Upper volta

River Volta and his arms.

The Republic of Upper Volta (French: République de Haute-Volta; now the Republic of Burkina Faso) was established on December 11 from 1958 as an autonomous republic within the French Community. Before gaining independence it had been called French Upper Volta, part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960, it achieved full independence from France.

Thomas Sankara came to power in a military coup on August 4, 1983. Following the coup, he formed the National Council for the Revolution (CNR), with himself as president. Under Sankara's leadership the name of the country was changed, on August 4, 1984, from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, which means in the Mossi language "the homeland of upright men".

The name Upper Volta indicates that the country contained the upper course of the Volta River (Black Volta), and its two tributaries, the White Volta and the Red Volta, a tributary of the former. The colors of the Upper Volta flag represent these three rivers.

History

French Upper Volta was founded on March 1, 1919 under the Third Republic as part of French West Africa, from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and the Ivory Coast. The colony was later dissolved, dividing into the Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger on September 5, 1932. After World War II, on September 4, 1947, the colony became part of the French Union, with its previous limits.

A review in the organization of the French Overseas Territories began with the application of the Basic Law (“Loi Cadre”) of July 23, 1956. This was followed by reorganization measures approved by the French Parliament in 1957 that they ensured a high degree of self-government to individual territories. Upper Volta became an autonomous republic within the French Community on December 11, 1958.

Upper Volta achieved its independence on August 5, 1960. The first president, Maurice Yaméogo, was the leader of the Volta Democratic Union (UDV). The 1960 constitution accepted the right to elect, by universal suffrage, a president and a national assembly for 5-year terms. After coming to power, Yaméogo banned all political parties except the UDV. The government lasted until 1966, when, after many riots, the army intervened.

The military coup deposed Yaméogo, suspended the constitution, dissolved the National Assembly and placed Lieutenant-Colonel Sangoulé Lamizana at the head of the government. The army remained in power for four years, and on June 14, 1970, the inhabitants ratified a new constitution that established a four-year transition period until civilian rule was completed. Lamizana remained in power through the 1970s. Following a conflict with the 1970 constitution, a new constitution was written and approved in 1977, and Lamizana was re-elected through public elections in 1978.

The Lamizana government ran into problems with the country's traditionally powerful trade unions, and on November 25, 1980, Colonel Saye Zerbo overthrew President Lamizana in a bloodless coup. Colonel Zerbo established the Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress as the supreme government authority, thus eradicating the 1977 constitution.

Colonel Zerbo also encountered resistance from trade unions and was overthrown two years later, on November 7, 1982, by Major Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo and the Popular Salvation Council (CSP). The CSP continued to ban political parties and organizations.

Infighting broke out between the CSP moderates and the radicals, led by Captain Thomas Sankara, who was appointed prime minister in January 1983. Sankara's infighting and left-wing politics led to his arrest and subsequent efforts for producing his release, led by Captain Blaise Compaoré (who would later be his assassin). This effort ended in another military coup on August 4, 1983.

After the coup, Sankara formed the National Council for the Revolution (CNR), with himself as president. He also established Councils for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) to "mobilize the masses" and implement the CNR's revolutionary programs. It contained two small Marxist-Leninist intellectual groups. Sankara, Compaore, Captain Henri Zongo and Major Jean-Baptiste Lingani (all left-wing military officers) led to the creation of Burkina Faso (literally in the Mossi language, 'the country of upright men')..

Political leaders

Autonomous Republic of Upper Volta (1958-1960)

High Commissioners

• Max Berthet (11 December 1958 to February 1959)
• Paul Masson (February 1959-5 August 1960)

Presidents of the Governing Council

• Maurice Yaméogo (11 December 1958-5 August 1960)

Independent Republic of Upper Volta (1960-1984)

Heads of State

• Maurice Yaméogo (5 August 1960-4 January 1966)
• Sangoulé Lamizana (4 January 1966-25 November 1980)
• Saye Zerbo (25 November 1980-7 November 1982)
• Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo (8 November 1982-4 August 1983)
• Thomas Sankara (4 August 1983 to 4 August 1984)

Heads of Government

Position created in 1971:

• Gérard Kango Ouedraogo (13 February 1971-8 February 1974)
• Sangoulé Lamizana (8 February 1974-7 July 1978)
• Joseph Conombo (7 July 1978-25 November 1980)
• Saye Zerbo (25 November 1980-7 November 1982)
• Thomas Sankara (10 January 1983-15 October 1987)