Chronography of Morocco
Page last modified 25 March 2023
See also Africa
For events in North Africa relating
to the Islamic World and Arab Spring see also Islam & Middle
East
16
May 2003,
In Casablanca, Morocco, 5 simultaneous suicide bombings struck at US and
Israeli targets, killing 45.
20
July 1999, The death
of King Hassan II of Morocco prompted widespread mourning across the Arab world.
1993, Morocco made a peace accord with Israel.
1989, Morocco restored diplomatic relations with Syria.
1988, Morocco restored diplomatic relations with Algeria.
27
January 1975,
Morocco requested that the UN Decolonisation Committee put the Ceuta case on
its agenda. Morocco also said it would raise the question of the Spanish
enclaves, if Gibraltar were ever returned to Spanish control.
October 1969, Ahmed Laraki became Prime Minister, succeeding Mohamed
Benhima.
30 June 1969, Spain returned the enclave of Ifni to Morocco; however the towns of
Ceuta and Melilla were retained.
27 March 1965, 14 people who had been convicting of plotting to
overthrow King
Hassan II were executed in Rabat, Morocco.
20 February 1964, Ceasfire in the border war between Algeria and
Morocco. The French, former colonial power in both countries, had drawn the
border without local consultation, and in 10/1963 a border war began. The two
countires had a further border conflict in 1967, and clashed again in 1976 over
the fate of Spanish Sahara.
29 March 1963, The US assured King Hassan of Morocco that it would close its
military bases in his country by end-1963.
6 February 1963, Mohammed ibn al-Chattabi Abd el-Krim, Morocco
opposition leader, died.
30 June 1962, Morocco extended its territorial waters from 6 to 10
nautical miles; it also reasserted its claims to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta
and Mellila. Spain reinforced the enclave borders.
31
August 1961, Last Spanish troops withdrew from Morocco.
26
February 1961, King Hassan II became ruler of
Morocco on the death of his father, King Mohammad V.
14
June 1958, France announce it was withdrawing its
troops from Morocco.
23
October 1957, Morocco began invading
Ifni.
7
April 1956, Spain relinquished its protectorate over Morocco.
2
March 1956, The Treaty of Fez was
terminated. France officially recognised the independence of Morocco.
20
February 1952. NATO agreed to recruit
Morocco.
French and Spanish domination of
Morocco now ending
21
August 1955, Morocco and France
reached agreement, and anti-French rioting ended there.
16
July 1955, France declared martial law
in Morocco after rioting.
7
August 1954, Anti-French riots in
Morocco.
20
August 1953, The French forced Sultan Mohammad
to abdicate over his support for independence.
30
March 1952, Anti-French riots in
Tangier, French Morocco.
11
January 1944, The Moroccan Nationalist Movement released the Proclamation of
Independence, a manifesto demanding full independence from France, Spain,
and the international legislative body governing Tangier; national
reunification; and a democratic constitution.
16
March 1934, French campaign against
Berbers in Morocco concluded.
1927, Sidi
Mohammad Yousif became Sultam Mohammad V of Morocco.
23
May 1926, In Morocco, the French
seized Rif, and the rebel leader Abd El Krim
surrendered.
11
July 1925, France and Spain agreed to
coordinate their efforts in the Rif War.
11
April 1925, Abd
el-Krim defeated the French army in Morocco.
18
December 1923, The International Zone
of Tangier (Morocco) was set up.
21
July 1921, The Spanish army was defeated by Moroccan nationalists at Annual.� The Spanish sustained over 12,000 casualties.� Adb-E-Krim,
nationalist leader, was eventually defeated by a Franco-Spanish force in 1926. Abd E Krim was held on the island of
Reunion till 1947 but was then given permission to live in France.� However
he succeeded in escaping to Egypt where he became an inspiration to Arab
nationalism generally.
1
September 1912, French troops quelled
an uprising in Morocco.
Anti-colonial agitation begins in
Morocco
11
August 1912, In Morocco, Sultan Mulai
Hafid abdicated.
30
March 1912. By the Treaty of� Fez, Morocco
became a French protectorate. This Treaty was terminated on 2 March 1956.
1 July 1911, Germany sent the gunboat Panther
to Agadir, Morocco, to protect German commercial interests there from French
expansion in Morocco.� Britain was concerned about
Germany�s ambitions in Africa so close to Gibraltar.�
16
June 1911. The French army occupied
Fez, in Morocco.
3
December 1910. France occupied
the Moroccan port of Agadir.
23
August 1908, The Battle of Marrakesh.
Abd-al-Aziz
IV, Sultan of Morocco, was defeated by his elder brother, Mulay Hafid,
who had been proclaimed Sultan in May.
4
August 1907, The French navy
bombarded the Moroccan port of Casablanca, after anti-Western demonstrations
there.
7 April 1906. The Conference of Algecieras ended.
16 January 1906. The Algecieras
Conference � see 28 August 1904.
31 March 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany arrived in Tangier,
Morocco, to give a speech in favour of Moroccan independence. This was intended to humiliate France, who
saw Morocco as their own protectorate, and to test the closeness of the
Franco-British entente. Germany intended to subsequently �grant France
limited control in Morocco�, a move supposed to bring France closer to Germany
and away from Britain. However Germany
was surprised by the forcefulness with which British
Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey backed
France; Germany was further isolated from France, Britain and hence Russia too.
This event paved the way for the Agadir crisis of 1911.
3 October 1904. France and Spain agreed that northern Morocco was
recognised as a Spanish zone of influence.
28 August 1904. A treaty was concluded in London whereby France
would allow the British freedom of action in Egypt in return for the British
allowing the French a free hand in Morocco. For many years the nominally
independent Sultanate of Morocco had been losing power as it became
increasingly dependent on French, Spanish, and German business and subsidies
for financial security. In October 1904 the French also concluded a secret
treaty with the Spanish. This disturbed Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany who saw his
country being squeezed out of North Africa. Wilhelm II therefore landed at
Tangier on 31 March 1905. The sultan sided with the Germans and serious
friction with the French resulted. On 16/1/1906 the Algecieras Conference was held. German claims were backed by
Austria whilst French claims were backed by Britain. Germany failed to curb
France�s privileged position in Morocco. See 8 April 1904.
30 December 1902, Spain sent warships to Tangiers, Morocco.
20 July 1901, Morocco ceded control of its frontier police on its
Algerian border to France. France already controlled Algeria as a colony, and
this was a step towards France acquiring Morocco also as a further colony,
thereby excluding Britain and Spain who also had aspirations for this
territory.
1894, Treaty of
Fez. The Sultan of Morocco agreed to pay Spain a war indemnity of 20 million
pesetas, and to punish the Berbers (see November 1893).
November 1893, Rif
Berber tribes were attacking Spanish possession in northern Morocco, unchecked
by the Sultan of Morocco. When the Governor-General of Melilla was killed,
Spain then counterattacked with a 25,000 strong army, driving the Berbers back.
See 1894.
France re-establishes control of Morocco; Spain
controls northern Morocco
3 July 1880, Morocco�s
independence was recognised by the European powers and by Russia.
26 April 1860, Under
pressure from Britain, Spain and Morocco made peace/ Spain received an
indemnity from Morocco, and the size of its Ceuta enclave was increased.
1860, Spain occupied the port of Ifni.
1 January 1860, Spanish General Juan
Prim y Prats (1814-70) scored a major victory over Morocco, and captured
Tetuan a month later.
22 October 1859, Spain
declared war on Morocco, after Muslim attacks on the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The Spanish Prime Minister, Leopoldo O�Donnell (1809-67) used the pretext
of damages suffered by Spanish citizens in Ceuta, which he alleged that the
Moroccan Sultan had failed to offer compensation for. O�Donnell took charge of the
war, adssembling a large 40,000-strong army, but his battle� plans were flawed. He landed his army at
disadvantageous locations, became bogged down by the use of poor roads, and
suffered losses from cholera. However see 1 January 1860.
10
September 1844. France
and Morocco signed the Treaty of Tangiers, ending their conflict. France
withdrew from Morocco.
1 July 1844. A French squadron under the Duke of Joinville bombarded
Tangiers.
1728, Meknes
ceased to be the capital of Morocco.
4 August 1578, Portuguese King Sebastian (1554-78), against the advice
of Pope
Gregory XIII (1502-85) and of King Philip II of Spain (1527-98),
decided to fight in Morocco in support of a Pretender to the throne,� Portugal had even wider ambitions, of a great
crusade against the Muslim �infidels� of Morocco. Portuguese forces marched
overland to Ksar el Kebir (then Alcazarquivir), where, at the Battle of the Three Kings this day,
having been debilitated by the heat and short of provisions, they were heavily
defeated by the King o0f Fez. All three Kings, Sebastian, the Pretender and the
King pf Fez, died on the battlefield. Of the 25,000 strong Portuguese army,
some 8,000 were died and 15,000 captured; a small number managed to escape. The
captured nobles were ransomed by Morocco, for a sum that nearly bankrupted
Portugal.
3 September 1503, Ferdinand II of Spain sent an army to Morocco
to fight the Moors. Mers el Kebir fell to Spain.
1497, Melilla became a Spanish colony.
1415, Ceuta became a Portuguese colony.
1290, The Marinid rulers of Morocco, whose
dynasty endured until 1470, captured the nation;s capital from the Berber
Almohads.
1147, The Almohads replaced the Almoravids.
17 December 1129, Almohad Mahdi Muhammad Ibn Tumart died and was succeeded by Abd Al Mu�min.
27 November 1121, Muhammad ibn Tumart, leader of the Almohads of the Atlas Mountains, was
recognised as the Mahdi (Guided by God). He began to conquer the Almoravid territories in NW Africa.
1062, The city
of Marrakesh was founded by Youssef ben Tachfine, founder of the Almoravid Dynasty in 1053.
711, Invading
Arab armies brought Islam to Morocco. They founded the Idrissid
Kingdom, which ruled from 744 to 788.
618, The Goths
invaded Morocco,
429, Vandal
invaders crossed from Spain into Morocco, ending Roman rule there.
See also Roman Empire.