French Administration and the Restructuring of the Economic Structure in the Fezzan Region (1943–1951) : An Analytical Historical Study

Abstract

This study examines the French administration and the reshaping of the economic structure in the Fezzan Region during the period (1943–1951), focusing on the economic policies implemented by France in the fields of agriculture, trade, and the monetary and financial system. It argues that these policies were not primarily aimed at achieving independent economic development, but rather at reorganizing the local economy in accordance with French strategic interests and integrating Fezzan into the French economic sphere in North Africa. The study adopts a historical analytical approach based on Arabic and foreign sources, as well as French archival documents. It concludes that French policies achieved limited administrative and financial organization but failed to produce a fundamental economic transformation in Fezzan.