<P> It became a moral mission to lift the world up to French standards by bringing Christianity and French culture . In 1884 the leading exponent of colonialism, Jules Ferry declared; "The higher races have a right over the lower races, they have a duty to civilize the inferior races ." Full citizenship rights--assimilation--was a long - term goal, but in practice colonial officials were reluctant to extend full citizenship rights . France sent small numbers of white permanent settlers to its empire, in sharp contrast to Britain, Spain and Portugal . The notable exception was Algeria, where the French settlers nonetheless always remained a but powerful minority . </P> <P> The Suez Canal, initially built by the French, became a joint British - French project in 1875, as both saw it as vital to maintaining their influence and empires in Asia . In 1882, ongoing civil disturbances in Egypt prompted Britain to intervene, extending a hand to France . The government allowed Britain to take effective control of Egypt . </P> <P> Under the leadership of expansionist Jules Ferry, the Third Republic greatly expanded the French colonial empire . Catholic missionaries played a major role . France acquired Indochina, Madagascar, vast territories in West Africa and Central Africa, and much of Polynesia . </P> <P> In the early 1880s, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza was exploring the Kongo Kingdom for France, at the same time Henry Morton Stanley explored it in on behalf of Léopold II of Belgium, who would have it as his personal Congo Free State (see section below). France occupied Tunisia in May 1881 . In 1884, France occupied Guinea . French West Africa (AOF) was founded in 1895, and French Equatorial Africa in 1910 . </P>

Describe the overall feeling of europe about war between the 1850's and 1900