil war. He dismissed the cabinet, dissolved the Assembly, suspended the constitution and banned all demonstrations. After having Maga sign his resignation the same day he gave Maga, Apithy, and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin the powers of the Ministry of State. Southern Dahomey later created a statue in honor of this day in the national history.Decalo 1973 474. The strikes ended the next day. The reasons for the overthrow of Maga was the "luxurious life style of the rulers, abusive increase in the number of ministerial posts, unsatisfied social demands, unkept promises, the rise of the cost of living, and antidemocratic measures that martyrized the people and reduced them to nothing."Ronen 1975 193. Aftermath The provisional government dissolved the PDU and replaced it by a Dahomeyan Democratic Party (PDD). It announced a referendum on the status of the constitution was to be held on December 15,Matthews 1966 153. although it was not held until 5 January 1964. At the same time, a committee was established to investigate perceived wrongdoings by the Maga administration. In late November, it began prosecuting members of the cabinet, such as the Minister of National Economy and the Finance Minister for misusing public funds. Maga was soon to find himself in jail too. Soglo and Maga were friends. However, in early December, Soglo discovered a plot to have him assassinated and blamed Maga, who resigned his post on December 4.https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/179957712.html?dids=179957712:179957712&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=DEC+04%2C+1963&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Maga+Resigns+Post&pqatl=google Maga resigns post ((Reuters)) December 4, 1963 The Washington Post B2 2008-12-24 2011-05-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20110525125516/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/179957712.html?dids=179957712:179957712&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=DEC+04,+1963&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Maga+Resigns+Post&pqatl=google dead. A few days after the discovery, he was placed under house arrest along with four former cabinet members. At an official inquiry this conspiracy charge was dropped, but Maga was still guilty of corruption. Following a March 1964 retrial, Maga was let out of prisonMatthews 1966 157. and went into exile in Paris.https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1968/05/13/77305026.pdf Results of Election In Dahomey Voided By Military Regime The New York Times May 13, 1968 17 2008-12-13 . See also Republic of Dahomey References Bibliography Carter Gwendolen Margaret Five African States; Responses to Diversity: the Congo, Dahomey, the Cameroun Federal Republic, the Rhodesias and Nyasaland, South Africa Dahomey 1963 Cornell University Press Ithaca, New York 413212. Decalo Samuel April 1973 Regionalism, Politics, and the Military in Dahomey The Journal of Developing Areas College of Business, Tennessee State University 7 3 4190033 449–478. Dossou-Yovo Noel Noel Dossou-Yovo September 1999 2010-09-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20100916195512/http://www.questia.com:80/read/5001834798?title=The%20Experience%20of%20Benin The Experience of Benin International Journal on World Peace 16 3 https://www.questia.com/read/5001834798?title=The%20Experience%20of%20Benin 0742-3640 Questia subscription 211426384. Keesing's Worldwide, LLC. Keesing's Contemporary Archives November 1963 Nov 1963 - Fall of President Maga's Regime. - Formation of Provisional Military Government London 9 0022-9679 1644683 http://www.keesings.com/search?kssp_selected_tab=article&kssp_a_id=19762n01dah. 10.2307/422379 Magnusson Bruce A. January 2001 Democratization and Domestic Insecurity: Navigating the Transition in Benin 211–230 Comparative Politics 33 2 422379. Matthews Ronald African Powder Keg: Revolt and Dissent in Six Emergent Nations 1966 The Bodley Head London 246401461. Ronen Dov Dahomey: Between Tradition and Modernity Cornell University Press Ithaca, New York 1975 0-8014-0927-6 1527290. Category:Coups d'état in Benin Dahomey coup Coup Category:October 1963 in Africa Category:1960s coups d'état Category:Labor disputes in Benin