Moroccan Independence

The Revolution of the King and the People () was a Moroccan anti-colonial national liberation movement with the goal of ending the French and Spanish protectorates in Morocco in order to break free from colonial rule. The name refers to the coordination between the Moroccan monarch Sultan Mohammed V and the popular Moroccan Nationalist Movement in their efforts against colonialism and toward independence, particularly after the French authorities forced Sultan Mohammed V into exile on 20 August 1953 (Eid al-Adha). 20 August is considered a national holiday in Morocco, in remembrance of the Revolution of the King and the People. After Morocco had regained independence from the French, the movement effectively ceased to exist, as the Sultan managed to take control of the state. Meanwhile, the Moroccan Nationalist Movement was turned into an opposition party.

Context

Following the French bombardment of Casablanca and conquest of Morocco, the 1912 Treaty of Fes officially made Morocco a protectorate of France. Though anti-colonial action occurred throughout the period of the French protectorate over Morocco, manifesting itself in activity such as the Rif War against Spain, organizing in response to the 1930 Berber Dahir, and the establishment of the in 1933. Anti-colonial activity increased after the Allies held the Anfa Conference in Casablanca in January 1943, with tacit encouragement for Moroccan independence from US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Moroccan struggle for independence had globalized, with the nationalists creating a network of international supporters that spanned continents, helping to legitimize the call for independence across global public opinion. The Istiqlal Party was created in December 1943, and it issued the Proclamation of Independence of Morocco on 11 January 1944.

History

Tangier Speech

After French authorities failed in their attempt to disrupt his journey with the 1947 Casablanca massacre, Mohammed V spoke out demanding Morocco's independence for the first time in a historic and symbolic trip to the Tangier International Zone, where he delivered the Tangier Speech of 9 April 1947. In the words of the historian Susan Gilson Miller:

"The shy and retiring Muhammad V rose up like a lion to meet his historical destiny. In an electric speech pronounced at Tangier on April 9, 1947, the sultan – who had never before uttered a word that might suggest he would deviate from Protectorate policy – praised the march toward Moroccan 'unity' and affirmed his belief in the country's 'Arabo-Islamic' destiny, publicly carving out a wide space between himself and the Residency. Carefully modulating his language, the sultan now joined the duel between the Istiqlal and the Protectorate regime, turning it into a three-sided altercation. The popularity of the sultan and his family soared, as 'monarchy fever' seized the Moroccan people and Muhammad V became the adored symbol of the nation. His portrait appeared everywhere, in the smallest shops of the madina to the place of honor inside the private home."

Mounting pressure

The assassination of the Tunisian labor unionist Farhat Hached by '' La Main Rouge,'' the clandestine militant wing of French foreign intelligence, sparked protests in cities around the world and riots in Casablanca, especially in the bidonville Carrières Centrales (now Hay Mohammadi), from 7–8 December 1952. Approximately 100 people were killed. These protests were influenced heavily by the broader transnational network of support that Moroccan nationalists had built. This network included diplomats and intelligence agents who provided information and strategic support, impacting local and international perceptions of the Moroccan independence movement.

Exile of Mohammed V

On 20 August 1953 (Eid al-Adha), Mohammed V was deposed and exiled, first to Corsica, and then to Madagascar. The events surrounding the exile were marked by significant international reactions, particularly from the United States and France, where public and diplomatic opinions were influenced by the widespread support that Moroccan nationalists had garnered globally. The Catholic and Protestant churches stood in solidarity with the Moroccan people and people such as Albert Peyriguère denounced the injustices perpetrated by the French authorities.

Armed resistance

After the sultan's exile, popular resistance became more aggressive. On 11 September 1953, Allal ben Abdallah attempted to assassinate Mohammed Ben Aarafa, who had been installed as a puppet king by the French. On 24 December 1953 (Christmas Eve) Moroccan nationalist Muhammad Zarqtuni bombed Casablanca's Central Market, which was frequented by European colonists.

Anti-colonial resistance was not exclusive to the bourgeois Istiqlal Party or the urban clandestine cells of the Moroccan Nationalist Movement; in 1955, Amazigh resistance fighters orchestrated an attack on Europeans living in Oued Zem and Khuribga. France responded with airplanes, tanks, and ground troops, bringing some from French Indochina. Following the example of Algeria's National Liberation Front (FLN), the Moroccan Nationalist Movement created a paramilitary force, the Moroccan Army of Liberation (), a paramilitary force led by Abbas Messaadi in northern Morocco in October 1955.

Independence

Under pressure and having lost control of the country, the French authorities removed Ben Arafa and were forced to negotiate with the exiled Sultan. The negotiations at the Conference of Aix-les-Bains

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