Abstract: The general consul Théodore Roustan was one of the principal agents in the establishment of the French protectorate in Tunisia in 1881. He made use of numerous sources of information. Having acquired a dominant position in the regency, he pushed the French government to intervene by pointing out the activities of his English and Italian colleagues. Such information also led to certain scandals, and Roustan had to face a polemic which linked French intervention to financial interests.
