French conquest of Tunisia

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French occupation of Tunisia
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French conquest of Tunisia
Part of the Scramble for Africa

Capture of Tunis in October 1881
Date28 April – 23 December 1881
Location
Tunisia
Result

French victory

Belligerents
France France Tunisia
Commanders and leaders
France Forgemol de Bostquénard
France Jules Aimé Bréart		 Muhammad III
Ali III
Strength
28,000 men Unknown

The French conquest of Tunisia occurred in two phases in 1881: the first (28 April – 12 May) consisting of the invasion and securing of the country before the signing of a treaty of protection, and the second (10 June – 28 October) consisting of the suppression of a rebellion. The

independence of Tunisia
on 20 March 1956.

Context

Early contacts

expatriates
in the country, that was represented by
textiles.[1]

Colonial competition

Following the

Italy and the United Kingdom attempted to reinforce their influence in Tunisia. The Italian representative failed through clumsiness, but the British representative Sir Richard Wood was more successful. In order to limit French influence, Wood obtained the reinstatement of Tunisia as a province of the Ottoman Empire in 1871, although the region's autonomy was also guaranteed.[4] Great Britain continued to try to exert influence through commercial ventures, but these were not successful.[4] There were also various Tunisian land ownership disputes among France, Britain and Italy.[5]

The French wished to take control of Tunisia, which neighboured their existing colony of

Khroumir bands gave a pretext for the military intervention.[5][6]

Occupation

Capture of Sfax by French troops (top), and the Battle of Djebel Haddeda (bottom), 1881

On 28 April 1881, 28,000 men under General Forgemol de Bostquénard entered Tunisia. On 1 May, the city of Bizerte surrendered to the 8,000 men of Jules Aimé Bréart [fr], who then continued to Tunis.[6]

Bréart entered Tunis between May 3 and May 6, 1881. He had in his possession the

Bey of Tunis between 1859 and 1881, who resided in Ksar Saïd. Surprised, Sadok Bey requested several hours for reflection, and immediately gathered his cabinet. Some of its members insisted that the bey should escape towards Kairouan to organize resistance, but Sadok Bey decided to accept the protectorate. The Bardo Treaty was signed by both parties on 12 May 1881.[5]

French Chasseurs d'Afrique on outpost in Tunis, 1881

An insurrection soon broke out in the south on 10 June 1881, and then in Sfax. Six ironclads were dispatched from Toulon (Colbert, Friedland, Marengo, Trident, Revanche, Surveillante) to join the French Navy ships in Tunisian waters. In Sfax, three ironclads from the Division of the Levant were already present (Alma, Reine Blanche, La Galissonnière), together with four cannon boats.[6] Sfax was bombarded, and on 16 July the city was invested after hard fighting, with 7 dead and 32 wounded for the French.[6] At Kairouan 32,000 men, 6,000 horses and 20,000 tons of supplies and material were landed. Kairouan was taken without a fight on 28 October 1881.[6]

Consequences

Great Britain and Germany silently approved the invasion of the country, while Italy protested in vain.[5]

Tunisia thus became a

Commander in Chief of its armed forces.[5] In 1882, Paul Cambon energetically took advantage of his position as Resident, leaving the Bey essentially powerless, and in effect administering Tunisia as another French colony.[5] The French established an important naval base at Bizerte in 1898.[6]

Italy would respond with the 1911–12 Italo-Turkish War leading to the Italian occupation of Libya.[citation needed]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Aldrich 1996, p. 29.
  2. ISBN 9004097961, archived
    from the original on 2014-05-02.
  3. ^ Aldrich 1996, p. 28.
  4. ^
    ISBN 9780521228039, archived
    from the original on 2014-01-11.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Aldrich 1996, p. 30.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Randier 2006, p. 395.

Bibliography

External links
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