French naval bombardment of Salé, Morocco

Background. Relations between France and Morocco had been damaged by incidents in October 1849, and the French government's anger against Morocco was increasing. Morocco had also endured a serious agricultural crisis from 1845 to 1851, caused by drought and resulting in crop failure. The immediate trigger for the bombardment was the looting by Salé residents of a cache of goods rescued from a French merchant ship that capsized near the coast on 1 April 1851; the bombardment regarded this incident and occurred outside any state of war.

Execution. On 10 November 1851, the French Secretary of the Navy tasked Louis Dubourdieu with executing the bombardment. He commanded five vessels, including the Henri IV, Sané, Gomer, Narval, and Caton. The attack began on 26 November and lasted through the night into 27 November. After seven hours of fighting, Moroccan artillery was severely damaged, and the French forces caused significant destruction to the city's infrastructure and the Great Mosque.

Aftermath. To prevent further attacks, particularly on Tangier, Morocco agreed to pay 100,000 francs to France on 29 November 1851. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were suspended for several months until a French mission returned in 1852. Louis Dubourdieu was subsequently promoted to Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor and later to vice-admiral in February 1852.