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Algeciras Conference

The Algeciras Conference[a] of 1906 took place in Algeciras, Spain, and lasted from 16 January to 7 April. The purpose of the conference was to find a solution to the First Moroccan Crisis of 1905 between France and Germany, which arose as Germany responded to France's effort to establish a protectorate over the independent state of Morocco.[1] Germany was not trying to stop French expansion. Its goal was to enhance its own international prestige, and it failed badly.[2] The result was a much closer relationship between France and Britain that strengthened the Entente Cordiale since both London and Paris were increasingly suspicious and distrustful of Berlin.[3] An even more momentous consequence was the heightened sense of frustration and readiness for war in Germany that spread beyond the political elite to much of the press and most of the political parties except for the Liberals and Social Democrats on the left.

To ratify European intervention in Morocco following the First Moroccan Crisis

7 April 1906

18 June 1906

The Pan-German element grew in strength, denounced the government's retreat as treason and stepped up chauvinistic support for war.[4]

Outcome[edit]

The final Act of the conference was signed on 7 April 1906 and covered the organisation of Morocco's police and customs, regulations concerning the repression of the smuggling of armaments and concessions to the European bankers from a new State Bank of Morocco to issue banknotes backed by gold with a 40-year term. The new state bank was to act as Morocco's central bank, with a strict cap on the spending of the Sherifian Empire and administrators appointed by the national banks, which guaranteed the loans, from the German Empire, United Kingdom, France and Spain. Spanish coinage continued to circulate.[11] The right of Europeans to own land was established, and taxes were to be levied towards public works.[12]


The Sultan of Morocco retained control of a police force in the six port cities, which was to be composed entirely of Moroccan Muslims and budgeted at an average salary of a mere 1000 pesetas a year but was to be instructed by French and Spanish officers. They would oversee the paymaster (the amin), regulate discipline and have the ability to be recalled and replaced by their governments. The Inspector-General in charge would be Swiss and reside in Tangiers.


At the last moment, the Moroccan delegates found that they were unable to sign the final Act, but a decree of Sultan Abdelaziz of Morocco on 18 June finally ratified it.

Germany – and Christian, Count of Tattenbach

Joseph Maria von Radowitz, Jr.

Austro-Hungary – Rudolph, Count of Welsersheimb and Leopold, Count Bolesta-Koziebrodzki

Belgium – Baron and Conrad, Count of Buisseret Steenbecque

Maurice Joostens

Spain – Don and Juan Manuel Sánchez, Duke of Almodóvar del Río

Juan Pérez-Caballero y Ferrer

United States – and Samuel R Gummere

Henry White

France – and Eugène Regnault, Abdelqader Benghabrit[13][14]

Paul Révoil

United Kingdom –

Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock

Italy – and Giulio Malmusi

Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta

Morocco – El Hadj and El Hadj Mohammed Ben Abdesselam El Mokri

Muhammad Torres

Netherlands – Jonkheer Hannibal Testa

Portugal – (Count of Tovar) and Francisco Roberto da Silva Ferrão de Carvalho Martens (Count of Martens Ferrão)

António Maria Tovar de Lemos Pereira

Russian Empire – and Basile de Bacheracht

Arthur, Count Cassini

Sweden – Robert Sager

Anderson, Eugene N. The First Moroccan Crisis, 1904–1906 (U of Chicago Press, 1930)

online

Eastman, Anthony F. "The Algeciras Conference, 1906." The Southern Quarterly 1 (January 1969):185–205

online

Esthus, Raymond A, Theodore Roosevelt and the International Rivalries (1970) pp 88–111.

Fay, Sidney Bradshaw. The Origins of the World War (Vol. 1. Macmillan, 1930) pp 168–191.

online

Geiss, Immanuel. German Foreign Policy 1871–1914 (1976) 133–136.

Jones, Heather. "Algeciras Revisited: European Crisis and Conference Diplomacy, 16 January–7 April 1906." (EUI WorkingPaper MWP 2009/1, 2009).

online

MacMillan, Margaret. The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914(2012) pp 378–398

Rogers, Marjorie Lucille, "The conference of Algeciras 1906." (Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper #1884, U of Louisville thesis, 1933). online 98 pages

https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1884