The Second Moroccan Crisis

• In May 1911 the French sent troops to Fez in Morocco to help the Sultan put down an uprising against him but Germany claimed that the French had breached the earlier agreements.
• The Kaiser warned France he opposed the idea of sending French troops into Morocco
• The French ignored his warning so in response the Kaiser ordered a German gunboat, a Panther, to the shores of Agadir as a clear threat

  ▪ The Kaiser reluctantly agreed to withdraw the Panther from Agadir but only if France handed over the whole of the French Congo
• Britain was concerned following reports Germany planned to build a naval base at Agadir, which was close to the British naval base in Gibraltar, if demands were not met

  ▪ This prompted Lloyd-George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made a speech in Mansion House declaring that Britain would be willing to go to war in defence of the European power balance
• However, to avert war Britain and France handed over some of the Congo in return for German recognition of French rights in Morocco
• In Germany the Second Moroccan Crisis was seen as a triumph but by the other powers it was seen as too aggressive
• In France, more nationalistic politicians gained power, destroying the elements favourable to a compromise with Germany, such as the anti-German Raymond Poincare becoming PM
• From 1912, Britain and France began a series of military conventions, starting with a naval agreement in March 1912 whereby Britain allowed the French navy to dominate the Mediterranean whilst Britain would look after Gibraltar and the North Sea.
• In 1911, Italy copied the French example by attacking Turkish Tripoli unprovoked.