BOKASSA I CENTRAL AFRICA EMPEROR PENDANT MEDAL

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

BOKASSA I CENTRAL AFRICA EMPEROR PENDANT MEDAL :
$8.00

Obverse : \"Bokassa with its crown

Reverse : \"Sa Majeste imperiale Bokassa 1er\"

Dimensions: 22 x 14 mm or 0.86 x 0.55 inch.

Jean-Bédel Bokassa(1921 – 1996), also known asBokassa I of Central AfricaandSalah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa, was a military officer and the head of state of theCentral African Republicand its successor state, theCentral African Empire, from hiscoup d\'étaton 1 January 1966 until overthrown in a subsequent coup (supported byFrance) on 20 September 1979. Of this period, he served almost eleven years (1 January 1966 – 4 December 1976) aspresident(the last four years aspresident for life), and for almost three years he reigned as self-proclaimed Emperor of Central Africa, though he was a military dictator. His \"imperial\" regime lasted from 4 December 1976 to 20 September 1979. Following his overthrow, the Central African Republic was restored under his predecessor,David Dacko. Bokassa\'s imperial title did not achieve international diplomatic recognition.

Born inUbangi-ShariinFrench Equatorial Africa, the son of a village chief, Bokassa was orphaned at age 12. Educated in mission schools, he joined theFrench colonial armyin 1939 as aprivate. He distinguished himself in thewar in Indochina, winning medals and rising to the rank ofcaptain. When Ubangi-Shari gained its independence as the Central African Republic in 1960, the new presidentDavid Dacko, who was his distant cousin, invited Bokassa to head the armed forces.In 1966, Bokassa used his position to oust Dacko and declared himself president. He then began a reign of terror, taking all important government posts for himself.[2]He personally supervised judicial beatings and introduced a rule that thieves would have an ear cut off for the first two offenses and a hand for the third. In December 1976, inemulationof his heroNapoleon, he appointed himself emperor of theCentral African Empire, with acoronation ceremonyin 1977 costingUS$20 million ($80 million today), practically bankrupting the country. His diamond-encrusted crown alone cost $5 million ($20 million today).In 1979 he had hundreds of schoolchildren arrested for refusing to buy uniforms from a company owned by one of his wives. Bokassa was reported to have personally supervised the massacre of 100 of the schoolchildren by his Imperial Guard.

On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile inFrancewhere he had achâteauand other property bought with the money he hadembezzled.[2]After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as theCentral African Republic. In hisabsence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial fortreasonandmurder. In 1987, he was cleared of charges ofcannibalism, but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. Thedeath sentencewas later commuted to life insolitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital,Bangui, and died in November 1996.