 That said, the forces which drove French colonial expansion were little slowed by a loss of political popularity.French Indochina was consolidated under a single administration just two years later, while in Africa, military commanders like Joseph Gallieni and Louis Archinard continually pressured local states, regardless of the political climate in Paris.Large trading houses, such as Maurel and Prom company, continued to expand their overseas operations, and demand military support for this expansion.