In order to appreciate the contrast between East and West in Matisse’s works, it is worthwhile to take a deeper look into the conflict itself, its origins, and its results. The French colonization of Morocco, like European intervention in any foreign state, had its roots in commerce. In the aftershock of the Industrial Revolution, European manufacturers sought new markets for their products, and through trade agreements, found opportunities abound in North Africa. Morocco’s first serious commitment to European trade occurred in 1856, when the sultanate signed a treaty with England that opened Moroccan domestic markets to British goods. Opportunities for special trading privileges and customs collection produced heated competition among Western European nations. The French, who had occupied Algeria since 1830, had a vested interest in gaining these special rights in Morocco as well.
As it happened, Morocco in the late nineteenth century was a nation plagued by instability, both from external pressures (European commerce) and internal ones (civil rebellions). The rise of the young Mawlay ‘Abd al-‘Aziz as Sultan in late 1900 coincided with French occupation of the Touat Oasis, the first occurrence of French military intervention across Moroccan borders. The Moroccan government was unable to deal with this military action, as it had larger economic problems of its own that had mainly been induced by the flood of European products into the marketplace. After a failed attempt at tax reform, the sultan agreed to receive a series of substantial loans from French banks to deal with the growing problems. In return, the French were granted rights to collect sixty percent of Moroccan customs fees. Germany, aware of French intentions, tried to halt further intrusion into Morocco at the Algeciras Conference in 1906. However, the result of the conference was only to give more jurisdiction to the French in determining Morocco’s economic policy. The following year, a French missionary doctor was murdered in Marrakesh. This crime led French troops to cross over from Algeria and take command of Oujda. In addition, the French landed troops at Casablanca in response to the murder of European construction workers. 
At the same time of the landing, the sultan’s brother, ‘Abd al-Hafid revolted against the government, forcing Moroccans to fight both a civil war and a war against French encroachment. ‘Abd al-Hafid succeeding in ousting his brother, but the problems were far from over for the sultanate. In 1909, even Spanish troops began making their way into Morocco.
Faced with internal strife and economic difficulties, the new sultan abdicated in 1912, handing the administration of the country over to France with the Treaty of Fez. The French were now free to introduce Western technology and ideas to Morocco, as well as receive substantial commercial gains. Although the protectorate did not mean social revolution, it did serve to advance those whose interests, especially commercial ones, coincided with those of the French. European domination of Morocco survived two World Wars and lasted over forty years. Morocco finally loosed its official ties from France on March 2, 1956, but the impact of colonization, on both the French and the Moroccans, has continued.
(pictured above right)Jonction des Deux Maroc par l'Occupation de Taza, Unused postcard, Published by Boumendil.
Information for this Gallery Section from:
Dunn, Ross E. Resistance in the Desert. Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1977.
Burke, Edmund III. Prelude to Protectorate in Morocco. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1976.