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The Franco-Moroccan War ( Arabic: الحرب الفرنسية المغربية,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Guerre franco-marocaine'') was fought between the Kingdom of France and the Sultanate of Morocco from 6 August to 10 September 1844. The principal cause of war was the retreat of Algerian resistance leader Abd al-Kader into Morocco following French victories over many of his tribal supporters during the
French conquest of Algeria The French invasion of Algeria (; ) took place between 1830 and 1903. In 1827, an argument between Hussein Dey, the ruler of the Deylik of Algiers, and the French consul escalated into a blockade, following which the July Monarchy of France inva ...
and the refusal of the Sultan of Morocco Moulay Abd al-Rahman to abandon the cause of Abd al-Kader against colonial occupation.


Background

Shortly after the French invasion of Algiers in 1830, the Emir Abdelkader arose as the leader of the resistance. He called on Moroccan tribesmen of the eastern Rif Mountains to join his resistance, and he entreated the sultan to help him with military supplies. Abd al-Rahman complied by maintaining a steady stream of horses, arms, and money flowing to him. In October 1842, after another defeat, Abd al-Kader fled with his followers from the territory of their fathers to Morocco. Abd al-Kader had for some time made the Morocco frontier the basis of his forays into Algeria. He could retire within the Moroccan territory without molestation. The French, in order not to be thus baffled, had at last advanced a strong division to that part of the frontier from whence he made his sallies. Generals Louis Juchault de Lamoricière and
Marie Alphonse Bedeau Marie Alphonse Bedeau (19 August 1804 – 29 October 1863) was a French general and minister. Life Bedeau was born on 19 August 1804 in Vertou (Lower Loire). He studied at the military school of Saint-Cyr, from the age of 16, 29 October 1820, unti ...
fixed on their encampment on
Lalla Maghnia Maghnia () (formerly Marnia) is a town in Tlemcen Province, northwestern Algeria. It is the second most populated town in Tlemcen Province, after Tlemcen. The current population is over 200,000. History Archaeologists have found evidence of prehi ...
. On 22 May 1844, El-Gennaoui, commander of the Moorish garrison at Oujda, summoned the French to evacuate Lalla Maghnia. On the 30th, the Moorish '' Qaid'', unable to control the fanatic passions of the contingents assembled around him, gave way to fire into the French entrenchments. Lamoricière and Bedeau quickly defeated and dispersed them, with the Moorish troops falling back upon Oujda. On 15 June, the Moorish troops approached unnoticed, and fired upon the French troops, wounding Captain Eugène Daumas and two men. The Moorish chief declared that the frontier must be set back to the , and in case of refusal it was war. The
Governor-General of Algeria In 1830, in the days before the outbreak of the July Revolution against the Bourbon Restoration in France, the conquest of Algeria was initiated by Charles X as an attempt to increase his popularity amongst the French people. The invasion b ...
and French Marshal Thomas Robert Bugeaud wrote to El-Gennaoui insisting that the border be demarcated along the , a position further west than the Tafna River, and threatening of war if Morocco would continue receiving and succouring Abd al-Kader. The Marshal was seconded by one of King Louis Philippe I's sons, the young Admiral François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville, who was commanding the cruisers off the Moorish coasts. On 19 June, violating the frontier, Marshal Bugeaud occupied Oujda. The dispute, thus commenced on the frontier, soon spread into the higher regions of diplomacy. The French Government sent a squadron under Prince de Joinville to the coast of Morocco to support its official reclamations. Marshal Bugeaud received instructions to commence offensive operations by land. Abd al-Rahman sent orders to all his provincial Governors for a general levy. Abd al-Kader made his way into Djebel Amour, and endeavoured to raise the southern tribes against the French. They all remained faithful; the Emir only obtained a promise that they would join the Moorish army when it met the infidel forces. On 1 July, the Moors made an attack on the banks of Isly but fled at the first musket-shots. The French troops ascended the river on the 11th, and on the 13th killed some hundred horsemen of the Moorish tribes, losing only two men and five horses. On the 19th the French troops returned to Lalla Maghnia for refreshment. The Prince de Joinville, cruising in the waters of Cádiz with a flying squadron, received orders to proceed to Tangier. The French Consul in Spain forwarded to the court of Fez Marshal Bugeaud's ultimatum to the ''Qaid'' Si el-Gennaoui.


War


Bombardment of Tangier

The war began on August 6, 1844, at eight in the morning, when a French fleet under the command of the Prince of Joinville
François d'Orléans François () is a French language, French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis (given name), Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of ...
, in his first action as a squadron commander, conducted a naval
Bombardment of Tangier The Bombardment of Tangier took place on 6 August 1844, when French Navy forces under the command of François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville attacked the Moroccan city of Tangier. The campaign was part of the Franco-Moroccan War, First Franco-Mo ...
. In an hour's time all the outer batteries were destroyed; two works held out longer, the battery of the Kasbah and that of the marine fort. At eleven the fire ceased, the Prince commanding the squadron had executed the order of the Ministry, the exterior fortifications were in ruins, the town had been respected. The squadron, then, went into the Atlantic, passed along the coast of Morocco, and, though the weather was very bad, anchored before Mogador on 11 August. The condition of the sea would not allow of the vessels at once taking up their fighting positions. For three days they had to lie at anchor without being able to communicate.


Battle of Isly

The Emperor Abd al-Rahman's son and heir presumptive,
Sidi Mohammed Sidi Mohammed was the Garad (chief) of the Hadiya people in the beginning of the seventeenth century. He is considered a descendant of some of the Silt'e clan originators as well as the founder of Halaba Halaba is a zone in the Southern N ...
, advanced towards Algeria, contrary to the orders of his father, with the intention of turning the French out of
Lalla Maghnia Maghnia () (formerly Marnia) is a town in Tlemcen Province, northwestern Algeria. It is the second most populated town in Tlemcen Province, after Tlemcen. The current population is over 200,000. History Archaeologists have found evidence of prehi ...
. He was deceived by the reports of fanatic personages around him, and perhaps influenced by Abd al-Kader's agents, Sidi Mohammed even talked of a plan of conquering the province of Oran. Moulay Mohammed found the number of his soldiers increasing every day. All the Berber and Arab tribes that inhabit the vast territory extending from Fez to
Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...
came to take part in the war against the infidels, and many Algerian tribes prayed for the success of the holy enterprise. The conflict peaked on August 14, 1844, at the Battle of Isly, which took place near
Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...
. A large Moroccan force led by the Sultan's son Sidi Mohammed, was defeated by a smaller French royal force under the
Governor-General of Algeria In 1830, in the days before the outbreak of the July Revolution against the Bourbon Restoration in France, the conquest of Algeria was initiated by Charles X as an attempt to increase his popularity amongst the French people. The invasion b ...
Thomas Robert Bugeaud. As a consequence of the battle, Sidi Mohammed retreated to
Taza Taza ( ber, ⵜⴰⵣⴰ, ar, تازة) is a city in northern Morocco occupying the corridor between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez and 150 km west of Al hoceima. It recorded a population of 148 ...
and the Marshal spread his emissaries that he would pursue him there. Abd al-Rahman sent orders to his son to stay the Marshal's march, by making proposals of peace to him. For his victory, King Louis Philippe I conferred the title of Duke of Isly upon Marshal Bugeaud.


Bombardment of Mogador

The weather cleared up on the 15th. Mogador (
Essaouira Essaouira ( ; ar, الصويرة, aṣ-Ṣawīra; shi, ⵜⴰⵚⵚⵓⵔⵜ, Taṣṣort, formerly ''Amegdul''), known until the 1960s as Mogador, is a port city in the western Moroccan region of Marakesh-Safi, on the Atlantic coast. It ha ...
), Morocco's main Atlantic trade port, was attacked in the Bombardment of Mogador and briefly occupied by Joinville on August 16, 1844. The '' Suffren'', the ''
Jemmapes Jemappes (; in older texts also: ''Jemmapes''; wa, Djumape) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Mons, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It was a municipality until the fusion of the Belgian municipalities in 1 ...
'', and the '' Triton'', opened fire upon the fortifications. The ''
Belle Poule Four ships of the French Navy have borne the name ''Belle Poule''. Ships The ships are: * the 36-gun frigate , famous for her duel against the English frigate on 17 June 1778, which started the French intervention in the American Revolutionary ...
'' and the other vessels of lighter draught entered the harbour and engaged the batteries of the Marina and those of the island defending the port. At first the Moors made a vigorous reply, but gradually slackened and then ceased their fire, being crushed by the projectiles from the squadron. The batteries fell into ruins, the guns were dismounted, and the gunners driven off. The island alone held out, being defended by a detachment of three hundred and twenty men. The steam-vessels ''Pluton'', ''Gassendi'' and ''Phare'', landed five hundred marines, who carried the position under a sharp fire and drive the defenders out of their last entrenchments. Next day a landing party completed the destruction of the works spared by shot. All the guns not dismounted were spiked, the powder drowned, and all the goods found in the custom-house burnt or thrown into the sea. While steamships played an important part in the operations at Tangier and Mogador, Joinville commanded both bombardments from the
ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
''Suffren'', and the three ships of the line in his force provided most of the firepower. The French lost no ships in the shelling, which Joinville called “much more of a political act than an act of warfare”, but suffered a significant casualty afterward, when the paddle steamer ''Groenland'' ran aground near Larache on 26 August and could not be saved. The French Government gave a pledge to the United Kingdom that Tangier, as a quasi-European town, would be spared from hostilities. The British had warships on hand at both Tangier and Mogador, and protested the bombardments. The Moroccan campaign, combined with concurrent Anglo-French tensions over Tahiti, fuelled a mild war scare.


Aftermath


Treaty of Tangier

The war formally ended on September 10, 1844, with the signing of the Treaty of Tangier, in which Morocco agreed to recognize Algeria as part of the French Empire, reduce the size of its garrison at
Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...
, and establish a commission to demarcate the border. The peace treaty imposed on the Moroccan monarchy to abandon its support of Abd al-Kader and brand him an “outlaw”. The 4th article of the treaty of peace stipulated that “''Hajj'' Abd al-Kader is placed beyond the pale of the law throughout the entire extent of the Empire of Morocco, as well as in Algeria. He will, consequently, be pursued by main force, by the French on the territory of Algeria, and by the Moroccans on their own territory, till he is expelled therefrom, or falls into the power of one or other nation”. Abd al-Kader would eventually surrender on 24 December 1847 to Henri d'Orléans. The Convention of Tangier also stipulated that the boundaries existing between the Turks and Moors at the moment of the conquest should be preserved, and that the Algero-Moroccan boundary agreement that was to follow was to use as its basis the territorial limits of Algeria as they had existed at the time of the Turkish rule.


Treaty of Lalla Maghnia

The Treaty of Lalla Maghnia, signed on March 18, 1845, established a topographic border between Algeria and Morocco, but only from the Mediterranean coast to Teniet el-Sassi, some seventy miles inland. The treaty designated that the ''ksour'' of Yich and Figuig belong to Morocco, while the ''ksour'' of Aïn Séfra,
Sfissifa Sfissifa (Arabic: صفيصيفة) is a municipality in Naâma Province, Algeria. It is coextensive with the district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world ...
,
Asla Asla (Arabic: عسلة, from Arabic "Assel", lit. ''honey'') is a municipality in Naâma Province, Algeria. It is coextensive with the district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local ...
, Tiout,
Chellala Chellala (Arabic: شلالة, lit. ''waterfall'') is a municipality in El Bayadh Province, Algeria. It is the district seat of ''Chellala district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local ...
, El Bayadh, and
Boussemghoun Boussemghoun (Arabic: بوسمغون) is a municipality in El Bayadh Province, Algeria. It is co-extensive with ''the district of Boussemghoun'', and has a population of 2,480 which gives it 7 seats in the PMA. Its postal code is 32320 and its mu ...
belong to Algeria. The French refused to delineate the frontier to the south of Figuig on the ground that a frontier was superfluous in uninhabited desert land.


See also

* Moroccan expedition (1843-45) * France–Morocco relations *
French conquest of Algeria The French invasion of Algeria (; ) took place between 1830 and 1903. In 1827, an argument between Hussein Dey, the ruler of the Deylik of Algiers, and the French consul escalated into a blockade, following which the July Monarchy of France inva ...
*
Bombardment of Salé The Bombardment of Salé was a French naval attack against the Moroccan city of Salé that took place between 26 and 27 November 1851. After seven hours of fighting, the Moroccan artillery suffered severe damage, and the French bombarded the ...
*
Hispano-Moroccan War {{Spanish-Moroccan conflicts There have been several Hispano-Moroccan wars: * Conquest of Melilla (1497) * Conquest of Mehdya (1681) * Siege of Larache (1689) * Siege of Melilla (1774) * Siege of Ceuta (1790-1791) * Hispano-Moroccan War (1859–18 ...
* French conquest of Morocco


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Chronology: The July Monarchy 1830 - 1848
{{Franco-Spanish conquest of Morocco
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
Conflicts in 1844 Wars involving France Wars involving Morocco Morocco France–Morocco military relations African resistance to colonialism Resistance to the French colonial empire French conquest of Algeria