Battle of Sidi Bou Othman

Significance

The Battle of Sidi Bou Othman, fought some 40 kilometers north of Marrakesh, was a decisive engagement in the French conquest of Morocco. Colonel Charles Mangin's column of 5,000 defeated Ahmed al-Hiba's Hibist force of approximately 10,000, inflicting around 2,000 casualties. The victory directly enabled the French capture of Marrakesh and the annexation of southern Morocco into the French protectorate. The conquest was facilitated by the defection of influential southern qaids, notably the El Glaoui brothers, whose switch of allegiance undermined al-Hiba's political base and accelerated French consolidation of the region.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)