|
|
“Carrying the War into Africa”
No caption
In this cartoon, Italy (left) and France (right) face off over
Tunisia, represented by a stereotyped black doll on the ground. In
the background, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
of Germany
offers his observation to Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of
Italian unification, that a possible war between the two countries
"may be Nice." The remark has a dual meaning. An
armed conflict between the rival European states would focus their
resources and attention on Tunisia, allowing Germany to expand its
colonial holdings in Africa unimpeded. Furthermore, a settlement
of the situation might be similar to the one in 1861 in which the newly
unified kingdom of Italy ceded the city of Nice, Garibaldi's birthplace,
to France.
For most of the nineteenth century, Tunisia, on the northern African
coast of the Mediterranean Sea, was officially a province within the
Ottoman Empire, although in practice it was largely autonomous.
France invaded Tunisia in 1830, assuring the ruling bey, Husayn, that
they would not colonize the country. Husayn accepted a French
presence because he feared encroachments from the neighboring state of
Algeria.
Advisors from France and other European nations assisted Tunisia in
modernizing its military and establishing industries, but the economy
was plagued by high taxes and debt. In 1857, the new bey,
Muhammad, was forced by France and Britain to sign a document respecting
civil rights. In 1861, Tunisia enacted the first constitution in
the Arab world, but a move toward a republic was hampered by the poor
economy and political unrest.
In 1869, Tunisia declared bankruptcy, compelling
an international commission, consisting of representatives from France,
Britain, and Italy, to oversee the country's finances. In
1878, Tunisia's sovereignty was further undermined by the European
powers when the Congress of Berlin recognized Tunisia as part of
France's sphere of influence.
Since becoming a member of the international financial commission in
1869, Italy had maintained a presence in Tunisia, and the Italian
government viewed the African country, which lies only 90 miles south of
Sicily, as a natural extension of its national interests. In early
1881, it was not clear whether Italy or France would emerge dominant in
Tunisia. The Italian government, though, was itself teetering on
the brink of insolvency, so it could not afford a military undertaking
abroad.
In the spring of 1881, France invaded Tunisia claiming that the
country had trespassed onto the territory of Algeria, France's major
colony in Africa. Italy was unable to do anything except protest,
but without success. The Tunisian government was forced to sign a
treaty transferring authority to the French. In July, an uprising
erupted in southern Tunisia, which the French finally quashed in
November 1881. Two years later, the French forced Tunisian
officials to institute political and fiscal reforms in an agreement that
consolidated French control. Tunisia remained a protectorate of
France until it achieved independence in 1956.
Robert C. Kennedy
|
|
|
