French North Africa
In 1848 Algeria, which had been under French control since its capture of Algiers in 1830, was declared to be an integral part of France, and was governed as such. Following the humiliating defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War, Italy and Great Britain began using their influence to increase their control of Tunisian affairs, which though nominally independent was returned to the Ottoman Empire as a province in 1871. French and British diplomats desired to keep Italian influence in Tunisia (and the rest of the Mediterranean) at a minimum. In 1878 the Congress of Berlin was called to create a new map of the Balkans following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.
At the Congress it was agreed that France would be given control of Tunisia in exchange for British authority over Cyprus. Neither the Tunisians nor the Cypriots were consulted on the matter. Rebellious bands roving Tunisia provided the French with an excuse to occupy the country with troops, establishing a protectorate. In April 1881 the French invaded Tunisia, and despite urging of his cabinet to resist, the Bey of Tunis accepted the new state of affairs. While he remained the Bey, the French took control of the government, finances, and military forces of Tunisia. Once presented with the treaty establishing French control, which had been dictated in Paris rather than negotiated with Tunisia, the Bey accepted.
The French seized Tunisia with the approval of both Great Britain and Russia, since it helped to limit the extent of Italian power in the Mediterranean. In turn, the Italians protested vigorously, but rather than challenge the French they looked to the east and the seizure of Libya. After several years of attempting to procure Libya the Italians initiated the Italo-Turkish War with the Ottoman Empire, seizing Libya by military action. The French ignored the Italian protests and considered expanding its North African Empire to the west, in Morocco. France had increased its influence there following the crisis of 1905-06.
The second Morocco crisis, also known as the Agadir crisis, erupted in 1911 as a result of a rebellion against the Sultan, who was soon isolated in Fez, his palace surrounded. French troops invaded Morocco in late April. In June Spanish troops seized Moroccan cities. German warships were dispatched to the port of Agadir, explained as being sent there to protect German citizens and businesses. The British responded with ships dispatched from Gibraltar. The Germans made it plain that they had no territorial desires in Morocco, but demanded compensation from France in return for accepting a full French protectorate.
The French conceded a portion of their equatorial Middle Congo colony to the Germans, which granted them access to the Congo River. In return, the formal pretense of Moroccan independence was abandoned. Great Britain and Russian approved of the settlement of the Agadir crisis. The settlement led to an agreement in which the Royal Navy of Great Britain would protect the northern ports and coast of France, allowing the French fleet to maintain the bulk of its strength in the Mediterranean to counter the Italians. The area ceded to the Germans became the colony of Kamerun.