New French Imperialism, 1880-1910: The Third Republic and Colonial Expansion

by James J. Cooke

This book is essentially a study of the formation and implementation of French policy during the scramble for Africa, culminating in the penetration of Morocco. It analyses the roles of the leading colonial activists – Hanotaux, Delcassé, and Etienne – and the work of pressure groups like the Comité de l'Afrique Française and the publicists Joseph Chailley-Bert and Auguste Terrier. The relationship between the leaders, the Colonial Party in the French Chamber, and determined imperialists in Africa like Hubert Lyautey, is brilliantly revealed. Professor Cooke has written a fascinating account of France's most crusading era of colonialism and its leading personalities against the background of European diplomacy.

223 pages, Hardcover

First published April 26, 1973