Mohammed V of Morocco

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1910 - 1961

Sultan and king of Morocco from 1927 to 1961.

Sidi Muhammad Ben Yusuf was the third son of Mulay Yusuf, a colorless prince and brother of the sultan of Morocco, Mulay Hafid. Muhammad was born in Fez in 1910, at the beginning of the protectorate period; it seemed unlikely he would reign. Two years later, the French nominated his father to succeed the sultan, whom they had deposed because he refused to rule as they wanted. Muhammad V came to power after his father's death in 1927, because French authorities considered him to be more flexible and less ambitious than his brothers. Nevertheless, he used his popularity and his skills in international diplomacy to involve himself in a struggle, at first unequal, with the protectorate's authorities.

After the Berber dahir in 1930, which relieved Berber tribes from submitting to shariʿa (Islamic law), Muhammad became more sensitive to Moroccan nationalism, which was just beginning to awaken. Without breaking off from the protectorate, he supported demonstrations by young traditional and modern intellectuals, such as Allal al-Fasi, Hassan El Ouezzani, and Ahmed Balafrej, which, in 1944, gave birth to the Istiqlal (Independence) Party. World War II presented the opportunity to persuade the protectorate to move toward a cooperative regime more faithful to the spirit of the original agreement between France and Morocco.

Muhammad opposed the French attempt to protect Moroccan Jews from persecution while he helped rebuild military forces to fight again with the Allies. The 1942 Casablanca meeting with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Britain's Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill strengthened his resistance. From then on, he used a strategy of promoting gradual change to regain the sovereignty his country had lost in 1912. He approached French authorities directly to avoid the obstacles set up by both settlers and French civil servants, who opposed any change. But he did not succeed despite his good relationship with General Charles de Gaulle. At the local level, opposition to the French became more and more violent and led to the sultan's deposition and exile in Madagascar on 20 August 1953.

But France could not depose Muhammad in 1953 in the same way it deposed his uncle Mulay Hafid in 1912. The international environment was unfavorable to France, French public opinion accepted unwillingly the pro-consuls' plots, and, above all, Muhammad was the symbol of a very deep opposition movement, which mobilized Moroccan cities as well as the countryside. The nation could no longer be governed, and the French administration collapsed within two years in the face of the uprisings. Muhammad was called back to preserve the French economic and military presence, which, otherwise, could have been swept out by nationalistic currents far more radical than those represented by the king and the Moroccan bourgeoisie.

Once he regained his throne, in November 1955, Muhammad took on the role of spokesman for nationalism. He let the Istiqlal Party exert power without, however, becoming a prisoner of the nationalist movement. He continued to defend the monarchy's privileges. Muhammad kept his country out of the confrontation between France and the Algerian Front de Libération Nationale (FLN), which he supported. But, profoundly hurt by the 1956 hijacking of a Moroccan plane with FLN leaders on board, he then attempted to play an intermediary role in the Algerian conflict, hoping, in vain, that de Gaulle's return to power in 1958 would facilitate his reconciliation with France. The king would die without witnessing success. But, he was careful not to jeopardize his country's position within a new Maghrib that, already, some perceived as dominated by a revolutionary Algeria, the main heir of the former colonial power.

Having succeeded in reestablishing his country's independence on the international stage, Muhammad also consolidated the position of the monarchy within an institutional system, which was shaken by the 1953 - 1955 crisis. Some among the nationalists welcomed a king who reigned without governing. But Muhammad did not share that philosophy for himself or his son, Prince Mulay Hassan, his heir, whom he had gradually introduced to power since the end of World War II.

The support he gained by fighting with the Istiqlal against the protectorate helped him keep his authority over an important part of the nationalist movement. In that struggle, the monarchy recovered its powers that the Treaty of Fes (1912) had alienated and, added to that, the administrative means set up by the protectorate. The military and police forces were placed under monarchical authority, but other administrative sectors depended upon a government dominated by the Istiqlal. Without the help of the monarchy, it was not possible to ensure either the control of the resistance movement or the settlement of rural uprisings. A pluralist text related to public freedom rights allowed, in April 1958, the legalization of new political parties and soon favored the split of the Istiqlal Party, with a right wing remaining close to the king and a left wing following a moderate line. In May 1960, Muhammad took the reins of power by naming Mulay Hassan prime minister. The prince had been, at the beginning of independence, chief of staff in the Royal Armed Forces.

As Algeria's independence approached, the more anxious Muhammad became to grant his country a constitution and to organize its democratization under the monarchy's control. He died suddenly in March 1961 after surgery and left the country to the authority of his son, Hassan II.

During this thirty-two-year reign, Muhammad V listened to his country and took part in its evolution, which allowed it to recover its independence and to project itself into modernity. Chosen because of his apparent docility, he proved, in the long run, to be a cautious opponent, capable of appreciating the modernizing actions of such French resident generals as Auguste Nogues or Eric Labonne. They reciprocated by respecting his dignity. In extreme circumstances, he displayed firmness and intuitively anticipated the reactions of common Moroccan people. As far as the rivalry with the nationalist movement, which gradually replaced the common fight against the protectorate, is concerned, he knew how to take advantage of time, how to safeguard his best cards; he went on being attentive to the rural world and sometimes contributed to undermining the credit modern leaders were already losing. Thus, four years after his return, he regained all the power without having to share it. While favoring Algeria's independence, he feared Nasserist or Marxist influences, which could have come from that neighboring country and be exerted upon Morocco.

A man of tradition, Muhammad V was the symbol both of independence and modernity. That symbol continues today to stamp the monarchy's image and to give Morocco a strong identity highly differentiated from that of its neighbor countries.

Bibliography

Ashford, Douglas E. Political Change in Morocco. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1961.

Waterbury, John. Commander of the Faithful. New York: Columbia University Press, 1970.

— RÉMY LEVEAU

For those of a similar name, see Mohamed V.

Mohammed V of Morocco
King of Morocco Sultan of Morocco Emperor of Al Magreb (1957-1958)
Sultan Mohammed V of Morocco visiting Lawrence Livermore Lab, United States, in 1957
Reign	1927 - 1961
Born	August 10, 1909(1909-08-10)
Birthplace	Rabat, Morocco
Died	February 26, 1961 (aged 51)
Place of death	Rabat, Morocco
Predecessor	Yusef
Successor	Hassan II
Consort	Lalla Bahia (3rd wife)
Royal House	Alaouite dynasty

Mohammed V's tomb inside his mausoleum at Rabat, with Hassan II's tomb in the background

Mohammed V (August 10, 1909 – February 26, 1961) (Arabic: محمد الخامس‎) was Sultan of Morocco from 1927 to 1953, exiled from 1953-55, where he was again recognized as Sultan upon his return, and King from 1957 to 1961. His full name was Sidi Mohammed ben Yusef, or Son of (Sultan) Yusef, upon whose death he succeeded to the throne. He was a member of the Alaouite Dynasty.

On August 20, 1953, the French who were occupying Morocco at the time forced Mohammed V and his family into exile on Corsica. A relative of his, Mohammed Ben Aarafa, was placed on the throne.

Mohammed V and his family were then transferred to Madagascar in January 1954. Mohammed V returned from exile on November 16, 1955, again recognized as Sultan after active opposition to the French protectorate. In February 1956 he successfully negotiated with France for the independence of Morocco, and in 1957 took the title of King.

Contents 1 Death 2 Legacy 3 Honours 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Death

He died on February 26, 1961 after a minor operation.^[1]

Legacy

The Mohammed V International Airport of Casablanca is named after him, as well as numerous universities and various public spaces across Morocco. There is an Avenue Mohammed V in nearly every Moroccan city.

Among his wives was Lalla Abla bint Tahar, who became the mother of his son and successor Hassan II.

In December, 2007, The Forward reported on a secret diplomatic initiative by the Moroccan government to have Mohammed V admitted to the Righteous Among the Nations.^[2]

Honours

• Order of Blood of Tunisia
• Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur of France-1927
• Companion of the Order of the Liberation of France-1945
• Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit of the United States of America-1945
• Grand Collar of the Order of the Yoke and Arrows of Francoist Spain-1956
• Grand Collar of the Order of Idris I of the Kingdom of Libya-1956
• Collar of the Order of the Hashemites of the Kingdom of Iraq-1956
• Grand Cordon of the Order of Oumayyad of Syria-1960
• Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of Lebanon, special class-1960
• Collar of the Order of the Nile of the Republic of Egypt-1960
• Collar of the Order of Hussein ibn Ali of Jordan-1960
• Grand Cordon of the King Abdul Aziz Decoration of Saudi Arabia-1960

See also

• List of Kings of Morocco
• History of Morocco
• Mausoleum of Mohammed V
• Mohammed V University

References

1. ^ "Mohammed V of Morocco Dies at 51 After Surgery". New York Times. February 26, 1961. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30C13FA3F5D1B728DDDAE0A94DA405B818AF1D3&scp. Retrieved on 2008-06-13. "King Mohammed V died today after a minor operation. He was 51 years old and had occupied the throne since 1927." 
2. ^ An Arab King Righteous Among the Nations?. The Forward, December 12, 2007

External links

• Morocco's Alaoui dynasty
• History of Morocco

Preceded by Yusef	Sultan of Morocco 1927–1953	Succeeded by Mohammed Ben Aarafa
Preceded by Mohammed Ben Aarafa	Sultan of Morocco 1955-1957	Succeeded by Himself as King
Preceded by Himself as Sultan	King of Morocco 1957–1961	Succeeded by Hassan II

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