Emperor Bokassa I also known as Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa and Jean-Bédel Bokassa, [IPA: ʒɔ̃ bɛɪdɛl bɔkasa] (February 22, 1921–November 3, 1996) was the military ruler from January 1, 1966 of the Central African Republic and from December 4, 1976, sole emperor of the Central African Empire until his overthrow on September 20, 1979. February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... The Central African Empire was the name of the Central African Republic when president Jean-Bédel Bokassa declared himself Emperor Bokassa in 1977. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

Emperor Bokassa I

Biography

Bokassa was born in Bobangi, a village in Moyen-Congo, in the present Central African Republic (then a French colony called French Equatorial Africa). His father was a village chief. Motto: Unité, Travail, Progrès (French: Unity, Work, Progress) Anthem: La Congolaise Capital Brazzaville Largest city Brazzaville Official language(s) French Government Republic President Prime Minister Denis Sassou-Nguesso Isidore Mvouba Independence  - Date From France 15 August 1960 Area    - Total 342,000 km² (62nd)   132047 sq mi   - Water (%) 3. ... In various forms, France had colonial possessions since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s. ... French Equatorial Africa (French: ) was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert. ...

A career soldier, Bokassa joined the Free French Forces and ended World War II as a sergeant major with the Legion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre. By 1961 he had risen to the rank of captain. He left the French army in 1964 to join the army of the Central African Republic. As a cousin of the President David Dacko and nephew of Dacko's predecessor Barthélémy Boganda, Bokassa rose to the rank of colonel and chief of staff of the armed forces. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres in French) were French fighters in World War II, who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces after the surrender of France and German occupation, following the call of General De Gaulle, and the de jure government (Free French Government) of France... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... This article is about a military rank and position. ... French Legion of Honor The Légion dhonneur (Legion of Honor ( AmE) or Legion of Honour ( ComE)) is an Order of Chivalry awarded by the President of France. ... The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of both Belgium and France which was first created in 1915. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Captain is both a nautical term and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ... French soldiers of the IFOR in Mostar, 1995. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... David Dacko (24 March 1930 – 20 November 2003) was the first post-independence President of the Central African Republic. ... Barthélemy Boganda (4 April 1910 – 29 March 1959) was the leading pre-independence nationalist in the Central African Republic. ... Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ...

On January 1, 1966, with the country in economic turmoil, Bokassa overthrew the autocratic Dacko in a swift coup d'état and assumed power as president of the Republic and head of the sole political party, the Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique Noire (MESAN). Bokassa abolished the constitution of 1959 on January 4 and began to rule by decree. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means by a part of the state establishment that mostly replaces just the top power figures. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Rule by decree is a style of governance allowing quick, unchallenged creation of law by a single person or group, and is used primarily by dictators and absolute monarchs. ...

In April 1969, an attempted coup was the impetus for Bokassa further consolidating his power. In March 1972, Bokassa declared himself president for life. He survived another coup attempt in December 1974 and an assassination attempt in February 1976. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... President for Life is a title assumed by some dictators to ensure that their authority, legitimacy, and term is never questioned or disputed. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ...

After a meeting with Moammar al-Qadhafi of Libya, Bokassa decided to convert to Islam and changed his name to Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa. It is presumed that this was a ploy calculated to ensure ongoing Libyan financial aid. Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qaddafi 1 (Arabic: معمر القذافي Mu`ammar al-Qadhdhāfī) (born 1942), leader of Libya since 1970 and a controversial Arab statesman. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ...

In September 1976, Bokassa dissolved the government and replaced it with the Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine 'Central African Revolutionary Council'. On December 4, 1976, at the MESAN congress, Bokassa declared the republic a monarchy, the Central African Empire. He issued an imperial constitution, converted back to Catholicism and had himself crowned Emperor Bokassa I on December 4, 1977, in a lavish ceremony clearly trying to copy Napoléon I Bonaparte who converted the French revolutinary republic of which he was First Consul into the First French Empire (but after conquering an empire second to no contemporary power), his full title being Empereur de Centrafrique par la volonté du peuple Centrafricain, uni au sein du parti politique national, le MESAN, "Emperor of Central Africa by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN"). Bokassa attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. Over $20 million was spent on the coronation (consuming one quarter of his nations annual revenue, the type of overspending that had spelled to end for the French kingdom holding lavish court at Versailles), but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. Many thought Bokassa was insane, and compared his egotistical extravagance with that of Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, Idi Amin. It was rumored that he occasionally consumed human flesh. However, this claim was proven frivolous and false during his trial. December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people of that state or country. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... The Central African Empire was the name of the Central African Republic when president Jean-Bédel Bokassa declared himself Emperor Bokassa in 1977. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... INSANE is a proprietary INteractive Streaming ANimation Engine developped by LucasArts. ... Idi Amin on a ten-shilling note Idi Amin (May 17, 1924[1] – August 16, 2003) was an army officer and President of Uganda (1971 to 1979). ... Cannibalism in Brazil in 1557 as described by Hans Staden. ...

Though it was claimed that the new Empire would be a constitutional monarchy, no significant democratic reforms were made, and suppression of dissenters remained widespread. Torture was said to be especially rampant, with allegations that even Bokassa himself occasionally participated in beatings. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Torture is any act by which severe discomfort, whether physical pain or psychological pressure, is intentionally inflicted on a person as a means of intimidation, a deterrent, revenge, a punishment, or as a method for the extraction of information or confessions (i. ...

Despite the country's decline into dictatorship, France remained a supporter of Bokassa. French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was a friend and loyal supporter of the emperor, and supplied the regime with much financial and military backing. In exchange, Bokassa frequently took d'Estaing on hunting trips in Africa and supplied France with uranium, a mineral which was vital for France's nuclear weapons program. As the years went on however, the French media grew increasingly critical of d'Estaing's close relationship with Bokassa, particularly after the Canard Enchaîné satiric newspaper revealed that the emperor had been giving the president frequent gifts of diamonds. This article needs to be updated. ... General Name, Symbol, Number uranium, U, 92 Chemical series actinides Group, Period, Block n/a, 7, f Appearance silvery gray metallic; corrodes to a spalling black oxide coat in air Atomic mass 238. ... France is said to have an arsenal of 350 nuclear weapons stockpiled as of 2002 [1]. The weapons are part of the national Force de frappe. ... Le Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France, founded in 1915, featuring investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as a large number of jokes and humoristic cartoons. ... Diamonds () is one of the four suits found in playing cards. ...

By January 1979, French support for Bokassa had all but eroded after riots in Bangui led to a massacre of civilians. On April 17 to April 19 a number of schoolchildren were arrested after they had protested against wearing the expensive, government-required school uniforms. Around 100 were killed. Former President Dacko was able to gain French support and lead a successful coup using French troops while Bokassa was absent in Libya on September 20, 1979. This page refers to the year 1979. ... Bangui is the capital of and the largest city in the Central African Republic. ... Several hundred students in uniform during an assembly Nan Hua High School. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

Dacko remained president until he was overthrown on September 20, 1981 by André Kolingba. September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... André Diuedonne Kolingba (born August 12, 1935) was president of the Central African Republic from 1981 to 1993. ...

Bokassa fled to Ivory Coast and later lived in exile in France near Paris (France gave him asylum becouse of his French Foreign Legion history). Motto: (translation) Unity, Discipline and Labour Anthem: LAbidjanaise Capital Yamoussoukro (official) Abidjan (de facto) Largest city Abidjan Official language(s) French Government Republic  - President Laurent Gbagbo  - Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny Independence From France   - Date August 7, 1960  Area    - Total 322,460 km² (67th)   124,502 sq mi   - Water... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation). ... The French Foreign Legion (French: Légion Étrangère) is a unique unit within the French Army established in 1831. ...

Bokassa had been sentenced to death ‘in absentia’ in December 1980 but he returned from exile in France on October 24, 1986, he was arrested and tried for treason, murder, cannibalism and embezzlement. Following an emotional trial over some months he was cleared of the cannibalism charges but was sentenced to death on June 12, 1987. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in February 1988 and then reduced further to twenty years. With the return of democracy in 1993, Kolingba declared a general amnesty for all prisoners as one of his final acts as president, and Bokassa was released on August 1. He had 17 wives and a reported 50 children. He died of a heart attack on November 3, 1996. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to ones nation or state. ... Cannibalism in Brazil in 1557 as described by Hans Staden. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Amnesty (from the Greek amnestia, oblivion) is an act of justice by which the supreme power in a state restores those who may have been guilty of any offence against it to the position of innocent persons. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Sources and External links

Bokassa's official site: http://mysite.verizon.net/respzyir/jean-bedel-bokassa/index.html

• Imperial stamp example
• Imperial currency example
• Imperial flag
• WorldStatesme- CAR
• The Big Man (Info on Bokassa and other African Rulers)

David Dacko (24 March 1930 – 20 November 2003) was the first post-independence President of the Central African Republic. ... List of Heads of State of Central African Republic and Central African Empire (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) Affiliations:- See also:- Central African Republic Central African Empire Heads of Government of the Central African Republic (and Central African Empire) Colonial Heads of Central Africa Lists of... David Dacko (24 March 1930 – 20 November 2003) was the first post-independence President of the Central African Republic. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... The Central African Empire was the name of the Central African Republic when president Jean-Bédel Bokassa declared himself Emperor Bokassa in 1977. ...

Presidents of the Central African Republic
Dacko | Bokassa | Dacko | Kolingba | Patassé | Bozizé Emperor: Bokassa (1976–1979)