Jean Ralaimongo (1885–1944) was a teacher who came to prominence after campaigning to get the French government to give citizenship to the people of Madagascar.

Nominally a cultural organisation, the literal translation of VVS as the iron and steel network gives better clues to its intentions.

[1] At the beginning of 1924 Ralaimongo was still in Paris meeting others of a socialist view including his roommate, the future Ho Chi Minh.

[3] These committees were called Délégations Économiques et Financières and were a victory for Ralaimongo, but the administration led them strongly, arguing with the colonists views and ignoring the Malagasy.

[1] By the time the next Governor General arrived, Léon Cayla, the police repressions had made heroes of the leaders of the 19 May demonstration.

The new General tried to increase the number of applications approved for French citizenship but it was still very low, and far short of the demonstrators demand for mass naturalisation.

[5] Ralaimongo died in 1944 and it was only at the end of World War II that the French Government allowed some form of democracy.