The French arrived at Segou in 1866, and by 1898 they had conquered all of Mali, overcoming opposition led by Samori Toure. After two decades of French military rule, the area became the colony of French Soudan, a part of the Federation of French West Africa (established 1895). In 1959 the colonies of Soudan and Senegal joined to form the Mali Federation, which became independent in 1960. The federation collapsed shortly thereafter, and Soudan became the Republic of Mali
