He dreamed of creating a huge French empire in north and central Africa with the support of the Tuaregs and Arabs, and came to believe that the Jews and the British were conspiring against France.

[5] Polignac thought that France should obtain an empire in Africa that extended from Algeria to the Niger River, and thus become a world power that could rival Britain.

[8] The governor of Algeria, Marshal Aimable Pélissier, decided to send a mission to Ghadames to make an official treaty with the Kel Ajjer Tuaregs.

[a][10] The political aspects were entrusted to Commander Hippolyte Mircher as chief and Captain de Polignac, both of whom were familiar with Algerian Moslems.

[13] Based on the agreement with the Tuaregs the metropolitan French chambers of commerce gave support to the traders in Algiers to arrange a caravan to the Sudan, although it does not seem to have ever departed.

[14] Polignac married Gabrielle Henriette Prinzessin von Croÿ (1835–1904) on 28 January 1874 at Dülmen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

[17] He explained to Morès that the chivalric Tuaregs could easily be convinced that Islam and Catholicism were similar faiths, and once they had become loyal to the French all the other African Arabs would join in a crusade to drive the British out of the Mediterranean.

[18] Despite lack of money he decided to travel south the meet the Tuaregs, ignoring Polignac's warning that he should not go since he did not speak the language.

[20] In 1895 the Algerian Arab interpreter Djebari claimed that survivors from the Flatters expedition were still being held prisoner by the Tuaregs at the oasis of Taoua.