Question for Desert Wolf

Desert Wolf, since you're from Morocco, I would like to ask you how the french colonial period is generally seen among moroccans.

Is it all negative?
Were there postitive aspects(and if yes, which)?
Does it have any influence on contemporary relations between the two countries?

Thank you.

 

As im a native of Tangier, my family has never come under the direct colonialism of the French but have rather been under the direct rule of the Spainiards. However, that does not mean I do not know the feelings of Moroccans about the French colonial rule over much of Morocco. I am happy to start by saying that generaly the Moroccans do not view the French in a negative way but rather in a clearly positive outlook. They consider the French as allies and especially Jaque Chirac, who is almost widely respected by everyone and may even be called a hero here.

On the French colonial period here in Morocco, the Moroccans view it in a surprisingly humourus way. I have heard many stories of the resistance against the French and those stories never fail to make me burst out with laughter. Naturaly, Moroccans are happy that they got their independence and resent some acts that the French colonial troops did but on the whole, we are grateful that the independance was quite easily acheived without much bloodshed as was the case in Algeria.

To conclude, I think the most accurate depiction of the Moroccans feelings toward the colonial period is that they do not hold a grudge against the French over occupying them anymore, but rather view the French as friends to Morocco.

 

Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. If there is something I do not know myself, I can always ask my grandmother for further details on the period.

 

How is Marshal Lyautey seen for example?
On one hand he was responsible for much economical development(mainly roads, ports, railway)but also fiercly fought the rebellion of Abd el Krim.

 

To understand the feelings Moroccans have towards Marshal Lyautey you must understand the feelings Moroccans have towards Abd el Krim. Abd el Krim was a fighter for independance, and as such may be viewed as a hero. But the truth is he is a very controvesial figure. You see, Abd el Krims movement was not only for independance, but it was also a separationist movement, something most Moroccans do not toleate . In retrospect, we could consider that had Abd el Krim fully gained what he wanted, Morocco as we know it today would be much smaller and divided. So in effect, I believe its safe to say that most Moroccons look at Marshal Lyautey in a favourable light, as hes accomplishments in building railroads and such have helped the outgrowth of Moroccan economy and transportation after the French left. The undeniable truth is that the French occupation has aided this country (to a certain extent) although we generaly resent the occupation. As I do myself .

As a side note, the reason we resent the occupation the most is beacause the colonial French have treated us as inferiors, and sometimes committed some atrocities and looted us.

 

[/quote]

How bad and stupid that was from our part.
Be sure that I feel very sorry about it.

 

DesertWolf,

Would you be willing to give your views on how Algerians look at the French colonial period?

 

How bad and stupid that was from our part.
Be sure that I feel very sorry about it.[/quote]


Thank you. But that is the past, something that wont last, the future is bright and we will share it in delight.

 

Of course, please allow me to ask my aunt (whose agerian) and ill get back to you on that

 

I think it is high time I answered youre question canambridge, although I do not have much to say unfortunatly. The Algerians (needless to say feel very bitter that their revolution was only acheived after much bloodshed.) The effects of the revolution destroyed much of the economy (unlike here in Morocco) which made it harder for them to recover. But since they have petrol, theyre on their way to becoming quite wealthy. After the revolution the terror did not stop, and some Algerians believe the cause of that was the daily terror that most Algerians got used to during the revolution.

The most marked difference between Algerians and Moroccans is that theyve suffered more horrors and hardships under the French and during the revolution, making them more inclined to feel bitter towards the French. However, as time passes, theres much less of that thankfully.

 

[/quote]

Yes, Algeria was a much more tricky question.
The main reason for that is the fact that there was over 1 million french settlers in Algeria.(Unlike in Morocco for example where there never had been considerable settlement).

These settlers had lived in Algeria since several generations(many of them refugees from Alsace and Lorraine driven out in 1871), and considered it their home.
So France was not willing to give up Algeria.(Imagine for example the Aboriginees of Australia telling white settlers:"O.k., you lived here for some time, but it's our country, leave now....)
However the times of colonisation were definately over.

When General De Gaulle retook power in 1958 he soon realised that Algeria had to be given independence, but it took a lot of political courage to get that trough against the will of large parts of the population and of the army.
After the failure of a military putsh, colonist and military hardliners founded the OAS(Organisation armée secrète=Secret armed organisation)to continue the fight, using terrorist methods.

 

I have heard about the QAS, but I never fully understood the mheir method of operation. Can you give us any more info on them? Do you know who was their leader? Where their funds came from?

Thanks in advance.

 

OAS was founded after the failure of the "Generals Putsh", in april 1961.
Their objective was to stop Algerias move to independence.

It's leaders were the generals Salan(main leader) and Jouhaud, the colonels Argoud and Gardes, and some civian militants.
The members where french colonists but also many veterans(especially special forces) from the Algeria war.

They wanted by any means make impossible a political agreement between France and the algerian nationalists.
Therefore they attacked algerian FLN troops, but also algerian civils, and hoped that algerian repression would lead France to intervene again.
The "Delta commandos" of lieutenant Degueldre were particulary known and feared.

But after the treaty of Evian and a referendum in which a majority of french population agreed to algerian independence, their combat became hopeless.
Many of it's leaders were arrested(Degueldre, Salan, Jouhaud....), others fled to South America or hided in France, till an amnesty was proclaimed in 1968.

 

Thanks god they didnt acheive their objectives!

 

OAS also tried to kidnap De Gaulle, and as they realised that this was not possible, they tried to kill him.

At the "Petit- Clamard" crossroad in Paris, they shot at his car with a submachine gun, and one bullet only missed the president by 2 cm.

Btw., has anyone seen the movie "The Jackal" which relates this story.

 

I have seen both movies, "The day of the Jackal" from 1973 and "The Jackal" from 1997 (starring Bruce Willis). Only former relates that story. I also got that book from Frederik Forsyth.

 

2cm! He must have felt that one!

 

I haven't seen the first one unfortunately, but the second one, though it didn't relate to the assassination attempt in question, was still a very good movie.

 

DesertWolf,

Thanks for the Algerian commentary. I think the statement you made, "After the revolution the terror did not stop, and some Algerians believe the cause of that was the daily terror that most Algerians got used to during the revolution." is a very common result of these types of conflicts. And unfortunately some of the freedom fighters are really little more than thugs who find power and wealth in terror.
I imagine we can expect to see this type of outcome in Iraq.

 

Any colonialist power would have the same problems, I am certain that we did, this unfortunately is true for any power who occupies and thinks themselves better.