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History of Burkina Faso
From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Burkina Faso.
Overview
The French administered the area indirectly through Mossi authorities until independence was achieved on August 5, 1960. The first President, Maurice Yameogo, amended the constitution soon after taking office to ban opposition political parties. His government lasted until 1966, when the first of several military coups placed Lt. Col. Sangoule Lamizana at the head of a government of senior army officers. Lamizana remained in power throughout the 1970s, as President of military and then elected governments.
With the support of unions and civil groups, Col. Saye Zerbo overthrew President Lamizana in 1980. Colonel Zerbo also encountered resistance from trade unions and was overthrown 2 years later by Maj. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo and the Council of Popular Salvation (CSP). Factional infighting developed between moderates in the CSP and radicals led by Capt. Thomas Sankara, who was appointed Prime Minister in January 1983, but was subsequently arrested. Efforts to bring about his release, directed by Capt. Blaise Compaore, resulted in yet another military coup d’etat, led by Sankara and Compaore on August 4, 1983.
Sankara established the National Revolutionary Committee with himself as President and vowed to "mobilize the masses." But the committee’s membership remained secret and was dominated by Marxist-Leninist military officers. In 1984, Upper Volta changed its name to Burkina Faso, meaning "the country of honorable people." But many of the strict security and austerity measures taken by Sankara provoked resistance. Despite his initial popularity and personal charisma, Sankara was assassinated in a coup which brought Capt. Blaise Compaore to power in October 1987.
Compaore pledged to pursue the goals of the revolution but to "rectify" Sankara’s "deviations" from the original aims. In fact, Compaore reversed most of Sankara’s policies and combined the leftist party he headed with more centrist parties after the 1989 arrest and execution of two colonels who had supported Compaore and governed with him up to that point.
Historical Eras
The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.
Mossi Kingdoms
1400 – 1896
The Mossi people established a series of powerful, centralized kingdoms — most notably Ouagadougou and Yatenga — that dominated the region of present-day Burkina Faso for nearly five centuries. These states were governed by sacred kings called Mogho Naabas and maintained remarkable political continuity, resisting incorporation into neighboring empires such as Mali and Songhai. Trade, cavalry warfare, and elaborate court hierarchies defined Mossi civilization throughout this era.
French Colonial Rule
1896 – 1960
French forces claimed the region in 1896, but sustained Mossi resistance ended only with the fall of Ouagadougou in 1901. The colony of Upper Volta was formally created in 1919, then dissolved and partitioned among neighboring territories in 1932 before being reconstituted within its present boundaries in 1947. France governed largely through existing Mossi authorities, and Upper Volta became a self-governing republic within the French Community in 1958.
First Republic & Early Coups
1960 – 1983
Upper Volta achieved independence on August 5, 1960, with Maurice Yaméogo as its first president, but he quickly banned opposition parties and was ousted in 1966 by Lt. Col. Sangoulé Lamizana, inaugurating an era of alternating military and civilian rule. Lamizana governed through the 1970s until Colonel Saye Zerbo toppled him in 1980, only to be overthrown himself in 1982 by Maj. Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo. Political instability, union opposition, and factional military rivalries defined these two decades.
Sankara Revolution
1983 – 1987
Captain Thomas Sankara seized power in a coup on August 4, 1983, launching an ambitious Marxist-inspired revolutionary program aimed at economic self-sufficiency, women's emancipation, anti-corruption, and mass mobilization. In 1984 he renamed the country Burkina Faso — "land of honorable people" — and introduced a new flag and anthem as symbols of the break with the colonial past. Sankara became a celebrated pan-African figure, but his austere policies generated opposition and he was assassinated on October 15, 1987, in a coup led by his former ally Blaise Compaoré.
Compaoré Era
1987 – 2014
Blaise Compaoré came to power pledging to "rectify" the revolution but swiftly reversed most of Sankara's policies, liberalizing the economy and consolidating personal authority. Multiparty elections were introduced in the early 1990s, yet Compaoré dominated every subsequent electoral cycle and amended the constitution to extend his tenure, including a controversial third term in 2005. His 27-year rule ended abruptly in October 2014 when mass popular protests forced him into exile after he attempted to remove presidential term limits entirely.
Instability & Insurgency
2014 – present
Following Compaoré's fall, transitional governance gave way to elected president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in 2015, but mounting jihadist insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates destabilized large swaths of the country's north and east. Two military coups in 2022 — the first bringing Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba to power and the second installing Captain Ibrahim Traoré — reflected the government's failure to contain the security crisis. Millions of civilians have been internally displaced, making Burkina Faso one of the world's most acute humanitarian emergencies.
Timeline Preview
The first 7 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.
1400
Mossi States
Mossi states were built up by peoples migrating from the north of modern Ghana
1896
kingdom of Ouagadougou
The French set up a protectorate over the kingdom of Ouagadougou
1904
kingdom of Ouagadougou
The kingdom of Ouagadougou becames part of the colony of Haut-Sénégal-Niger
1919
French West Africa
The kingdom of Ouagadougou is made into a separate constituent territory of French West Africa
1932
French Sudan
Land divided up in between the French Sudan and Côte d’ Ivoire
1947
Upper Volta
The land is reconstituted as the separate territory of Upper Volta.
1958
Upper Volta Self Governing Republic
Upper Volta becames a self-governing republic within the French community.