BRITISH AND FRENCH ACTIVITIES IN EGYPT British and French traders were trading with the Sudan Use of the Red Sea as a shorter route to India

French and British merchants Looking for Ivory in the Sudan Building of the Suez in 1869 by French engineer. Linking Mediterranean to the Red sea, a shorter route to India. Suez canal was financed by British, French and Egyptian finances Britain also constructs many railways connecting important ports –tools of exploitation The trading facilities also benefited Arabs in the area

British worried Britain becomes afraid that Arabs might endanger shipping in the Suez. During this time, Egyptian ruler Khedive Ismail took 2 dangerous policies- expansion to Sudan to get slaves for his army & modernization of Egypt. These were expensive ventures and also due to financial mismanagement Egypt became bankrupt

Egypt bankrupt Borrowed heavily to survive. Britain and France intervened and took charge of Egyptian finances and Britain took Egyptian shares in the Suez Canal Egyptians not happy that their country is mortgaged Hence a revolt to rid Egypt of foreigners led by Arabi Pasha. Britain and France due to heavy financial commitment in the Suez could not let anarchy in Egypt since the route would be risky hence Britain invaded and occupied Egypt and crushed Arabis forces thinking their invasion was temporary the were dam wrong

Egypt taken for economic reasons With majority shares in the Suez, Britain slowly started to push the French out so as to control the Suez, a great trade route to East. Britain cannot leave Egypt which is now a major trading center and Suez very strategic

The French France does not want to leave they too had put money into the Suez, secondly they believed Egypt was part of their heritage from Napoleon Bonaparte who invaded Egypt in So 18180s Britain and France struggling to control the Nile and Suez. So Britain signed a treaty with Germany in 1893 to stop Germans expansion from Cameroon. Britain determined to lock all powers out of Egypt and protect the waters of the Nile

France and Britain clash France was not happy, she was swindled out of Egypt. Hence France starts westward expansion deliberately seeking possibilities of reaching the Nile, Dam it, divert the waters and frustrate Britain in Egypt since the Nile is the lifeline of Egypt. In Britain the trading merchants in London and the newspapers saw Egypt as part of their larger Global possessions

France and the Egyptian Question In France the Egyptian Question was revisited by new leaders who adopted a combative foreign Policy towards Britain. Men ready to assert the prestige of France Hence intensified difficulties for Britain. Saw British occupation as an affront to their national pride,so the Nile became their project

Britain's reaction London issued a warning that the French should not make a “mistake", But France began to advance their forces. British public were incited by the newspapers and the country developed an aggressive mood and all supported the Egyptian occupation. The British believed Africa could be another India.

Britain's actions Britain decided to stay and defend the Nile water wherever it may be so Sudan& Uganda have to be taken as well. Britain's Prime minister lord Salisbury gave a go head to contain France, Therefore General H.H. Kitchener and his Anglo-Egyptian army got ready. The French were advancing their troops led by Captain J.P.Marchand.

the clash For 2 months the great powers, Britain under Kitchener and France under Marchand stood at the brink of war ready to strike at each other mobilizing at Fashoda. just to own and control the Nile. However due to other European intervention they called off the war and signed the Anglo- French agreement of 1899 where France was excluded from the Nile basin and Britain enjoyed the monopoly. The Fashoda crisis was a British old policy of imperial defense