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.
The military expedition of 1895 led to the “Pacification of Madagascar”, i.e. its annexation by France, the abolition of local monarchies, and revolts and insurrections that were bloodily punished.
The results of the expedition were disastrous: the equipment taken on board for local transports proved inadequate; and on the human side, although only 25 men perished during the fighting, the expeditionary corps lost 40% of its strength (i.e. 5,756 men) to disease, mainly due to a lack of quinine to prevent malaria.
At the time of its publication, this edifying image was entitled: Looting of a house after the taking of Marovoay village