Countryside of Sudan
The territory of the French Sudan (current Mali) has its political origin in the desire conceived by the French as of the XVIIe century to arrive until Tombouctou. But Faidherbe was the first to extend the French domination until the Niger. Governor of the Senegal (1854 - 1865) it prepared of it the realization which carried out later, of 1881 with 1895, Brière of Isle, Borgnis-Desbord, Combes, Gallieni, Louis Archinard, De Trentinian. The destruction of the Kingdom Bambara de Ségou, the conquest of the Royaume will bambara of Kaarta, of the Empire peul of Macina, Tombouctou, the Yagenta and of the Mossi, such were the great stages of the French colonial progression in the valley of the Niger.
Consequently the organization of the general government of the French Western Africa became possible (AOF), which naturally entered French Sudan. It was very quickly dislocated because of its excessive extent (Niger, Chad, the Upper Volta). The High-Senegal-Niger began again in 1920 its glorious name of colony of French Sudan. In 1960, French Sudan became an independent state under the name of Mali with Bamako like capital.