Evacuation Day in Tunisia
Description:
In 1881, the French army entered Tunisia under the pretext of defending it from raids from Algeria, occupied by French troops. The French quickly occupied Tunisia and forced the ruling Bey to abdicate in favor of the French ruler. The French captured the best of Tunisian lands.
After the fall of France in World War I, Tunisian nationalists launched a campaign for Tunisian independence from invaders; their leader was Habib Bourguiba, who brought Tunisia to the world stage. By 1950, the French were ready to make concessions. Tunisia gained independence on March 20, 1956, and Bourguiba was appointed prime minister. The following year, the country was proclaimed a republic, and Bourguiba became the first president.
By 1959, almost all French troops had withdrawn from Tunisia, with the exception of the Bizerte garrison, one of the country’s largest cities and ports. The stubborn refusal of the French leadership to evacuate the base led to a military conflict – the “battle of Bizerte” – which became the first large-scale operation of the Tunisian army, which suffered heavy losses. In 1963, the last French soldiers left the country.