Home > Théophile Delcassé

He was born at Pamiers , in the département of Ariège. He wrote articles on foreign affairs for the République Française and Paris, and in 1888 was elected conseiller général of his native department, standing as "un disciple fidèle de Léon Gambetta." In the following year he entered the chamber as deputy for Foix. He was appointed under-secretary for the colonies in the second Ribot cabinet (January to April 1893), and retained his post in the Dupuy cabinet till its fall in December 1893. It was largely owing to his efforts that the French colonial office was made a separate department with a minister at its head, and to this office he was appointed in the second Dupuy cabinet (May 1894 to January 1895). He gave a great impetus to French colonial enterprise, especially in West AfricaWest Africa is an area with a great span of geography, bioregions, and cultures. The continent of Africa is principally oriented on a north-south axis, with a bulge to the west, and it is this bulge which may be considered West Africa. The southern and ea, where he organized the newly acquired colony of DahomeyDahomey was an African kingdom situated in what is now Benin. The kingdom was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until the late nineteenth century, when it was conquered by French troops from Senegal and incorporated into France's West Africa, and despatched the Liotard mission to the Upper Ubangi.

While in opposition, he devoted special attention to naval affairs, and in noted speeches he declared that the function. of the French navy was to secure and develop colonial enterprise, deprecated all attempts to rival the British fleet, and advocated the construction of commerce destroyers as France's best reply to EnglandEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England. On the formation of the second Brisson cabinet in June 1898Events January 1 New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. January 13 Emile Zola's J'accus he succeeded Albert Auguste Gabriel Hanotaux at the foreign office, and retained that post under the subsequent premierships of Dupuy, Waldeck-Rousseau, Combesmile Combes ( 1835 1921) was a French statesman. mile Combes was born in Roquecourbe in the Tarn department''. He studied for the priesthood, but abandoned the idea before ordination, and took the diploma of doctor of letters 1800). Then he studied medici and RouvierMaurice Rouvier ( April 17, 1842 June 7, 1911) was a French statesman. He was born at Aix, and spent his early career in business at Marseilles. He supported Leon Gambetta's candidature there in 1867, and in 1870 he founded an anti-imperial journal, L'Ega.

In 1898Events January 1 New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. January 13 Emile Zola's J'accus he had to deal with the delicate situation caused by Captain Marchand's occupation of Fashoda , for which, as he admitted in a speech in the chamber on 23 January, 1899, he accepted full responsibility, since it arose directly out of the Liotard expedition; and in March 1899 he concluded an agreement with Britain by which the difficulty was finally adjusted, and France consolidated her vast colonial empire in North-West Africa. In the same year he acted as mediator between the United States of America and Spain, and brought the peace negotiations to a successful conclusion.

He improved relations between France and Italy: at the same time, he adhered firmly to the alliance with Russia, and in August 1899 made a visit to St Petersburg, which he repeated in April 1901. In June 1900 he made an arrangement with Spain, fixing the long-disputed boundaries of the French and Spanish possessions in West Africa. Finally he concluded the important Agreements of 1904 with the UK, covering colonial and other questions which had long been a matter of dispute, especially concerning Egypt, Newfoundland and Morocco. Suspicion of the growing entente between France and England soon arose in Germany, and in 1905 German assertiveness was shown in a crisis which was forced on in the matter of French policy by Delcassé personally was a sore point with Germany. The situation became acute in April, and was only relieved by Delcassé's resignation.

He retired into private life, was prevailed upon to return in 1909 as chairman of a commission appointed to investigate French navy. Later he promulgated closer cooperation between the British and French fleets. This arrangement was an important factor in leading Britain to side with France against Germany when World War I started. He continued during the war as foreign minister, before retiring in 1915.