In our Colonies series :
After the crushing defeat of 1870, the French military sought a return to victory. Moreover, business circles were encouraging colonial expeditions to find new commercial outlets in a context of economic crisis in Europe. France – then governed by Republican parties – embarked on several overseas “adventures”, such as in Tonkin and Madagascar.
This engraving depicts the departure of the train that carries the still-joyful troop to its Mediterranean port of embarkation.
During the Madagascar Expedition of 1895, almost half of these soldiers and officers perished, mainly due to a lack of quinine to treat malaria.