The Moroccan Crises: 1905 and 1911 (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Zoe Wade
The Moroccan Crisis - Timeline & Summary
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The major European powers were split up into two different camps. The Triple Alliance was made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. The Triple Entente was made up of Britain, France and Germany. Tensions in Europe were increasing as Germany was becoming more militaristic and had imperialistic aims. Britain, France and Russia were becoming aligned with their mutual concern over Germany's growing power. This, in turn, increased tensions as Germany became more fearful of being encircled by these European powers.
As Germany was determined to become a global power, they wanted an opportunity to demonstrate their power on the global stage. France's desire to take over Morocco was Germany's opportunity to do this.
The 1905 and 1911 Moroccan Crises contributed towards the outbreak of the First World War as it increased tensions in Europe. Germany was left humiliated during both the 1905 and the 1911 Moroccan crises. This left Germany determined not to back down during the next international crisis. Britain France and Russia grew closer and formed the Entente Cordiale.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The Moroccan Crisis of 1905 and 1911 are often referred to as the First and Second Moroccan Crises. They are two very different events and students often forget which one is which, and this can reduce your marks.
An easy tip to remember the difference between the two crises is that the 1905 crisis started with France declaring its interests in Morocco and ended with the Algercias conference. The 1911 crisis started with the gunboat The Panther and ended with the conferences at Paris and Berlin.
Causes of the 1905 Moroccan Crisis
In 1904, France declared its interest in controlling Morocco
In the 1904 Entente Cordiale, Britain agreed to support France's attempts to take over Morocco
However, in 1905, the Kaiser visited Tangier to prevent France from taking over Morocco
The Kaiser announced his support to the Moroccan Sultan, Abdelaziz
Historians believe that the Kaiser supported Moroccan independence as he wanted to :
test the Entente Cordiale to see if Britain would come to the aid of France
demonstrate Germany's power on the global stage
see how far they could push France before they declared war on Germany
Events of the 1905 Moroccan Crisis
The Kaiser's actions in Morocco resulted in an international conference in Algeciras
All the world's major powers attended the Algeciras Conference in January 1906
During the conference, it was decided that France could have special rights in Morocco
They were not allowed to colonise Morocco
However, they were given joint control of the Moroccan police
Impact of the 1905 Moroccan Crisis on the alliance system
The Kaiser was left humiliated by the Algeciras Conference
Austria-Hungary was the only nation to support Germany
France was given special rights in Morocco, which went against what Germany wanted
Austria-Hungary's support of Germany in the 1905 Moroccan crisis showed the world that they were allies
Britain and Russia supported France during the Algeciras Conference
This proved to the Kaiser that the Entente Cordiale was more than just a 'friendly understanding'
The Kaiser became increasingly concerned about being encircled
The Algeciras Conference formed the Triple Alliance
Russia and Britain's relationship improved over their support of France
After the conference, Britain, France and Russia created the Triple Entente
Causes of the 1911 Moroccan Crisis
In 1911, a rebellion broke out in the capital of Morocco, Fez
The rebellion was against the Sultan
The Sultan asked the French government for help
France sent 20,000 soldiers to Fez
Events of the 1911 Moroccan Crisis
After France sent 20,000 soldiers to Fez Germany accused the French of invading Morocco
Germany sent The Panther, a German warship, to Morocco as a display of German strength
This concerned Britain as:
Britain had a naval base in the Mediterranean Sea near Gibraltar
Britain believed Germany could be trying to establish their own naval base in the Mediterranean Sea
In response to The Panther's arrival in the Mediterranean Sea, Britain prepared for war
However, German, French and British politicians met in Paris and Berlin and resolved the 1911 crisis
The Kaiser backed down and ordered The Panther to leave Agadir
Many countries, including Italy, opposed Germany's actions with The Panther
It was agreed that France should gain control over Morocco
Germany would receive a part of the French Congo
Impact of the 1911 Moroccan Crisis on the alliance system
Germany was once again left humiliated by the outcome of the 1911 Moroccan Crisis
Again, Germany was forced to back down
It was unlikely that the Kaiser would back down from another international crisis
The German people supported the actions of the Kaiser
The Kaisers talk of war was supported by the German population
Italy, Germany's ally, openly opposed Germany's actions during the crisis
This showed the Triple Alliance was not as strong as the Triple Entente
Germany began to rely on Austria-Hungary
France was given control over Morocco
This went against what Germany wanted, it showed that Germany was not considered a global power
The 1911 Moroccan Crisis showed that Germany was a threat to European peace
Britain began to build more battleships
Britain and France grew closer
They created a secret agreement that French warships would patrol the Mediterranean Sea and British warships would patrol the north coast of France
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The 8-mark 'Write an account' question in the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War exam paper often asks students to write an account of how a specific event became an 'international crisis'.
An international crisis is a sequence of interactions between two or more nations in conflict, short of actual war, but involving a dangerously high probability of war.
Both the First and Second Moroccan Crisis became an international crisis. To answer this 8-mark question successfully, you need to be able to explain two ways the crisis became an international crisis. Here you will need to focus on cause and consequence to help you answer this question.
More help and guidance on this question can be found here.
Worked Example
Study Source A.
Source A is critical of Germany. How do you know?
[4 marks]
Source A: A British cartoon published in the weekly magazine, Punch, in 1911. The cartoon is entitled 'The Entente Cordiale'.
Answer:
Source A is critical of Germany as it was created by a British weekly magazine called Punch (1). In 1911, Britain was critical of Germany as they started to prepare for war against Germany. Britain believed that Germany wanted to establish a naval base in the Mediterranean Sea during the Second Moroccan Crisis of 1911 (1).
Source A is critical of Germany as the image shows the Kaiser hurt, as he has kicked a rock representing the Entente Cordiale (1). The Kaiser was left humiliated after the 1911 Moroccan Crisis as he was forced to back down, and France gained control over Morocco. The 1911 crisis showed that the Entente Cordiale was strong, which surprised the Kaiser (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War exam paper, you may be asked to answer a 12-mark 'How useful' question on the Moroccan Crisis.
In this question, you will need to explain how two historical sources are useful to a historian. You should not explain the limitations of the sources.
However, you should focus on explaining how the sources' content and provenance are useful to a historian.
More guidance and help on this question can be found here.
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