The Berlin Conference and the Bombardment of Salé

In Episode 86 of our Berlin Conference series, Lucas and Luna turn to Morocco, the only African kingdom to escape Ottoman rule and remain independent through the Scramble. They explore the 1851 French bombardment of Salé, a port city that had long defied European naval power. Lucas explains how Morocco's sultans played European powers against each other, the strategic importance of Tangier and the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Battle of Isly in 1844, where French forces under Marshal Bugeaud crushed the Moroccan army. The conversation covers the Makhzan (Moroccan state), the role of the Barbary corsairs, and the curious tale of the 'Garden of the Hesperides' myth. They discuss why Morocco was partitioned only into French and Spanish protectorates in 1912, not carved up like the rest of Africa. The episode features terms like Sidi Mohammed IV, Mulai Hassan, the Treaty of Lalla Maghnia, and the Algeciras Conference. A nuanced look at how one North African kingdom held out — and what that cost. #BerlinConference #Morocco #Salé #BombardmentOfSalé #BarbaryCorsairs #Makhzan #BattleOfIsly #SidiMohammedIV #MulaiHassan #TreatyOfLallaMaghnia #AlgecirasConference #ScrambleForAfrica #FrenchProtectorate #SpanishProtectorate #Tangier #StraitOfGibraltar #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo