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This article discusses the relevance of establishing colonial studies as a specific branch of historical study. It questions whether institutionalizing colonial history is the best path to follow in the current French context. French teaching and scholarship have undoubtedly fallen behind, especially compared to anglophone countries. Nevertheless, there is a risk of reinforcing the division between mainland France and overseas territories, a division which is nothing more than the old distinction between the Republic and the Empire which lasted throughout the Third and Fourth Republics. Additionally, colonial studies may run the risk of promoting research about non-European areas in Asia, Africa, and America, using sources exclusively written in European languages. Finally, the article is a plea for an integrated national, colonial, and international framework for studying former empires and still current colonial situations.