Opération Crevette: Benin, Mercenaries, and the Survival of a New State

Freshly out from under French colonial rule in 1960, the West African nation of Dahomey (now Benin) became home to the largest number of coups d’état in history, earning the reputation of the “sick child of Africa.” Country politics eventually aligned with Marxist and socialist ideologies stimulating French opposition that resulted in mercenary intervention. Opération Crevette: Benin, Mercenaries, and the Survival of a New State brings together the voices of the involved mercenaries, politi...