Battle of Sidi Bou Othman

Overview

The Battle of Sidi Bou Othman was an important battle fought at Sidi Bou Othman, some 40 kilometers north of Marrakesh, during the French conquest of Morocco. It saw the victory of a French column under Colonel Charles Mangin over the forces of the south Moroccan leader Ahmed al-Hiba in September 1912. As a result of the victory, the French captured the city of Marrakesh and annexed southern Morocco into the French protectorate of Morocco. The conquest was facilitated by the defection of the great qaids of the south, notably the El Glaoui brothers.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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)