This article is part of the series The Road to World War I .

French attitudes towards Morocco

France was eager to secure its sphere of influence in North-west Africa and, since it already controlled neighbouring Algiers, had high hopes of seizing Morocco.

German attitudes towards Morocco

Kaiser Wilhelm’s “Weltpolitik” implied that Germany would a) want to press her own rights in Africa in general and Morocco in particular, and b) assert her rightful say in world affairs by being involved in decisions concerning Morocco.

Background

The “Madrid Convention” of 1880 granted each power equal rights in Morocco. By the “Entente Cordial”, however, the British accepted French rights in Morocco in exchange for French support to Britain’s claims in Egypt.

The Kaiser pays a visit

In 1905, the Kaiser paid a visit to Tangier. To the French consulate he clarified that Germany expected rights in Morocco. In a public speech, he suggested that Morocco be an independent nation (protected by Germany).

German intentions

The real motives for the Kaiser’s actions are unclear. The Kaiser, with his “Weltpolitik”, was eager to demonstrate that international questions could no longer be resolved without Germany. It should be noted that his visit took place during a period where the Russians were severely weakened by the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and could hardly give effective support to her ally France. It is possible that Wilhelm wanted, by forcing France to give ground, to weaken and discredit her as an ally in the eyes of Great Britain and Russia.

Algeciras Conferences (1906)

An international conference, attended by the major powers, was held at Algeciras to decide upon the future of Morocco. Germany relied on the “Madrid Convention” and expected an outcome in her favour. The result was much to the contrary of German expectations: all but for Austria-Hungary and Morocco voted in favour of the French claims to Morocco, now strengthened even more by her newly gained control over the Moroccan police.

Consequences

To Germany, it was a serious diplomatic defeat. On top of that, Germany believed to be surrounded by jealous and hostile neighbours pursuing a “policy of encirclement” (“Einkreisungspolitik”). From then on, Germany believed that international disputes could no longer be settled by meetings. Besides that, the German intentions to “crack” the “Entente Cordial” failed and Anglo-French relations as a matter of fact hardened. The Anglo-Russian co-operation eventually ended in an agreement (the “Triple Entente” in 1907), ending colonial rivalries in Southeast Asia.