Treaty of Bardo


The Treaty of Bardo established a French protectorate over Tunisia that lasted until World War II. It was signed on 12 May 1881 between representatives of the French Republic and Tunisian bey Muhammed as-Sadiq. A raid on Algeria by the Tunisian Khroumir tribe had served as a pretext for French armed forces to invade Tunisia in April 1881. Jules Ferry, the French foreign minister, managed to send a French expeditionary force of approximately 36,000 troops to defeat the Khroumer tribe. The French met little resistance from either the Kroumer tribe or from as-Sadiq. Eventually, the French withdrew their forces after signing the treaty. However, the terms of the agreement gave France responsibility for the defence and foreign-policy decisions of Tunisia. The military occupation was stated to be temporary; nevertheless Tunis became a French protectorate
from 12 May 1881.
The name of the treaty originated with the site of the residence of the Tunis court, Le Bardo, where the Husainid beys had established themselves in the early-18th century.