Histoire du Canal de Suez

In this vivid lecture a seasoned diplomat invites a 1870 audience of literary scholars to consider the long‑awaited dream of a sea‑level passage across the Isthmus of Suez. He recalls youthful enthusiasm that first sparked his interest, noting the applause each animated anecdote received. Rather than a mere engineering feat, he presents the canal as a natural extension of human ambition, linking the Mediterranean and Red seas as if they were neighboring Parisian streets. He sketches the early debates, treaties and technical reports that had already familiarized the public with the project.

He then outlines his own winding path: a diplomatic mission to Rome, a reluctant break with official policy, and years of quiet study of Oriental commerce. By the early 1850s he had mapped the swelling trade, noted its rapid doubling, and begun to envision a company that could turn the impossible into routine. Advances in steam power, telegraphy and modern science, he argues, finally dissolve the old objections about sand‑filled trenches and water‑level differences, setting the stage for a new chapter in global trade.