Tunisia becomes a French protectorate by the Treaty of Bardo

Background. French intervention in Tunisia was precipitated by border incidents involving the Tunisian Khroumir tribe and the Algerian Ouled Nahd tribe on 30 and 31 March 1881, which caused the deaths of several Algerians and four French. These raids provided a pretext for French armed forces to invade Tunisia in April 1881. The French government, led by Jules Ferry, decided to send a force of 24,000 soldiers under General Forgemol de Bostquénard to the border between Tunisia and French Algeria; French troops subsequently entered Tunisia in April 1881.

Treaty Terms. The Treaty of Bardo, also known as the Treaty of Ksar Saïd, was signed on 12 May 1881. It placed Tunisia under the control of the French Resident-General. The treaty allowed France to control certain geographical areas under the guise of re-establishing order and protecting the Bey from internal opposition. It also gave France responsibility for foreign-policy decisions of Tunisia.

Political Context. The establishment of the protectorate occurred despite Italian disapproval. The treaty was signed at the Ksar Saïd Palace in Le Bardo, the residence of the Tunis court, where the Husainid beys had established themselves in the early-18th century. The agreement was forced upon Bey Muhammad III as-Sadiq by French military pressure, following a military conquest of Tunisia.