Indépendances et dépendances dans le Pacifique insulaire

Independences and dependences in the Insular Pacific, Paul De Deckker A handful of islands, a complex population : Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, which make up the insular Pacific, seem doomed to be scattered. Since 1945 they have been, however, a stake controlled by the superpowers, whether colonial or not. London, Canberra and Wellington have in turns favored independence and dependence. Washington, for strategic reasons, has followed closely the evolution of the Pacific. In this struggle where the global stakes are very clear, has France still a place in 1985 ? The examples of New Caledonia and the Polynesian islands are here analysed in detail.De Deckker Paul. Indépendances et dépendances dans le Pacifique insulaire. In: Vingtième Siècle, revue d'histoire, n°6, avril-juin 1985. pp. 23-38