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The Suez Canal
This was built during the reign of Napoleon III by Ferdinand de Lesseps
Egypt was heavily reliant on French loans
- Used this as leverage to gain permission to build canal.
Started in 1859
- Using Forced Egyptian Labour
- 1.5 million workers in total contributed
Completed 1869
- At double the initial estimated cost
British were hostile to the idea
- Had even sent guns and supplies to the labourers to encourage them to rise up.