French conquest of Morocco

Quick Facts: Who was French conquest of Morocco?

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French conquest of Morocco

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The French military and political campaign leading to the establishment of the Moroccan Protectorate.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The French conquest of Morocco began with the French Republic occupying the city of Oujda on 29 March 1907. The French launched campaigns against the Sultanate of Morocco which culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Fes and establishment of the French Protectorate in Morocco on 30 March 1912. France later concluded, on 27 November, the Treaty of Madrid with the Kingdom of Spain which established the Spanish protectorate in Morocco. The French still conducted a series of military operations to pacify rebellions in Morocco until 1934. The French Empire considerably expanded their activities in the Sultanate of Morocco after the Battle of Isly (1844).

Career & Major Achievements

French representatives in Tangier were no longer consuls but chargés d'affaires. The Treaty of Lalla Maghnia signed in March 1845 between France and Morocco recognized the boundary existing before 1830 between Algeria and Morocco as being still binding. The oasis of Figuig was recognized in the same treaty as being Moroccan and the oasis of Aïn Séfra as being Algerian. But the French refused to delineate the frontier to the south of Figuig on the ground that a frontier was superfluous in uninhabited desert land. The Paris Revolution of 1848 temporarily weakened French diplomacy.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

France's desire to reassert her influence in Morocco led to the Bombardment of Salé in November 1851. In 1859 French troops occupied the oasis of Sidi Yahia, a place seven kilometres from Oujda. In 1860 a French post office was founded in Tangier as a branch of the postal service of Oran. While providing a useful service to European and Moroccan merchants, the existence of the foreign post offices constituted an enlargement of the normal extraterritorial rights and an encroachment upon Moroccan Government functions. From the 1850s, politicians in France and the authorities in Algeria started to advocate the creation of military posts in the southern parts of the region of Oran and beyond it for the purpose of controlling the trans-Saharan trade and eventually uniting the French colonies of Algeria and the Senegal.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1844: 1844 Milestone — The French Empire considerably expanded their activities in the Sultanate of Morocco after the Battle of Isly (1844).
2. 1845: 1845 Milestone — The Treaty of Lalla Maghnia signed in March 1845 between France and Morocco recognized the boundary existing before 1830 between Algeria and Morocco as being still binding.
3. 1848: 1848 Milestone — The Paris Revolution of 1848 temporarily weakened French diplomacy.
4. 1851: 1851 Milestone — France's desire to reassert her influence in Morocco led to the Bombardment of Salé in November 1851.
5. 1859: 1859 Milestone — In 1859 French troops occupied the oasis of Sidi Yahia, a place seven kilometres from Oujda.
6. 1860: 1860 Milestone — In 1860 a French post office was founded in Tangier as a branch of the postal service of Oran.
7. 1907: 1907 Milestone — The French conquest of Morocco began with the French Republic occupying the city of Oujda on 29 March 1907.
8. 1912: 1912 Milestone — The French launched campaigns against the Sultanate of Morocco which culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Fes and establishment of the French Protectorate in Morocco on 30 March 1912.
9. 1934: 1934 Milestone — The French still conducted a series of military operations to pacify rebellions in Morocco until 1934.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: French conquest of Morocco

True or False: “Did France's initial interest in Morocco solely revolve around establishing trade routes for European merchants?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While trade was a factor, French interests expanded significantly to include strategic geopolitical control and the desire to unite its North African colonies.

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