The Fashoda Incident

The Fashoda Incident

This small newspaper section addresses the infamous Fashoda Incident that occurred between Britain and France during a period of intense colonialism in Africa. It shares that the ex-Prime Minister of France, M. de Freycinet, is writing a book that promotes peace and cooperation between France and Britain.

The case he presents in his book says that England was in the right during the Fashoda Incident but could have easily handled the situation better than they did. He also refutes the claims of the French courts, who said that the French response was a mistake. Put simply, he is about to publish a work that will try to put to rest misconceptions about the event that have been circulating through the public in an attempt to resolve any bad feelings.

It is amazing to see this event described in an everyday context and even more fascinating that an ex-Prime Minister of France would declare England to be in the right, despite the competitive nature of colonial affairs. This entry is not only informational, but it also acts as an advertisement of sorts, presenting the name, author and content of a soon to be released book to the public eye. The information and arguments shared through the book may have strengthened Franco-British relations and helped lead to where the two powers stood during World War I.

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Jacob Stefonek
Jacob Stefonek
Student

The author, a student at Florida State University, was enrolled in the digital microhistory lab in fall 2016.