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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

Events leading to World War I
Unification of Germany 1866–1871 Franco-Prussian War 1870–1871 Second Concert of Europe 1871 Great Eastern Crisis 1875–1878 Campaign in Bosnia 1878 Dual Alliance 1879 Boer Wars 1880–1902 Austro–Serbian Alliance 1881–1903 Triple Alliance 1882 Berlin Conference 1884 Bulgarian Crisis 1885–1888 Reinsurance Treaty 1887–1890 Franco-Russian Alliance 1894 First Sino-Japanese War 1894–1895 Anglo-German naval arms race 1898–1912 Fashoda Incident 1898 Anglo-Japanese Alliance 1902 May Coup 1903 Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905 Entente Cordiale 1904 First Moroccan Crisis 1905–1906 Pig War 1906–1908 Anglo-Russian Convention 1907 Young Turk Revolution 1908 Bosnian Crisis 1908–1909 Racconigi Bargain 1909 Second Moroccan Crisis 1911 Italo-Turkish War 1911–1912 Balkan Wars 1912–1913 Assassination of Franz Ferdinand 1914 July Crisis 1914
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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. 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. The Kaiser toured the city on the back of a white horse. In a speech given at the German legation, 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 response

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. 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". 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. 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.

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.

See also

• Perdicaris affair
• Agadir Crisis

References

1. "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.
2.  Meakin, James; Meakin, Kate (1911). "Morocco". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 858.
3. Chris Trueman (31 March 2015). "The First Moroccan Crisis". The History Learning Site.
4. Viscount Grey of Fallodon (1925). Twenty-Five Years, Vol. 1. New York: Frederick A. Stokes. pp. 49–52.
5. Massie, Robert K. (1992). Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the coming of the Great War. London: Cape. ISBN 0-224-03260-7.
6. Ereignisse und Gestalten. pp. 270–271.
7. Kerr, Anne; Wright, Edmund (2015). A Dictionary of World History (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 9780199685691.
8. Soroka, Marina (2011). Britain, Russia, and the Road to the First World War. Farnham: Ashgate. p. 114. ISBN 9781409422464.

Further reading

• Esthus, Raymond A. Theodore Roosevelt and the International Rivalries (1970) pp 66–111.
• Gifford, Prosser, and Alison Smith, eds. Britain and Germany in Africa: imperial rivalry and colonial rule (1967) ch 7
• Massie, Robert K. Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the coming of the Great War (Random House, 1991) excerpt see Dreadnought (book), popular history; pp 351–372.
• Mayer, Martin: Geheime Diplomatie und öffentliche Meinung: Die Parlamente in Frankreich, Deutschland und Großbritannien und die erste Marokkokrise 1904–1906. Droste, Düsseldorf 2002, ISBN 3-7700-5242-0 (Beiträge zur Geschichte des Parlamentarismus und der politischen Parteien 133)

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

• French colonisation in Africa
• Spanish Africa
• History of Tangier
• Diplomatic crises of the 20th century
• 1905 in France
• 1906 in France
• 1906 in international relations
• 1905 in international relations
• 1905 in Morocco
• 1906 in Morocco
• France–Germany relations
• Germany–United Kingdom relations
• France–United Kingdom relations
• France–Morocco relations
• Germany–Morocco relations