France's extraordinary ambassador: Ernest Constans and the Ottoman Empire,1898-1909

This article describes and analyzes the diplomatic career of Ernest Constan s, French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the years 1898 to 1909. It em phasizes the remarkably independent character of Constans diplomacy and dis cusses the factors that made such independence possible. Arguing that Const ans was chiefly concerned with personal financial gain throughout his diplo matic posting, it examines the key role he played in the development of the Baghdad Railway project as well as his considerable impact on other import ant international issues such as the Franco-Ottoman crisis of 1901 and Mace donian reform. It points to the many advantages that he derived from his cl ose links with French politicians and newspapers, and it concludes with som e observations about his diplomatic career as a whole.