| French Intrusion in Amapá | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Death of captain Lunier during the invasion of the city of Amapá, illustration published in 1912 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Brazil |
 France | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Francisco Xavier da Veiga Cabral |
| ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 200 soldiers and civil militia |
300 soldiers 1 gunboat[1]:204 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 62 | 82 | ||||||
The Amapá Question, known in France as the Franco-Brazilian Dispute (French: Contesté franco-brésilien) was a border dispute involving France and Brazil, in the end of the 19th century, culminating in the French intrusion in Amapá skirmishes in 1895.[2][3]
Border dispute[]
France did not recognize the Oyapock river as the border between French Guiana and the Brazilian province of Amapá, also known as "Brazilian Guyana", claiming for itself part of the territory of the province to the south of the river; a region occupied by French colonists. However, the Utrecht treaty, signed in 1713 between France and Portugal, established the Oyapock as the border between both kingdoms in South America. Brazil alleged it had the right to exercise sovereignty over the region as "heir of the Portuguese Empire".
Intrusion[]
The French Intrusion into Amapá took place on 15 May 1895, on the border between the Brazilian Amapá state and French Guiana, the culminating event of the territorial dispute known in Portuguese as the Questão do Amapá (Amapá Question). This event was marked by the invasion of French troops in Brazilian territory, commanded by captain Charles-Louis Lunier.[4][5][6] French troops invaded Brazilian territory and advanced to the Araguari river, occupying approximately 260,000 km2 (100,000 sq mi) of Brazilian territory.
The invasion was repelled by the honorary general of the Brazilian army Francisco Xavier da Veiga Cabral.[7]
International response[]
After the military confrontation the territorial dispute was settled by an international court on 27 December 1897. The decision was favorable to Brazil, which maintained control over the disputed region.[1]:204
Walter Hauser, president of Switzerland, served as arbitrator. On 1 December 1900 Hauser issued a report favoring Brazil.[8]
See also[]
- Brazil–France relations
- Brazil–France border
- French colonization of the Americas
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Donato, Hernâni (1987). Dicionário das Batalhas Brasileiras (in Portuguese). São Paulo: Editora Ibrasa
- ↑ Rodrigues, Edgar. "O Contestado Franco-Brasileiro" (in PT). http://www4.ap.gov.br/Portal_Gea/historia/dadosestado-contestado.htm.
- ↑ Campos, Luciano Rodrigues (21 April 2007). "O Arbitramento No Amapá". http://www.webartigos.com/articles/4873/1/o-arbitramento-no-amapa/pagina1.html.
- ↑ Bertout de Solières, François (1912) (in FR). Les hauts faits de l'armée coloniale : ses héros : Annam, Côte d'Ivoire, Chine, Dahomey, Guyane, Madagascar, Maroc, Ouadaï, Sahara, Sénegal, Soudan, Tchad, Tonkin, Tunisie, etc.. Rouen, France. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6365829c.
- ↑ ""LE TERRITOIRE CONTESTÉ"". l'Étoile du sud. 22 June 1895. http://memoria.bn.br/pdf/259764/per259764_1895_00459.pdf.
- ↑ Meira, Sílvio Augusto de Bastos (1975). Fronteiras Sangrentas: heróis do Amapá. Belém, Brazil: Conselho Estadual de Cultura..
- ↑ Bento, Cláudio Moreira. (2003). Amazônia Brasileira: conquista, consolidação e manutenção. (História Militar Terrestre da Amazônia de 1616 a 2003). [S.l.]: Porto Alegre/RS: Genesis, Academia de História Militar Terrestre do Brasil.
- ↑ "O Laudo Suíço" (in PT). 2011-09-17. http://www4.ap.gov.br/Portal_Gea/historia/dadosestado-laudosuico.htm.
The original article can be found at Amapá Question and the edit history here.