SS11 (20th Century World History) 2018

Morocco

When the Treaty of Fez was signed in 1912, Morocco became a French protectorate. But after the Second World War, calls for independence grew stronger. As early as 1943, US President Franklin Roosevelt had encouraged the Sultan of Morocco in his quest for independence.

However, France was not yet ready to abandon the country.

But this did not curb the efforts of the nationalists, and they decided to form the Moroccan National Front. Tensions continued to rise over the ensuing months. In 1952 and 1953, several anti-French demonstrations were repressed with bloodshed. In December 1952, the Arab states managed to place the Moroccan question on the UN agenda.  From that point on, the nationalists stepped up their action and the attacks increased.

Morocco officially gained independence on 2 March 1956 after the signing of a joint declaration in Paris to replace the Treaty of Fez that had established the protectorate in 1912. Tunisia’s turn would come just a few weeks later.

Tunisia

During the Second World War, Tunisia became a theatre of confrontation between the Allies and the Axis powers. After several months of fighting, the Allied forces successfully repelled the enemy troops, and the capitulation of Germany in 1943 confirmed the withdrawal of the Axis powers from North Africa. In May, authority in Tunisia was transferred to Free France. The Tunisian monarch was immediately deposed on the ground that he had collaborated with the Germans.

The Neo Destour Party took advantage of the post-war climate of discontent and demanded reforms, calling for the formation of a responsible government.

While the French Government advocated a system of joint sovereignty within the French Union, the nationalists stepped up their campaign for Tunisian independence, supported by the Tunisian General Labour Union (see photo below). In 1952, France launched a crackdown on political leaders. But a series of terrorist attacks in Tunisia forced France to react. In 1954, Pierre Mendès France granted Tunisia internal autonomy.

Caption above translates as "Demonstration of the Tunisian General Labor Union"

In 1955, a government composed entirely of Tunisians was finally formed, and in 1956, negotiations between France and Tunisia resulted in full independence for Tunisia. The first parliamentary elections in Tunisia’s history resulted in a sweeping victory for Neo Destour and Habib Bourguiba, who became President of the Tunisian Republic. In 1956, Tunisia was admitted to the United Nations.