November 7, 1953 : When the National Resistance targeted the Casablanca-Algiers train

A few days after the French protectorate forced Sultan Mohammed Ben Youssef and the royal family into exile, the national resistance movement decided to move up a gear, declaring the beginning of the armed struggle against the colonizer. On the 7th of November, 1953 and after heading a sabotage operation against the train linking Casablanca to Algiers, two men targeted the same railway line. They have put bombs on the train killing and injuring several French soldiers. History.

History : When President Franklin Roosevelt promised Morocco’s independence

Morocco has played in the 40s a crucial role in World War II, helping the Allied forces to defeat fascism in Europe. Following the Anfa conference held in Casablanca, President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised to support Morocco’s wish to be independent of French.

Nakba : When Mohammed ben Youssef urged Moroccan Jews to reject the Zionist ideology

In 1948, Morocco reacted to the creation of Israel in the person of Sultan Mohammed ben Youssef. In a statement, the Sultan called Moroccans to respect the Jewish community all while condemning the situation in Palestine.

The Anfa Conference : When Roosevelt and Churchill met in Casablanca to defeat the Axis powers

On the 14th of January 1943, three years before World War II, the U.S. President, Franklin Roosevelt decided to summon the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and French generals Henri Giraud and Charles de Gaulle for an international conference in Casablanca. The famous Anfa conference lasted for 10 days and was marked by several military decisions. The Moroccan city was also home to a historical meeting between Sultan Mohammed Ben Youssef and Franklin Roosevelt.