Evolution of Franco-Algerian relations
The rise of an explicit threat symbolized by the European peril that befell the countries of the Maghreb in general, and Algeria in particular, at the beginning of the 16th century. He persuaded European countries, led by France, to crown Algeria king of the Mediterranean, which connects East and West. The racing fever began to spread throughout the colonies. The French approach to Algeria was based on each country's objectives and interests.
After obtaining coral fishing during the Ottoman period, France's thirst and appetite for Algeria expanded immensely, and it also opened the way to planning for the realization of its objectives. What are the characteristics of these relationships?
Franco-Algerian relations during the 17th century:
French-Algerian ties have gone through numerous stages since the 17th century, and Algeria's relations with France were largely positive. This was obvious in the early 16th century, when a friendship and first alliance arrangement was signed with Algeria in 1534. The second is with the Ottoman Empire, through which France gained unique advantages for its ships, navigation, trade, and consuls throughout the Mediterranean and Algeria. France created its own commercial institutions, such as Annaba, El Kala, and Collo, as a result of these good connections.
The French were able to appoint a consul for them in the city of Algiers in 1577, and the following year they were able to get it by looking for coral on the coastlines of eastern Algeria. It was dubbed "the Bastion of France." The Turks got disgruntled with France's purchase of wheat from the people and sales of it to Europe in 1604, so they destroyed the French commercial hub.
These stages can be identified as follows:
The first stage : Before the Centenary Peace Treaty of 1689:
Several trade and security accords were signed during this time period.
Tor Treaty: 'Disruptive peace':
Signed on March 21, 1619, after the Algerian delegation went to Marseille under the leadership of "Sinan Agha," along with a large number of Algerian merchants and the authorities of this city, including consuls and administrators, as well as the governor of the province of "Provence," the Duke "De Guise." This treaty said the following:
- Respect for the two parties to the treaties signed by the Ottoman Empire and France.
- Algerian sailors have the right not to search ships and boats.
- Return of the two cannons that France had taken from Algeria and given to the Marseille delegation.
- The release of both sides' detainees within three months of the signing of this agreement, provided that one of the two nations' citizens remains a prisoner in the other country.
- 35 Algerian detainees have been released.
This accord, however, failed following the horrible massacre against the Algerian mission. After the people of Marseille discovered that "Rais Rajab" had taken the Marseille ship, French sources disagreed on the number of casualties, with some estimating forty and others estimating fifty. So, on March 14, 1620, "Sinan Agha," the delegation's leader, and his friends, with the exception of 12 persons who were outside the house. Relations deteriorated, and despite my parents' protests, "Henry IV" tried the culprits.
Treaty of Sanson Napoleon 1628:
After returning from his voyage in the East in June 1626, the King of France, "Louis XIII," picked the "Sanson Napoleon" for this trip. To negotiate with the Algerians and with him the artillery, which caused the delay of "Sinan Agha" in Marseille and a number of Algerian detainees. These discussions lasted a full year, ending in late July 1627. He returned to France to deliver the draft of the contract to the King and Cardinal "Richelieu," and the King confirmed the accord, which was signed on September 19, 1628.
-Release both parties' captives.
-Algerian seamen should not take French ships.
-The two sides agree to work together to avoid captives and slavery.
- Algerians show respect for the personality of the French consul.
-Forcing any Frenchman to convert his religion and convert to Islam is not permitted.
Sanson reestablished El Kala and Annaba, as well as a wheat trading center near Tabarka, Tunisia, after receiving a concession to exploit the Bastion in his own capacity rather than as an agent and authorized representative of the King of France. Since he reopened the Bastion fortification to serve his own interests, the merchants of Marseille revolted and assaulted three Algerian trade ships, capturing their passengers. In response, the Algerians arrested the French consul "Rico" and all the French resident in Algeria, and they began to be exposed to French ships, causing the Marseilles to lose around 4725000 pounds, so the Marseilles Parliament "Richelieu" dispatched naval troops to the seas of Algeria to free the detainees, who numbered approximately 3000 people.
The Treaty of Peace and the Concession of the Bastion:
Despite Algeria's efforts to defend and guarantee French trade in the Bastion and its annexes, the treaty was signed on July 7, 1640. And that due to the arrival of one of the French officials, "Vice-Admiral Martin," at the helm of a tiny ship flying a white flag. The pasha sent him the conventional honors twice, urging him to approach the harbor with full guarantees if his intentions were peaceful. However, the latter replied to this attempt by hoisting the red flag on the masts of his ships and sailing at the moment, and this conduct is regarded by the French as a sign of the official declaration of war.
After leaving the marina, this officer apprehended two Algerian boats returning from Tunisia, but the Pasha sent a message through "DeCoquille," who supervised the Bastion's heads, saying: "Algeria is still in a condition of peace with him, and it is still adhering to the articles of 1628."
He responded, "Louis XIV," confirming that Algeria considered itself so far at peace with him, and he agreed. And he depended on DeCoquille to negotiate a new peace deal with the Algerian authorities, and they signed a pact on July 7, 1640, and agreed on the following:
Exchange of prisoners
Bastian traders return to their trading hubs.
Controlling the problem of searching French ships and French nationals on enemy ships.
Treaty of Exploitation of the Bastion 1661:
DeCoquille was given a personal contract to exploit the Bastion in 1640. However, he dropped it in favor of “Thomas Becky.” He took advantage of the people's trust and stole vast quantities of money from them, then embarked on the run in 1658, abducted and sold roughly 80 individuals.
The French government raced to correct the problem and dispatched an ambassador to Algeria, "Louis Cambon," with a letter of recommendation from Louis XIV, in 1659. By freeing the abducted individuals who were sold by Thomas Becky and repaying the debts. Another embassy arrived in 1661, and another treaty was concluded as a result.
The second phase of the Centenary Peace Treaty of 1689:
Admiral "Duquesne" has been replaced by Admiral "Dotterville" in France. And it was signed on April 23 and 25, 1684, during the two treaties with "Deso" and "Tervel" on the creation of peace between the two kingdoms. Tensions between the two countries arose after the Algerian navy grabbed control of the capital's shoreline in 1687. It turned out to be a ship holding a passport issued by France's Admiral. King Louis XIV put Doustry in command of a major army that pounded Algiers until mid-September. On September 25, 1689, Algerians kidnapped the French consul and his company and murdered them all.
During this time, a French engineer called "Ricard" proposed deploying a ground expedition to take Algeria, but French King "Louis XV" (1715-1774) chose peaceful measures over bloodshed.
Personal initiatives for the conquest of Algeria began to emerge from time to time during this period, notably the De Carsi project, which came to Algeria and was named consul general. In addition, the Secretary of State for Maritime "Marquis de Castre" wrote a comprehensive report (this is what we will address later). In 1789, the day of the French Revolution's victory, a European blockade was put on France in order to resist France. France was unable to find a helping hand until Algeria stepped in, securing food for France from wheat and supplying it with grain and commodities.
According to Asker's narration in his book "La prise d'Alger," the Dey wrote to Napoleon after assuming the rule of France, "...It is impossible for you, while you are in the midst of all-out war, not to encounter difficulty in acquiring meals as well as other essential items, and in these contexts we extend to you all the generosity of our character and the supply of our sentiments."
During the reign of "Napoleon Bonaparte," who sought to follow an appeasement strategy with Algeria and was eager to keep good ties with them, he ruined all efforts with his campaign against Egypt in 1798. Throughout its history, the Ottoman Empire seized the French consul in the Casbah, demolished the Kala centre, and equipped Algerian ships headed by "Al Rais Hamido" to raid France's shores and return with plunder.
Third phase: From the signing of a truce with France in 1800 through Napoleon's demise in 1815:
Deboat Neville took on his post with numerous challenges and threats. The first informal contacts made by the Consul in Algeria through the merchant Bakri were positive and cleared the basis for the two sides to begin official discussions on July 15, 1800. A truce was signed with France, but it was rejected by England and the Ottoman Empire.
In May 1802 the Treaty of Amiens was signed, thereby ending the war between the coalition countries, which included the Ottoman Empire on one side and France on the other.
Concerning the debt issue, an agreement was reached in which France accepted the repayment of obligations owed to Algeria. In the month of January 1802, a navy ship with a number of people was sailing to "Saint-Domingue'' when it was pushed ashore on the Algerian coast near the city of Tenes by a storm. The Consul struck a firm tone with the Dey, to which Napoleon Bonaparte replied with threats and intimidation. He wrote to Dey, pleading with him to release the two ships seized by the Algerian government. However, the Deys agreed at the conclusion of the letter he addressed to him: "Because an oath belongs to me, and your consul, Deboat Neville, assured me that, I expect to settle the French debts to Bakri. I'm waiting for your directions.”
Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat in the Battle of "Waterloo" in 1814 which put an end to his desire to annex Algeria. This loss effectively restored monarchy in France, with the Bourbon family succeeding to the French throne once more. Following the Vienna Conference in 1815, which, in turn, did not forget its first rulers' goal of Algeria. To conceal this dream, this family attempted an appeasement tactic by reestablishing links between the two sides.
Fourth phase: From the Royalty's return, to their presence in Algeria in 1830
After the return of the Bourbon family to power and the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, France attempted to restore diplomatic and economic relations by taking advantage of international conditions in general, particularly England's naval war against Algeria, headed by Lord Exmouth, in 1816.
The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle was held in 1818, during which France aspired to colonize and regain its place among the major powers such as England and Russia. The restoration of the monarchy in the person of Charles X in 1844 exacerbated the situation for the exiled royals who returned to France to reclaim their authority and punish those who dealt with the revolutionary regime.
Moreover, there are a number of Franco-Algerian relations that must be highlighted, among which is the Jewish intervention in Algerian-French relations was represented by the Jews "Bakri" and "Bouchnak," for whom the majority of Algerian trade was monopolized, and played a significant political role in the 1793-1800 campaign.
France enforced the blockade on Algeria by putting a portion of its fleet there. Because the embargo drained France's economy, it was compelled to seek a solution to the issue. Since then, the French government has been looking for the grounds it used to colonise Algeria, notably the 1827 Fly Whisk episode, which France used to justify its objectives.
Otherwise, how can we account for the major incidents that happened between the two nations prior to the fan accident? However, France's response to Algeria was not violent. Dey Hajj Ali humiliated the French consul in Algeria in 1810, yet France did not retaliate violently. It's a drama whose strands were stitched behind closed doors. Charles X used it as grounds for issuing a royal order on February 7, 1830, which contained the nomination of Count "de Bourmont" as the commander of the operation against Algeria. He organized his troops and sailed from the port of Toulon in June 1830, occupying the capital, Algiers, on July 5, 1830, thus declaring the French occupation and colonization of Algeria.
In conclusion, 57 treaties were signed between France and Algeria between 1619 and 1830. On the one side, the relations were marked by instability and estrangement, and on the other by French conspiracy and Algeria's wish to maintain peace with France.
