Abstract
This article discusses the infamous Bataillons d’Afrique to which French former criminals were sent to complete their duty of military service. The ‘Bat d’Af’ were created to prevent the young male bourgeoisie from having to mix with these ‘undesirables’ and ‘reprobates’, and they were stationed well away from the mainland in France’s North African colonies. This article discusses themes such as discipline, punishment, torture, homosexuality, interracial power relations, and delinquent ‘cultures’ in this imperial context.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 4 |
| Pages (from-to) | 321-329 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | French Cultural Studies |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 28 Oct 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 28 Oct 2018 |
Keywords
- Biribi
- Bataillons d’Afrique
- disciplinary military battalions
- French empire
- military prisons
