Francis Garnier summary

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Francis Garnier, French Marie-Joseph-François Garnier, (born July 25, 1839, Saint-Étienne, France—died Dec. 21, 1873, near Hanoi, Viet.), French naval officer, colonial administrator, and explorer. Son of an army officer, he joined the navy and participated in the French advance into southern Vietnam in 1861. An enthusiastic believer in France’s imperial destiny, he promoted the exploration of the Mekong River and took part in the first European expedition to enter the Chinese province of Yunnan from the south (1866–68). His account, Voyage d’exploration en Indo-Chine, 1866–68 (1873), is a valuable record of the political and economic situation of the countries through which he passed. Summoned to Saigon in 1873 to rein in unauthorized trading with China, he instead tried to seize territory for France in northern Vietnam and was killed in the attempt.

navy Summary

Navy, a nation’s warships and craft of every kind maintained by armed forces for fighting on, under, or over the sea. A large modern navy includes aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, submarines, minesweepers and minelayers, gunboats, and various types of support, supply, and repair

Western colonialism Summary

Western colonialism, a political-economic phenomenon whereby various European nations explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world. The age of modern colonialism began about 1500, following the European discoveries of a sea route around Africa’s southern coast (1488) and of

France Summary

France, country of northwestern Europe. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the