[sofixa]

It was all damages - lost property (land and slaves), deaths, lost profits, etc. It was a terrible but necessary sacrifice on the part of Haiti because it was the only way France would recognise their independence, which paved the way for other countries to do the same (but nobody was forthcoming on their own either out of fear of pissing of France or their own slaves/colonies rebelling).

[giraffe_lady]

It was only necessary because france required it. And they could have stopped requiring it any time in the next 120 years and didn't.

[sofixa]

France required compensation money in exchange for recognition of Haiti (which was Haiti's only choice at the time, nobody else wanted to recognise them). Because of course Haiti didn't have the money nor any realistic prospects of coming up with the money soon (not only was their infrastructure decimated by the slave revolts and civil war and revolution and various campaigns, their cash crops were only viable with slave labour, so unviable in the free Haiti), French banks provided loans at exorbitant rates to pay France. Those loans were the ones that Haiti was still paying, to French banks, not France the country. Banks have zero interest of forgiving loans, regardless of ethics, so it's not at all surprising they never did.

[giraffe_lady]

I'm not surprised I'm saying it's bad though.

> regardless of ethics

Yes, that's the bad part.