First Moroccan Crisis

Tangier Crisis
	Part of the causes of World War I
	; Kaiser Wilhelm parades through Tangier.
Date	31 March 1905 – 7 April 1906; (1 year and 1 week)
Location	Tangier, Morocco
Result	Treaty of Algeciras
Belligerents
France; United Kingdom;	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Théophile Delcassé	Wilhelm II

The First Moroccan Crisis or the Tangier Crisis was an international crisis between March 31, 1905, and April 7, 1906, over the status of Morocco.^[1] Germany wanted to challenge France's growing control over Morocco, aggravating France and Great Britain. The crisis was resolved by the Algeciras Conference of 1906, a conference of mostly European countries that affirmed French control; this worsened German relations with both France and Britain and helped enhance the new Anglo-French Entente.

Kaiser's visit

On 31 March 1905 Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany arrived at Tangier, Morocco and conferred with representatives of Sultan Abdelaziz of Morocco.^[2] The Kaiser toured the city on the back of a white horse. In a speech given at the German legation,^[3] the Kaiser declared he had come to support the sovereignty of the Sultan—a statement which amounted to a provocative challenge to French influence in Morocco. The Sultan subsequently rejected a set of French-proposed governmental reforms and issued invitations to major world powers to a conference which would advise him on necessary reforms.

French reaction

Germany sought a multilateral conference where the French could be called to account before other European powers. The French foreign minister, Théophile Delcassé, took a defiant line, holding that there was no need for such a conference. In response, Count Bernhard von Bülow, the German Chancellor, threatened war over the issue, although this was a bluff.^[4]^[5] Kaiser Wilhelm did not want war, stating in Bremen just before he set off: "My study of history hasn't encouraged me to strive for world domination. In the empire of which I dream, the German emperor will be trusted by other countries and must be seen as a honest and peaceful neighbour".^[6] The crisis peaked in mid-June. The French cancelled all military leave (15 June) and Germany threatened to sign a defensive alliance with the Sultan (22 June). French Prime Minister Maurice Rouvier refused to risk war with Germany over the issue. Delcassé resigned, as the French government would no longer support his policy. On 1 July France agreed to attend the conference.

The crisis continued up to the eve of the conference at Algeciras, with Germany calling up reserve units (30 December) and France moving troops to the German border (3 January).

Algeciras Conference

The Algeciras Conference, lasting from 16 January to 7 April 1906, was called to settle the dispute. Of the 13 nations present, the German representatives found that their only supporter was Austria-Hungary. A German attempt at compromise was rejected by all but Austria-Hungary.^[7] France had firm support from Britain, Russia, Italy, Spain, and the United States. The Germans decided to accept a face-saving compromise agreement that was signed on 31 March 1906.

Consequence

Although the Algeciras Conference temporarily solved the First Moroccan Crisis, it only worsened the tensions between the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente that ultimately led to the First World War.^[8]

The First Moroccan Crisis also showed that the Entente Cordiale was strong, as Britain had defended France in the crisis. The crisis can be seen as a reason for the Anglo-Russian Entente and the Anglo-Franco-Spanish Pact of Cartagena being signed the following year. Kaiser Wilhelm II was angry at being humiliated and was determined not to back down again, which led to the German involvement in the Second Moroccan Crisis.

References

^ "General Act of the International Conference of Algeciras, signed April 7, 1906". The American Journal of International Law. 1 (1): 47–78. 1907. doi:10.2307/2212340. ISSN 0002-9300. JSTOR 2212340. S2CID 246012107.
^ Meakin, James; Meakin, Kate (1911). "Morocco". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 858.
^ Chris Trueman (31 March 2015). "The First Moroccan Crisis". The History Learning Site.
^ Viscount Grey of Fallodon (1925). Twenty-Five Years, Vol. 1. New York: Frederick A. Stokes. pp. 49–52.
^ Massie, Robert K. (1992). Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the coming of the Great War. London: Cape. ISBN 0-224-03260-7.
^ Ereignisse und Gestalten. pp. 270–271.
^ Kerr, Anne; Wright, Edmund (2015). A Dictionary of World History (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 9780199685691.
^ Soroka, Marina (2011). Britain, Russia, and the Road to the First World War. Farnham: Ashgate. p. 114. ISBN 9781409422464.

v t e International relations (1814–1919)
Great powers	Austria-Hungary France Germany Italy Japan Russia United Kingdom United States
Alliances	Triple Alliance Dual Alliance Triple Entente Franco-Russian Alliance Entente Cordiale Anglo-Russian Convention Anglo-Japanese Alliance League of the Three Emperors Eight-Nation Alliance Balkan League
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Treaties and agreements	Congress of Vienna Treaty of Versailles (1871) Treaty of Frankfurt Treaty of Berlin Reinsurance Treaty Treaty of Paris Treaty of Björkö Taft–Katsura agreement Hague Conventions Martens Clause Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905 Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty Racconigi agreement 1917 Franco-Russian agreement
Events	Formation of Romania Unification of Germany Unification of Italy Great Eastern Crisis Congress of Berlin Berlin Conference Kronstadt–Toulon naval visits Weltpolitik Naval arms races Anglo-German Dreadnought German Naval Laws Austro-Italian Fashoda Incident Annexation of Hawaii Venezuela Naval Blockade Alaska boundary dispute First Moroccan Crisis Algeciras Conference Agadir Crisis Treaty of Fes Bosnian Crisis July Crisis
Wars	Russo-Turkish Anglo-Egyptian First Sino-Japanese Spanish–American Banana Wars Philippine–American Boxer Rebellion Second Boer Russo-Japanese Italo-Turkish Balkan Wars First Second Albanian Revolts First Second Third World War I

v t e Tangier
History	History of Tangier Timeline List of European governors of Tangier Battle of Tangier (1664) English Tangier Tangier Garrison 1st Tangier Regiment 2nd Tangier Regiment Battle of Cape Spartel (1782) Treaty of Tangiers First Moroccan Crisis Tangier Protocol Tangier International Zone Administrators and Mendoubs Battle of Cape Spartel (1936)
Economy	Economy of Tangier Tangier Exportation Free Zone Tanger-med
Districts and streets	Tangier City Center Grand Socco Petit Socco Quartier du Marshan Rue Es-Siaghine Rue de la Liberté Avenue Pasteur Avenue d'Espagne Avenue Mohammed VI beach
Religious buildings	Grand Mosque of Tangier Kasbah Mosque Sidi Bou Abib Mosque Mohammed V Mosque Lalla Abla Mosque Church of the Immaculate Conception Anglican Church of St. Andrew French Church Roman Catholic Cathedral
Palaces and museums	Kasbah Palace Mendoubia Mendoub's Residence Marshan Palace Abdelhafid Palace American Legation Museum of Contemporary Art Fondation Lorin Musée de Carmen-Macein
Other buildings	Plaza de Toros bullring Borj en Naam Gran Teatro Cervantes Hotel Cecil Hotel Continental French Consulate General Café Hafa Tangerinn Villa Muniria
Schools and colleges	Tangier Anglo-Moroccan School American School of Tangier
Transport	Rabat-Tangier expressway Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport
Sport and culture	Atletico Tanger IR Tanger Stade de Tanger Stade de Marchan Cap Radio (Morocco) National Cricket Stadium
Geography	Bay of Tangier Parc de la Mendoubia Colline du Charf Cape Spartel Cape Malabata