Causes Of The Second Moroccan Crisis

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Furthermore, the first Moroccan crisis (1905) was a colonial rivalry that arose from competing imperial ambitions which served to further diplomatically isolate an increasingly militaristic Germany whilst solidifying the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale as an armed coalition against Germany. Consequently, the first Moroccan crisis demonstrates how the competing imperial ambitions of the Great Powers had created an international system where war was inevitable. In 1905, the Kaiser declared his support for the Moroccan Sultan’s sovereignty; a very clear challenge to French influence in Morocco. As a result, the Great Powers convened for the Algeciras Conference, which ultimately resulted in Britain declaring support for France’s influence in Morocco, Moreover, the Second Moroccan Crisis solidified the tensions that had been building up since the late 19th Century, ultimately creating an international system where the threat of war was both realistic and nigh certain. In 1911, a German gunboat was sent to the Moroccan port of Agadir, despite an earlier agreement where France and Germany had mutually acknowledged their presence in Morocco. Yet again, the Kaiser was attempting to expand his empire through challenging his rivals. As a result, the Second Moroccan Crisis epitomises the core aims of Weltpolitik; the consolidation of German power through aggressive expansion. Moreover, France responded to the crisis by establishing a full protectorate over Morocco, thus assimilating it into her sphere of influence. As a result, Porch argues that the Second Moroccan crisis served to “further spark French Nationalism,” whilst “alerting Britain to the threat that Germany posed to international stability,” thus confirming “Germany’s fears of diplomatic isolation and encirclement”. As a result, competing imperial ambitions in Morocco had drawn the Great Powers further towards war, as both France and Britain were both committed to countering the threat posed by Germany whilst Germany on the other hand was concerned with breaking the iron grip that was encircling her. As a result, the Second Moroccan Crisis undeniably contributed

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