The Algeciras Conference was held as a result of the First
Moroccan Crisis that started in 1905. The conference at
Algeciras started on January 16th 1906 and all the major
European powers were represented there as well as the Americans.
The Algeciras Conference had one aim: to decide what was to be
done with regards to Morocco, one of the few African nations
that had not been taken over by a European power. The two main
protagonists at Algeciras were France and Germany. However, it
soon became very clear to Germany that other European powers had
sided with France – Britain, Spain and Italy had all come to a
prior agreement as to what should happen to Morocco. These four
nations had decided which Moroccan cities would be governed by
which European power: Casablanca, Rabat and Larache. For
example, Tangier was to be governed by a Franco-Spanish military
force commanded by a Frenchman. None of this had been put before
the Germans and their delegation felt as if it had been
deliberately left out of the discussion