Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza

Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza was an Italian-born French explorer whose expeditions in Central Africa helped establish French colonial rule in the Congo region.

Rome: Rome is the capital of Italy and a historic center of government, religion, and culture. Brazza was born in Rome in 1852.
Treaty of Makoko: The Treaty of Makoko was an 1880 agreement between Brazza and the Téké ruler Makoko placing territory under French protection. It supplied France with a basis for claiming influence near the Congo River.
Savorgnan de Brazza family: The Savorgnan de Brazza family was an Italian noble family from which Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza came. His aristocratic background preceded his adoption of French nationality and career.
Brazzaville: Brazzaville is the capital of the Republic of the Congo, on the north bank of the Congo River. The city was named for Brazza and became the administrative center of French Equatorial Africa.
French Navy: The French Navy is France’s maritime military service. Brazza entered the French Navy and gained the support that enabled his African expeditions.
Makoko Iloo I: Makoko Iloo I was a Téké ruler whose authority extended over communities near the Congo River. His agreement with Brazza became central to France’s claim of a protectorate.
Jules Ferry: Jules Ferry was a French statesman and advocate of French colonial expansion during the Third Republic. As a leading colonial policymaker, Ferry backed the expansion Brazza’s expeditions enabled.
French Equatorial Africa: French Equatorial Africa was a federation of French colonial territories in Central Africa from 1910 to 1958. The federation institutionalized French rule in the region where Brazza had secured early claims.
Charles de Chavannes: Charles de Chavannes was a French naval officer and explorer associated with Central African expeditions. He accompanied Brazza on early explorations of the Ogooué River.
Congo River: The Congo River is a major Central African river that drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Control of its northern banks became the strategic prize of Brazza’s agreements.

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