Present-day Chad is since the ninth century governed by Islamic states, like Kanem-Bornu in the twelfth and thirteenth century and Baguirmi and Ouddai in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. France penetrates the region in 1891, establishing their authority through military expeditions primarily against the Muslim kingdoms. In 1900 it starts the formal annexation and in 1911 it declares the region pacified. Chad becomes part of the colony of Ubangui-Chari-Chad, from 1910 constituent part of French Equatorial Africa The territory is divided into Ubangi-Chari and Chad in 1920: Chad becomes a seperate constituent part of French Equatorial Africa. Chad is granted the status of a French overseas territory in 1946 and when in 1958 French Equatorial Africa is dissolved, Chad gets autonomy as the Republic of Chad. (François) N'Garta Tombalbaye of the Parti Progressiste du Tchad (Progressive Party of Chad, PPT) becomes the first prime minister in 1959.

When Chad becomes independent in 1960 Tombalbaye becomes president. In 1961 his PPT merges with the main other party into the Union pour le Progrès du Tchad (Chad Progress Union, UPT), which becomes the only allowed party. Tombalbaye rules Chad until his assassination in 1975, when he is succeeded after a coup by Félix Malloum. During his period a civil war is going on between northerners and southerners. Malloum makes Hissène Habré prime minister in 1978.

In 1979 Goukouni Oueddei of the Front de Libération National Tchadien (Chad National Liberation Front, FROLINAT) becomes president in the so called National Union Transition Government. In 1980 the fight with the northerners, lead by Habré, resumes. Habré wins the civil war in 1982 and he becomes president. In 1990 Habré is overthrown by Idris Déby's Mouvement Patriotique du Salut (Patriotic Salvation Movement, MPS). Since 1996 Chad is a presidential democracy. The MPS wins the first elections in 1996, in which it gets a small majority, and Déby is re-elected president in 2001. The MPS wins also the elections of 2002, but it seems that Déby doesn't give the opposition a fair chance.