While Chad’s colonial period was relatively short (about 60 years), it was marked by violence. In this region considered both difficult and unprofitable, the French ruled by the force of arms. The article is a review of existing works on armed repression and mass violence under colonial rule. It shows that Chad remains an under-studied country. While some episodes of armed repression and mass violence have been studied, and remain in the collective memory, others have never been thoroughly researched. The article points out what is known (or not) about the various outbreaks of mass violence and which historical events are yet to be documented.