The
decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire (which, since the 16th century, had loosely administered
Algeria and
Tunisia) left the region vulnerable to other forces. In 1830,
France invaded Algiers and began its
conquest of Algeria, and after its formal annexation in 1848, France treated
Algeria as an integral part of France (the
métropole): Metropolitan France. The Mediterranean Maghreb was of particular interest to the French, who had long-viewed Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia as the inheritors of the ancient civilizations of
Phoenicia,
Carthage, and
Rome – and the region as an integral continuation of France's purported claims to Ancient Rome. French authorities were particularly interested in the archeological history of the Maghreb – with its vast Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Roman ruins of empires past. During subsequent decades, a substantial
European settler population emerged in Algeria, known as the
pieds-noirs. Seeking to expand their influence beyond Algeria, the French established
protectorates to the east and the west of Algeria. The
French protectorate of Tunisia was established in 1881, following a
swift military invasion, and the
French protectorate in Morocco was established in 1912, following a
prolonged military campaign and later Moroccan resistance during the
Rif War. Both protectorates lasted until 1956, when they gained full independence,
Tunisia on 20 March and
Morocco on 7 April. French administration in the Maghreb finally concluded with the
Algerian War (1954–1962) and the March 1962
Évian Accords, which enabled the
July 1962 Algerian independence referendum.
Algeria formally became independent the same month. ==See also==