L'échec du canal de Panama. Des grandes espérances à la détresse financière

The Suez canal was one of the great successes of the 19th century. After his first success, Ferdinand de Lesseps wished to make one second attempt, which appeared all the more realizable after a not very thorough analysis that the distance to be dug in Panama was half of that of Suez. But Suez was a well known country by Europeans, flat, well marked. anama was unknown, with its mountains, its unstable grounds and its unhealthy climate. Lesseps, according to its practice, forced the destiny to create the French company of Panama canal, but he will was not enough to avoid the financial failure and a scandal of first order. There was initially a time to the great expectations, with the foundation of the French Company of the Channel, and a time of the dark following days which, with a troop of unresolved technical and financial problems. The sumof the unforeseen difficulties involved a financial crash and a scandal out of standard. Final failure of a famous man, the canal, thanks to American engineers, will be built all the same, and its inspirer will be right, after his death.