The history of the land known as Chad, named after its inland sea, Lake Chad, can be traced back to around 2000BCE and is the home of some of the more important African archaeological sites. From 1883 to 1893 Rabih al-Zubayr of Sudan conquered lands in the area however was defeated by the French in 1900 and after continued conflict, France finally completed its conquest of Chad and absorbed it as a colony within French Equatorial Africa. In truth, France governed the south of the country, but history records its rule was nominal in the Muslim north. At the end of the Second World War Chad, like many French ruled colonies, became an 'overseas territory' and was granted its own parliament and representation within the French National Assembly. Chad was formally granted independence from France on 11th August 1960 with the leader of Chad's largest political party, the Chadian Progressive Party (PPT) becoming its first president.

President François Tombalbaye followed in the history of so many other newly elected or appointed leaders of the emerging independent African nations and banned opposition parties and established one party rule. This ban triggered violent opposition in the nominally governed and mainly Muslim population in the north of Chad and there followed three decades of civil war including invasions from Libya before some semblance of peace was established in 1990 although there have continued to be rebel insurrections to the present day. Today Chad is a country where even aid agencies fear to work, with aid workers subject to being taken hostage by bandits, and regular suspension of aid work programs occur due to the severe danger to staff there. According to a report published by the United Nations in 2011 "The recruitment and use of children by armed forces and other armed groups in Chad persists". This video documentary charts the recent history of Chad where violence and instability still flare periodically.