French protectorate in Morocco
Morocco, 1912–1956. Draft, not yet reviewed
The French protectorate in Morocco was the period of French colonial rule in Morocco that lasted from 1912 to 1956. The protectorate was officially established 30 March 1912, when Sultan Abd al-Hafid signed the Treaty of Fez. The protectorate ended with the dissolution of the Treaty of Fez on 2 March 1956, with the Franco-Moroccan Joint Declaration. The last French troops left Morocco in November 1961.
Seat of power: Rabat
Rulers
Yusef of Morocco
sultan of Morocco, 1912–1927
He was the Alawi sultan of Morocco from 1912 to 1927. His reign was turbulent and marked with frequent uprisings against Spain and France, of which two were serious: the Rif War and the Sahrawi rebellion.
Portrait of Yusef of Morocco: Agence Rol. Agence photographique (commanditaire), Public domain, file
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Mohammed V of Morocco
sultan of Morocco, 1927–1953
He was enthroned as sultan upon the death of his father Yusef bin Hassan in 1927. Early in his reign, his approval of the Berber Dahir drew widespread backlash and spurred an upsurge of Moroccan nationalism and opposition to continued French rule. During World War II he supported the Allies and participated in the 1943 Anfa Conference.
Portrait of Mohammed V of Morocco: Fotograaf Onbekend / Anefo, CC0, file
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Mohammed Ben Aarafa
sultan of Morocco, 1953–1955
He was put on the throne by the French after they exiled Mohammed V to French-ruled Madagascar in August 1953. His reign was not recognized in the Spanish-protected part of Morocco. Protests against Ben Aarafa helped lead to Moroccan independence.
Portrait of Mohammed Ben Aarafa: nieznany, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, file
Mohammed V of Morocco
sultan of Morocco, 1955–1957
He played an instrumental role in restoring the independence of Morocco from the French and Spanish protectorates. In 1947, he delivered a historic speech in Tangier, in which he made an open appeal for Moroccan independence.
Portrait of Mohammed V of Morocco: Fotograaf Onbekend / Anefo, CC0, file
Culture
- Morocco's independence movement, described in Moroccan historiography as the Revolution of the King and the People, restored the exiled Mohammed V but it did not end the French presence in Morocco.
- French settlers also maintained their rights and property. The number of French settlers declined constantly, especially after their agricultural holdings were nationalized.
- Hubert Lyautey, the first Resident-General of the Protectorate, made it his mission to develop Morocco in every sector under French influence.
- Unlike his compatriots, Lyautey didn't believe that France should directly annex Morocco like French Algeria, but rather remodel and re-educate Moroccan society.
Picture
The Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat contains the tombs of the Moroccan king Mohammed V and his two sons, late King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah.
Image: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0, file
Sources
- French protectorate in Morocco (Wikipedia)
- French protectorate in Morocco (Wikidata)
- About the picture (Wikipedia)
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.