Background
RAMANANTSOA, Gabriel was born on April 13, 1906 in Tananarive.
RAMANANTSOA, Gabriel was born on April 13, 1906 in Tananarive.
He was sent to complete his education in France at Marseille. Admitted as the first Malagasy to the French Military College at St Cyr, he was commissioned in 1932.
His first posting was to the French Moroccan Infantry Regiment stationed at Aix-en-Provence. From 1932 to 1935 he was assistant to the commandant for lhc Military Preparatory School for Madagascar cadets. After a year back "nth his regiment he served in Tunisia from 1936 to 1940. He took part in the battle of France in 1940 and was promoted captain. On his return to Madagascar in 1941 he was attached to the Cadet School at Fianarantsoa.
After commanding an infantry company at various garrison towns he was appointed commandant of the Cadet School at Fianarantsoa in 1943. He was Posted to the Ministry of Defence at arts in 1946, working in the department for colonial forces. In 1948 he returned to Madagascar serving in the tench High Commissioner’s office in charge of ex-serviceman's problems.
In 1963 he was sent to Indochina in the French army in Vietnam, here he commanded a battalion of African troops. He returned to France in 1955 with the rank of licutenant- polonel in the Ministry of Defence, stay, he was there until 1959, when he went to the Staff College. In 1960 he was ’’hlitary adviser to the Madagascar delegation during negotiations for independence from France. He returned at independence to be Commander in Chief of the Madagascar armed services. Promoted brigadier-general in 1961, he became lieutenant-general in 1967.
One of the first acts of his government was to lift the ban imposed by Tsirinana on the nationalist Monima party. He set about reducing the costs of government administration and abolished the unpopular poll tax. He went out of his way to applaud African liberation movements. In May 1973 at a tense period of negotiations with France he served notice for the evacuation of all French bases.
He was a career officer in the French army. After Madagascar became independent, he joined the Madagascar military, rising to the rank of Major General. In May 1972, amidst massive political protests, he became prime minister of the country, and a few months later, when President Philibert Tsiranana gave up power, Ramanantsoa became President, taking office on October 11, 1972. He tried to start political reconciliation. His government was nearly overthrown in December 1974. On February 5, 1975 he resigned amidst ethnic and social class tensions.