Shaping Imperial Youth: French Youth and the Ligue Coloniale de la Jeunesse in the Late Nineteenth Century.

This article examines the Ligue Coloniale de la Jeunesse (LCJ), a French association founded in 1897 by and for young men to promote and prepare them for careers in the French colonial empire. Through analysis of a 1898 booklet listing 288 members and other archival sources, it explores the social diversity, educational backgrounds, and colonial ambitions of these young men, highlighting how the LCJ combined propaganda, education, and assistance to shape an "imperial youth." The LCJ operated nationally with local branches, collaborating with established colonial organizations and offering activities such as conferences, scholarships, and travel opportunities to foster specialized colonial careers. While the LCJ was short-lived and its long-term impact limited, it illustrates the active role French youth played in imperial projects at the turn of the twentieth century and contributes to understanding youth as a socially constructed category intertwined with colonial ambitions.