The Compagnie des Messageries Nationales , a mail-coach service, was created in 1796.A Compagnie des Services Maritimes des Messageries Nacionales, creóuse no ano 1796. Following the industrial revolution in the XIXth century, the mail and parcel services abandoned the coaches for the railway. Co gallo da revolución industrial no século XIX, o correo e os servizos de paquetería redistribuíanse a través do ferrocarril e os medios marítimos. O 8 de Xullo de 1851, as Messageries Nacionales asinan co estado francés un acordo para a explotación de catro líñas marítimas a Italia, Levante, Exipto e Grecia. On 9 September, the Hellespont was the first ship of the company to leave the port of Marseilles, for Civitavecchia (Italia).O 9 de setembro, o Hellespont foi o primeiro buque da compañía en transportar o correo dende o porto de Marsella, por Civitavecchia (Italia) ata Brasil e río da Prata. En 1853,The company bought the shipyard of La Ciotat , where most of its ships were built. a compañía mercou o asteleiro de La Ciotat, onde foron construidos a meirande parte dos seus buques (Guienne, Congo, Equateur, Orénoque, Niger, Sénégal, Gironde, Médoc, Aunis…)
The company efficiently transported French troops during the Crimean War (1854-55).Ata os anos 70 do século XIX a empresa transporta de maneira eficiente carga e pasaxeiros nas rutas a Arxelia, Túnez, Mar Negro, e América do Sur (1857). The line Bordeaux-Brazil was the first French line served by steamships. A líña Burdeos-Brasil foi cuberta en barco a vapor.Between 1862 and 1865, lines were set up to Far-East and Japan. Entre 1862 e 1865, as líñas establecéronse ao Extremo Oriente, Australia, Nova Caledonia e Xapón.A secondary line served the Indian Ocean via the Reunion island and Mauritius. Unha segunda líña serve ao Océano Índico a través da illa Reunión e Mauricio. Tres navíos de caratcerísticas similares entraron no servizo da empresa: o Ernest Simmons que fai a sua viaxe inaugural no 1894; o Chili, en 1895; e o Cordillère, en 1896. On 17 November 1869, the Messageries Impériales liner Péluse inaugaurated the Suez Canal , sailing just behind the Imperial vessel.REceRecén inaugurado o Canal de Suez, reduciuse drásticamente a duración das viaxes ao tempo que acrecentaronse tanto os intercambios comerciais como a expansión colonial francesa.On 1 August 1871, the company took the name of Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes .During the First World War, the ships of the company were used as hospital ships and troop carriers. Na Primeira Guerra Mundial, os navíos da empresa foron utilizados como hospitais e buques de transporte de tropas.
The period 1920-1930 was the second golden age of the Messageries Maritimes .O período 1920-1930 foi a segunda idade douro das Messageries Maritimes. Fuel oil boilers were installed for the first time on the Angkor (1921). Os seus buques como o Angkor (1921) instalaron caldeiras de fuel oil. In parallel to such technological advances, the company paid great attention to the decoration of its de luxe liners, such as the Mariette Pacha and the Félix Roussel . Entrementres a estes avances tecnolóxicos, a compañía presta moita atención á decoración da sua línea de luxo, como o Mariette Pacha e o Félix Roussel.
During the Second World War, the fleet of the Messageries Maritimes was commissioned and half of the ships were lost.Durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, a frota da Messageries Maritimes foi comisionada e a metade dos buques perderonse. The law of 28 February 1948 reorganized the merchant navy in France. A lei do 28 de febreiro de 1948 reorganizou a mariña mercante en Francia. The limited liability semi-public company ( compagnie d'économie mixte ) Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes was created by merging the assets of the former company of the same name and the Société des Services Contractuels des Messageries Maritimes , whose contract with the state had expired.In 1962, the South American line was served by ships bought to the Chargeurs Réunis company.No 1962, a líña cara América do Sur comezou a ser cumprida polos buques mercados a compañía Chargeurs Réunis. The last ship of the company, the Pasteur , was inaugurated in 1966.O último buque da empresa, o Pasteur, foi botado ao mar no 1966.
On 23 February 1977, the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes and the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique merged into the Compagnie Générale Maritime , and the flags of those two famous "French lines" were definitively lowered.O 23 de febreiro de 1977, a Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes e a Compagnie Générale Transatlantique fusionáronse na Compagnie Générale Maritime, e as bandeiras destas dúas famosas líñas francesas baixaronse definitivamente.