Morocco Medal (France)

The Morocco commemorative medal (1909) (French: "Médaille commémorative du Maroc (1909)") was a French military campaign medal. It was established by the law of 22 July 1909 for award to soldiers participating in the Second Franco-Moroccan War under the command of general (and future Marshal of France) Hubert Lyautey.

Bars were added to the ribbon of the medal to indicate the locations of military operations during France's occupation of Morocco, and Moroccan bars were also added to the French colonial medal.[1]

Long time French colonial interests in North Africa led to tensions between European nations but particularly disturbed Germany. Early in the new century, France pushed established international agreements to their limits bringing tensions to a high point in the Agadir Crisis.

In 1907, France responded to the assassination of Émile Mauchamp with a military invasion of Oujda, and to an uprising in protest of the terms of the Treaty of Algeciras with a naval bombardment of Casablanca and a military invasion of the Chaouia plain.

This led to leading to an escalation in the number of French troops in their country under the auspices of so-called pacification operations.