HIST 410N Week 1 Case Study 1: Jules
Ferry
Jules Ferry was Prime Minister of France as that nation launched its imperial expansion. In a debate
with member of the French Parliament, Ferry defends the decision to expand. Read his remarks and
respond to the following questions:
1. According to Ferry, what recent developments in world trade (the economic argument) made it
urgent for France to have colonies?
France’s economic future was the forefront of the argument for economic change in this
statement. He are argues “economic trade need” is required in the new export markets to stay
on par with the US and Germany in areas such as textiles and agriculture, but also that new
areas of export are needed to stay powerful in this area. Ferry argues that France need to grow
export productions and set up exchange depots in Africa and Asia. He believed that Frances
involvement in the Industrial Revolution would not help them but instead he supported
colonization as a humanitarian campaign.
2. What non-economic arguments does Ferry offer in favor of imperialism? (There are two non-
economic arguments).
The non-economic arguments presented by Ferry in favor of imperialism Saigon,
Indochina [Vietnam], Tunisia, and Madagascar. “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
(Kleinman, 1897, para. 5)”.
He also stated that, “They have the duty to civilize the inferior races” and by building
these refueling station for the warship we would be doing these countries a service. It was a
means of “keeping out of all European alliances and seeing as a trap” and being ready of war at
the same time.
3. What arguments against imperialism have been raised by Ferry's critics? How does he
counter them? [This is not directly in the document but try to research Ferry's career to see
how his views were highly controversial (one paragraph)].
He considered the French to be a “superior races” and that it was their “duty to civilize the
inferior races”. (Kleinman, 1897). By this he was referring to slavery and that, the introduction
of slavery to the Eastern world was a misinterpretation because it was left unfinished. He stated
that it was a show of “generosity and was with sincerity” (Kleinman, 1897, para. 4).
Ferry
Jules Ferry was Prime Minister of France as that nation launched its imperial expansion. In a debate
with member of the French Parliament, Ferry defends the decision to expand. Read his remarks and
respond to the following questions:
1. According to Ferry, what recent developments in world trade (the economic argument) made it
urgent for France to have colonies?
France’s economic future was the forefront of the argument for economic change in this
statement. He are argues “economic trade need” is required in the new export markets to stay
on par with the US and Germany in areas such as textiles and agriculture, but also that new
areas of export are needed to stay powerful in this area. Ferry argues that France need to grow
export productions and set up exchange depots in Africa and Asia. He believed that Frances
involvement in the Industrial Revolution would not help them but instead he supported
colonization as a humanitarian campaign.
2. What non-economic arguments does Ferry offer in favor of imperialism? (There are two non-
economic arguments).
The non-economic arguments presented by Ferry in favor of imperialism Saigon,
Indochina [Vietnam], Tunisia, and Madagascar. “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
(Kleinman, 1897, para. 5)”.
He also stated that, “They have the duty to civilize the inferior races” and by building
these refueling station for the warship we would be doing these countries a service. It was a
means of “keeping out of all European alliances and seeing as a trap” and being ready of war at
the same time.
3. What arguments against imperialism have been raised by Ferry's critics? How does he
counter them? [This is not directly in the document but try to research Ferry's career to see
how his views were highly controversial (one paragraph)].
He considered the French to be a “superior races” and that it was their “duty to civilize the
inferior races”. (Kleinman, 1897). By this he was referring to slavery and that, the introduction
of slavery to the Eastern world was a misinterpretation because it was left unfinished. He stated
that it was a show of “generosity and was with sincerity” (Kleinman, 1897, para. 4).
