French West Africa with the exception of the Senegalese Communes, the administrative structure of French rule at the lower levels remained constant, based upon the Cercle system. This was the smallest unit of French political administration in French colonial Africa that was headed by a European officer. They might range in size, but French Sudan (modern Mali) consisted of less than a dozen Cercles for most of its existence. Thus, a Cercle Commander might be the absolute authority over hundreds of thousands of Africans. A Cercle consisted of several cantons, each of which in turn consisted of several villages, and was almost universal
French Colonial Union Colonial Union displayed an organization that was focused on change and advancement. The success of the French Colonial Union would directly influence the French colonies, and how France dealt with them. The French Colonial Union’s policy on membership was that it would not accept new members for the sake of numbers. The French Colonial Union’s goal was not to increase its numbers, but to increase its influence and impact through action not population. A few of its most prominent members include the first French Colonial President Emile Mercet and the Secretary General, for about twenty years, Joseph Chailley-Bert -one of