List of colonial governors of Madagascar

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French colonial governor of Madagascar
Gouverneur colonial français de Madagascar
Seal of the Government-General of Madagascar.svg
Seal of the Government-General of Madagascar
Leon Cayla-1930.jpg
Longest serving
Léon Henri Charles Cayla

1 May 1930 – 22 April 1939
Reports to Head of State of France
Seat Tananarive
Formation28 April 1886
First holder Charles Le Myre de Vilers (as Plenipotentiary)
Final holder Jean Louis Marie André Soucadaux (as High Commissioner)
Abolished1 May 1959
Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies, 1930. Madagascar et dependances.png
Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies, 1930.

In 1882, the French Third Republic established a protectorate over the Merina Kingdom on the island of Madagascar, with the consent of the United Kingdom. The French position on the island was solidified by the First Madagascar expedition (May 1883 to December 1885, the first phase of the Franco-Hova Wars). The protectorate lasted until 1897, when the French abolished the monarchy and turned the island into a colony, following the Second Madagascar expedition (December 1894 to September 1895, the second and last phase of the Franco-Hova Wars). Afterwards, Madagascar remained part of the French colonial empire until 1958, when the autonomous Malagasy Republic was established. The Republic gained full independence in 1960.

Contents

List

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

TenureIncumbentNotesPortrait
Malagasy Protectorate (1882–1897)
28 April 1886 to March 1888 Charles Le Myre de Vilers ,
Plenipotentiary
1st term
Le Myre de vilers administrateur 05096.jpg
March 1888 to 12 December 1889 Paul Augustin Jean Larrouy ,
Resident-General
1st term
12 December 1889 to 11 October 1891 Maurice Bompard ,
Resident-General
Portrait du Maurice Bompard, ambassadeur de France a Saint-Petersbourg.jpg
11 October 1891 to October 1892 Jean Aurélien Lacoste ,
Acting Resident-General
October 1892 to 8 September 1894 Paul Augustin Jean Larrouy ,
Resident-General
2nd term
October 1894 Albert d'Anthouard de Waservas ,
Acting Resident-General
14 October 1894 to 1 December 1895 Charles Le Myre de Vilers ,
Plenipotentiary
2nd time; served at the start of the Menalamba rebellion
Le Myre de vilers administrateur 05096.jpg
September 1894 to 21 February 1895 Achille Ranchot ,
Acting Resident-General
For de Vilers
February 1895 to 1 December 1895 Robert Édouard Alphonse Chaloin ,
Acting Resident-General
For de Vilers
1 December 1895 to 28 September 1896 Hippolyte Laroche ,
Resident-General
28 September 1896 to 31 July 1897 Joseph Gallieni ,
Resident-General
Joseph Gallieni 01.jpg
Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies (1897–1958)
6 August 1896 to 31 July 1897 Joseph Gallieni ,
Military Governor
Joseph Gallieni 01.jpg
31 July 1897 to 11 May 1905 Joseph Gallieni ,
Governor-General
Served during the 1904–1905 uprising
11 May 1905 to 1 January 1906 Charles Louis Lépreux ,
Acting Governor-General
1 January 1906 to 13 December 1909 Victor Augagneur ,
Governor-General
Jean-Victor Augagneur-1914.jpg
13 December 1909 to 16 January 1910 Hubert Auguste Garbit ,
Acting Governor-General
1st term
Antsirabe-05.jpg
16 January 1910 to 31 October 1910 Henri François Charles Cor ,
Acting Governor-General
31 October 1910 to 5 August 1914 Albert Jean George Marie Louis Picquié ,
Governor-General
Albert Picquie Madagascar.jpg
5 August 1914 to 14 October 1914 Hubert Auguste Garbit ,
Acting Governor-General
2nd term
Antsirabe-05.jpg
14 October 1914 to 24 July 1917 Hubert Auguste Garbit ,
Governor-General
24 July 1917 to 1 August 1918 Martial Henri Merlin ,
Governor-General
Martial Merlin.jpg
1 August 1918 to 12 July 1919 Abraham Schrameck ,
Governor-General
Abraham Schrameck 1912 (cropped).jpg
12 July 1919 to 22 June 1920 Marie Casimir Joseph Guyon ,
Acting Governor-General
22 June 1920 to 13 March 1923 Hubert Auguste Garbit ,
Governor-General
3rd term
Antsirabe-05.jpg
13 March 1923 to 20 February 1924 Auguste Charles Désiré Emmanuel Brunet ,
Acting Governor-General
Auguste Brunet-1929.jpg
20 February 1924 to 30 January 1929 Marcel Achille Olivier ,
Governor-General
Marcel Olivier, Exposition coloniale 1931.jpg
30 January 1929 to 1 May 1930 Hugues Jean Berthier ,
Acting Governor-General
1 May 1930 to 22 April 1939 Léon Henri Charles Cayla ,
Governor-General
1st term
Leon Cayla-1930.jpg
22 April 1939 to 10 June 1939 Léon Maurice Valentin Réallon ,
Acting Governor-General
10 June 1939 to 30 July 1940 Jules Marcel de Coppet ,
Governor-General
1st term
30 July 1940 to 11 April 1941 Léon Henri Charles Cayla ,
Governor-General
2nd term
Leon Cayla-1930.jpg
11 April 1941 to 30 September 1942 Armand Léon Annet ,
Governor-General
Deposed in the Battle of Madagascar
5 May 1942 to 11 October 1942 Robert Sturges ,
Commander
British occupation
Robert Grice Sturges.jpg
11 October 1942 to 1945 Gerald Smallwood ,
Commander
25 September 1942 to 7 January 1943 Anthony Sillery ,
Occupied Territories Administrator
30 September 1942 to 7 January 1943 Victor Marius Bech ,
Acting Governor-General
7 January 1943 to 3 May 1943 Paul Louis Victor Marie Legentilhomme ,
High Commissioner of Free French Possessions in the Indian Ocean
3 May 1943 to 27 March 1946 Pierre de Saint-Mart ,
Governor-General
27 March 1946 to 19 May 1946 Robert Boudry ,
Acting Governor-General
19 May 1946 to 23 December 1947 Jules Marcel de Coppet ,
High Commissioner
2nd term; served at the start of the Malagasy Uprising
February 1948 to 3 February 1950 Pierre Gabriel de Chevigné ,
High Commissioner
3 February 1950 to October 1954 Robert Isaac Bargues ,
High Commissioner
October 1954 to 1 May 1959 Jean Louis Marie André Soucadaux ,
High Commissioner

See also

Sources

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