Sylvanus Olympio
Sylvanus Épiphanio Olympio (French pronunciation: [silvany epifanjo ɔlɛ̃pjo]; 6 September 1902 – 13 January 1963) was a Togolese politician who served as prime minister, and then president, of Togo from 1958 until his assassination in 1963.After World War II, Olympio became prominent in efforts for independence of Togo and his party won the 1958 election, making him the prime minister of the country.[2] His uncle, Octaviano Olympio, had located his business in Lomé, which would become the capital of the protectorate, and quickly became one of the richest people in the German and then French colony of Togoland.[7][6] During World War II, the colony came under the control of the Vichy France government which treated the Olympio family with general suspicion because of their ties to the British.He was not part of the alliances between France and their ex-colonies (notably not joining the African and Malagasy Union) and fostered connections with former British colonies (namely Nigeria) and the United States.[5] Domestic politics was largely defined by Olympio's efforts to restrain spending and develop his country without being reliant on outside support and repression of opposition parties.[3][15] However, an increasing number of French troops began returning to their homes in Togo and were not provided enlistment in the limited Togolese military because of its small size.Emmanuel Bodjolle and Kléber Dadjo, the leaders in the Togo military, repeatedly tried to get Olympio to increase funding and enlist more of the ex-French army troops returning to the country, but were unsuccessful.Following a 1961 unsuccessful attempt on Olympio's life in which Grunitzky's Togolese Progress Party and the Juvento movement under Antoine Meatchi were accused, the opposition was outlawed.Guinea, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, and Tanganyika all denounced the coup and the assassination, while only Senegal and Ghana (and to a lesser extent Benin) recognized the government of Grunitzky and Meatchi until elections in May.
President of TogoEmmanuel BodjolléPrime Minister of TogoJoseph Kokou KoffigohKpanduTogolandParty of Togolese UnityDina GrunitzkyOctaviano OlympioChico OlympioHarry OlympioNicolas GrunitzkyGilchrist OlympioTogoleseprime ministerpresidentLondon School of EconomicsUnilever1961 election1963 Togolese coup d'étatBrazilianAgouéTabom peopleAmaro peopleSociety for the Divine WordHarold LaskiUnited Africa CompanyVichy FranceDjougouFrench DahomeyUnited Nations Trusteeship CouncilComité de l'unité togolaiseTogolese Progress PartyAhmed Sékou TouréWestern BlocJohn F. KennedyKwame NkrumahEwe peopleAfrican and Malagasy UnionEmmanuel BodjolleKléber DadjoÉtienne Eyadémaone-party stateJuventoAntoine MeatchiLeon B. Poulladacoup d'étatOrganisation of African UnityUnion of Forces for ChangeThe Daily TelegraphPresidentsBodjolléGrunitzkyG. EyadémaF. GnassingbéPrime ministersKoffigohE. KodjoKlutseAdoboliA. KodjoAgboyiboHoungboAhoomey-ZunuKlassouDogbé