Georges Estienne

Georges Estienne
Georges Estienne during World War I
Born	(1896-04-18)18 April 1896 Nice, France
Died	1969 Monte Carlo
Nationality	French
Occupation	Aviator, explorer, businessman
Known for	Trans-Saharan routes

Georges Estienne (18 April 1896 – 1969) was a French aviator, explorer and businessman. He mapped and commercially exploited the longest automobile route in the world, linking the Mediterranean to the Niger, Chad and Congo. His company ran a network of automobile transport lines across the Sahara, and later provided air service between many of the French colonies in Africa. The demand from tourists collapsed with the Algerian War (1954–62), and eventually Estienne's companies were taken over by the government of independent Algeria.

Georges Estienne's family originated in Lorraine. He was the third son of General Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne, polytechnician, who was known for developing armored vehicles and the tank. The four Estienne boys were brought up with military discipline. After the outbreak of World War I (1914–18), in September 1914 Georges enlisted at the age of eighteen. He served with the fourth battalion of Chasseurs Alpins in the campaigns in Belgium, the Somme and the Vogues. He asked to be transferred to aviation, and quickly distinguished himself as a specialist in long-range reconnaissance. By the age of twenty-one he had earned seven citations, and had been awarded the military medal and the Legion of Honour.

After the war, influenced by his father, Georges Estienne became attracted to the Sahara. At the time the Sahara was mostly within the French colonial empire, and had not yet been fully explored by Europeans. The main means of travel was by camel in caravans.

Gaston Gradis directed the first expedition to cross the Sahara from north to south by car. For this purpose, on 23 May 1923 he founded the Compagnie Générale Transsaharienne (CGT). The retired General Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne was made president of the company. The purpose of the company was to "study, establish and exploit land and air communications between the various territories of the African continent, particularly between Algeria and Niger." It was decided to send a reconnaissance under lieutenant Georges Estienne as far as Tessalit to study the route, and if results were favorable to send a second led by Gaston Gradis to the Niger River.