Wk. 9 Jules Ferry, On French Colonial Expansion (1884)

Question 1

Jules Ferry, On French Colonial Expansion (1884)

Answer 1

Jules Ferry (1832-1893) was Prime Minister of France, leader of the French liberal party, and a strong advocate for imperialism. In this speech Ferry explained why colonial expansion was necessary.

What did Ferry think were the economic, political, and civilizing ideas behind empire?

• civilize the uncivilized, provide ports for trade and ports for military assertion throughout the world.

How did France’s relationship with its neighbors affect the need for empire?

• France saw all it’s neighbors as rivals – competitors who France must face economically (southern US states), politically, and militarily.

Was France’s empire, as described by Ferry, altruistic or selfish?

• France claimed that they have a “duty to civilize others” trying to sound like they were being altruistic but failing miserably against the obvious racism and elitism. “I repeat, that the superior races have a right because they have a duty. They have the duty to civilize the inferior races…In the history of earlier centuries these duties, gentlemen, have often been misunderstood; and certainly, when the Spanish soldiers and explorers introduced slavery into Central America, they did not fulfill their duty as men of a higher race…But, in our time, I maintain that European nations acquit themselves with generosity, with grandeur, and with sincerity of this superior civilizing duty”
• Feared that the number of outlets for exports were decreasing due to three things: “Yes, what our major industries [textiles, etc.], irrevocably steered by the treaties of 1860/1 into exports, lack more and more are outlets. Why? Because next door Germany is setting up trade barriers; because across the ocean the United States of America have become protectionists, and extreme protectionists at that; because not only are these great markets…shrinking, becoming more and more difficult of access, but these great states are beginning to pour into our own markets products not seen there before”
• The French were suffering from new competition and even feared the loss of the Southern States in the US that had been theirs and theirs alone for such a long time. “because not only are these great markets…shrinking, becoming more and more difficult of access, but these great states are beginning to pour into our own markets products not seen there before. This is true not only for our agriculture, which has been so sorely tried…and for which competition is no longer limited to the circle of large European states…Today, as you know, competition, the law of supply and demand, freedom of trade, the effects of speculation, all radiate in a circle that reaches to the ends of the earth. That is a great complication, a great economic difficulty…an extremely serious problem. It is so serious, gentlemen, so acute, that the least informed persons must already glimpse, foresee, and take precautions against the time when the great South American market that has, in a manner of speaking, belonged to us forever will be disputed and perhaps taken away from us by North American products. Nothing is more serious; there can be no graver social problem; and these matters are linked intimately to colonial policy.”
• Ferry argues that their survival and prosperity rely on colonial expansion because it provides “safe harbours” necessary for trade and military assertion. “I say that French colonial policy, the policy of colonial expansion, the policy that has taken us under the Empire, to Saigon, to Indochina [Vietnam], that has led us to Tunisia, to Madagascar – I say that this policy of colonial expansion was inspired by…the fact that a navy such as ours cannot do without safe harbors, defenses, supply centers on the high seas… Are you unaware of this? Look at a map of the world.”
• He stresses that military power relies on a strong, well-supplied navy, thus the need for ports to continue colonial expansion.“The conditions of naval warfare have greatly changed…At present, as you know, a warship, however perfect its design, cannot carry more than two weeks’ supply of coal; and a vessel without coal is a wreck on the high seas, abandoned to the first occupier. Hence the need to have places of supply, shelters, ports for defense and provisioning…And that is why we needed Tunisia; that is why we needed Saigon and Indochina; that is why we need Madagascar…and why we shall never leave them!”
• To relinquish conquest means to fall in global importance and power. “Spreading light without acting, without taking part in the affairs of the world, keeping out of all European alliances and seeing as a trap, an adventure, all expansion into Africa or the Orient – for a great nation to live this way, believe me, is to abdicate and, in less time than you may think, to sink from the first rank to the third and fourth.”