Great Britain controlled the territories depicted in yellow and France controlled the territories depicted in pink. Both countries wished to connect their scattered territories by means of railroad systems. The problem was that both countries wanted control of Fashoda, which is right on the Nile. Both countries sent forces to the area, Britain's being led by Sir herbert Kitchener, and France's being led by Jean-Baptiste Marchand. Marchand arrived and held fort at Fashoda for two months before Kitchener eventually arrived. With both forces on the brink of military entanglement, the two generals agreed to fly the flags of both countries. However, this did nothing to ease the tension. The new foreign minister of France, Theophile Delcasse, was eager to gain Britain's aid in their crusade against Germany, and so he went against the public and decided to concede at the fort, allowing Britain complete control. However, with the reopening of the Dreyfus Affair, the French public was not too upset with Delcasse's decision.
(Major Marchand at Fashoda)
(Major Marchand at Fashoda)
3 comments:
I had to think long and hard about your post, because at first it didn't makes sense why a compromise couldn't be reached on the railroad. Then I remembered that nothing made sense and the nations never wanted to play on the same team! Such ridiculousness over railroads that were never finished.
Railroads were such an important part of colonial expansion -- think of the American West and the first railroad that crossed it. That spelled the end for the buffalo and for the freedom of Native Peoples.
Also amazing to me how the fate of Africa is all about European armies.
Ha, I didn't see you. You could have shot me in the neck with a poisoned dart. Anyway, it's nice to see that England and France weren't content to keep their centuries-long animosity confined to just the European continent.
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