French moves had undermined the Sultan and then used disorder to justify further intervention. A 1909 Franco-German understanding paired French political control with respect for German economic interests, but a later treaty forced on the Sultan disturbed that balance. Spain also landed troops at Larache and Alcazar out of fear that France would annex the whole country, while Moroccan wishes remained secondary. Germany replied with SMS Panther, later relieved by SMS Berlin, while claiming to protect trade and civilians despite the tiny German presence. Equipment, training, and durable support for the Sultan would have addressed state weakness more honestly than repeated coercion. The sequence exposes how European powers created instability and then presented their own intervention as the remedy.
Chapter · 41:16-45:08
Agadir: rebellion, intervention, and the Panther gunboat
The second crisis follows French intervention and Germany's dispatch of the gunboat Panther to Agadir in the name of protecting interests.