French News 1900 onward

[Jefgte]

January 29 1905

Fishermen reported many French warships in the Malacca Strait...

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No news from Capitaine Galland & the French expedition on the Volta river...

[Jefgte]

February 2 1905

The French colonial Fleet arrive in Saigon

T74 had trouble engines & arrive 5 february, escorted by Valencay & AT12

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Volta River expedition:
62 holders exhausted, wounded and sick, are back to Ada with very bad news...

[Jefgte]

Holders say that attacks have been carried out by Ashanty and Fanzy.

"They attacked early in the morning with bows and spears, they set fire to the tents and stole provisions.
The French, driven back to the river, could not escape.
They attacks all the day and stopped at night.
There were many dead and wounded soldiers.
At dawn, hundreds of men attacked again.
The French capitain, wounded the day before, died in the morning.
The Fanzy killed all the French and let us go."

[Jefgte]

More news from other Ewe holders.

"Arrived in the regions of Katanga, Ashanti began attacking. Arrows came from everywhere.
The captain ordered the men to withdraw to the lake to not be encircled.
We hid behind trees and rocks.
They shoot clouds of arrows, they attacked until they killed all the soldiers.
The Ashanti and the Fanzy do not want to see white men occupy their territories.
They let us go because they do not want war with our Ewe tribute.
The wounded were completed by the fierce Fanzy. "

With the latest news of the "Massacre de Katanga", the Commander of the French force decides that the Aviso AT1 leave as soon as possible to warn Dakar and Paris.
Early in the february 3 night, AT1 leaves Ada

[Walter]

The Ashanti and the Fanzy do not want to see white men occupy their territories.

Perhaps France should try with troops from Indochina. Not being racist here... but the Indochinese are not white. :)

[Kaiser Kirk]

Spurred me to look up the Ashanti. They were formidable and well organized. Took the Brits some time to impose rulership. No wonder the French are having issues.  The tribes opposite the Italians are smaller and more disunited, and the Italians are throwing far more troops than any OTL power put in Africa. 

[Jefgte]

February 9th 1905

AT1 arrive in Dakar for refuelling .
The captain were receive by the governor to call about the mission faillure & Katanga Massacre.
AT1 left Dakar next day  & must arrive to Toulon 11 days later...

[Jefgte]

February 20th 1905

AT1 arrive in Toulon.
The News from Volta River arrive quickly to Paris.
The announcement of the Katanga Massacre stirred fear and consternation in the country and in political circles. The parliamentary opposition denounced the little means given to this expedition by the Ministry of War and demanded the resignation of the ministry.
The following days, demonstrations of nationalists raised the pressure and threw projectiles towards the Minister of the Navy, Jean-Marie Lanessan visiting Cherbourg shipyards where is building patrol boat P3.
Before the agitation and the trust crisis relayed by the newspapers, the "Président du Conseil" Emiles Combes presented the resignation of his Government.

[Jefgte]

February 23th 1905

Président de la République, Emile Loubet appoints Maurice Rouvier as the new
Président du Conseil.

He is in charge of forming the new government.

[Jefgte]

Gouvernement de la III République Française au 28 février 1905

Président de la République, Emile Loubet

Président du Conseil, ministre de l'Intérieur et des Cultes : Maurice Rouvier

Ministre de la Justice : Joseph Chaumié
Ministre des Affaires étrangères : Théophile Delcassé (Foreign Office)
Ministre des Finances : Pierre Merlou (Treasure)
Ministre de l'Intérieur : Fernand Dubief
Ministre de la Guerre : Eugène Etienne (War Minister)
Ministre de la Marine : Gaston Thomson (Navy)
Ministre de l'Instruction publique et des Beaux-Arts : Jean Bienvenue-Martin (Schools & Arts)
Ministre des Travaux publics : Armand Gautier de L'Aude (Public Works)
Ministre du Commerce, de l'Industrie, des Postes et Télégraphes : Georges Trouillot
Ministre de l'Agriculture : Joseph Ruau
Ministre des Colonies :Etienne Clémentel
Sous-secrétaire d'État aux Postes et Télégraphes : Alexandre Bérard
---
Wednesday february 29th,
The Cabinets of the War and the Navy are gathered in meetings to solve the Katanga problem.

[Jefgte]

March 2nd 1905

The findings of the Cabinets of War advocates sending a force of 2,500 legionnaires and 500 grenadiers.
Grenadiers are equipped with mechanical grenade launchers with a maximum range of 200m.
The Navy will provide 2 x 6900t troop transports, a 2000t transport for the equipment and a 1350t hospital ship.
2 cruisers are dedicated to the protection of transport.
The cruisers, part of their sizes, are succeptible to influence Ewe King.
The King will be received on board with all honors.
During the gala dinner, a military cooperation will be proposed to the King and the Ashanti and Fanzy kingdoms will pass under his sovereignty.
France w'll be a perpetual allied.