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Hassan II
الحسن الثاني
Amir al-Mu'minin
King Hassan II in 1983.jpg
Hassan II in 1983
King of Morocco
Reign 26 February 1961 – 23 July 1999
Predecessor Mohammed V
Successor Mohammed VI
Prime Ministers
See list
Ahmed Bahnini
Mohamed Benhima
Ahmed Laraki
Mohammed Karim Lamrani
Ahmed Osman
Maati Bouabid
Azzeddine Laraki
Abdellatif Filali
Abderrahmane Youssoufi
Born (1929-07-09)9 July 1929
Dar al-Makhzen, Rabat, Morocco
Died 23 July 1999(1999-07-23) (aged 70)
Rabat, Morocco
Burial Royal Mausoleum, Rabat, Morocco
Spouse Princess Lalla Latifa
Issue
Full name
Hassan bin Mohammed bin Yusef al-Alawi
الحسن بن محمد بن يوسف العلوي
Arabic الحسن الثاني
Dynasty 'Alawi
Father Mohammed V
Mother Lalla Abla bint Tahar
Religion Sunni Islam
Education
  • Dar al-Makhzen
  • Royal College
  • University of Bordeaux
Military career
Allegiance Morocco
France
Service/branch Royal Moroccan Armed Forces
French Navy
Rank Field Marshal
Battles/wars

Hassan II (born 9 July 1929 – died 23 July 1999) was the King of Morocco from 1961 until his death. He was a member of the 'Alawi dynasty, a royal family that has ruled Morocco for centuries.

Hassan II was the oldest son of Sultan Mohammed V and his second wife, Lalla Abla bint Tahar. He was the first leader of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and became crown prince in 1957. He became king in 1961 after his father passed away. His time as king included the start of the Western Sahara conflict and the Sand War. He also survived two attempts to remove him from power in 1971 and 1972. After his death, a special group was formed to look into past events during his rule.

Early life and education

الأمير الحسن ابن محمد العلوي يدرس عام 1943
Mawlay Hassan studying at the Royal College in 1943

Hassan was born on 9 July 1929, in Rabat, Morocco. His father was Sultan Mohammed V. He first studied Islamic sciences in Fez. Later, he attended the Royal College in Rabat. Here, he learned in both Arabic and French.

In 1943, when he was 12, Hassan attended the Casablanca Conference. He met important leaders like U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1947, he joined his father for a speech in Tangier. His father spoke about uniting Morocco, which inspired many Moroccans.

Hassan later studied public law at the University of Bordeaux in France. After his studies, he served in the French Navy.

Exile and return

Mohammed V 1950
Mawlay Hassan and his father, Sultan Mohammed V in 1950

In 1953, French authorities sent Hassan and his family away from Morocco. They were first sent to Corsica and then to Madagascar. This made many people in Morocco upset and fueled the fight for independence. During this time, Hassan helped his father with political advice. They returned to Morocco in November 1955.

After Morocco gained independence from France, his father made him the first Commander in Chief of the new Royal Moroccan Armed Forces in 1956. He led the army to victory in the Rif revolt that same year. In 1957, Hassan was named Crown Prince. He became prime minister in 1961.

Becoming King

On 26 February 1961, Crown Prince Hassan became the King of Morocco. This happened after his father, King Mohammed V, passed away. He was officially crowned in Rabat on 3 March 1961. His first trip as King was to a meeting in Belgrade.

Changes in Morocco

Hassan II, Marrakech, 1966
King Hassan II greeting the public on his way to prayer in Marrakesh, 1967.

In 1962, King Hassan II helped create Morocco's first constitution. This document said Morocco would be a constitutional monarchy. It also made Islam the official religion. The constitution gave the king the title Amir al-Mu'minin, meaning "Commander of the Faithful".

In 1965, after some protests, Hassan temporarily took direct control of the country. He later brought back some parts of the parliamentary system. In the 1990s, he set up the Consultative Human Rights Council. This group looked into claims of state abuse. In 1991, he pardoned many prisoners. In 1998, the first government led by the opposition party was elected.

Surviving challenges

See also: 1971 Moroccan coup d'état attempt and 1972 Moroccan coup d'état attempt
Damaged tail of the royal Boeing 727 after the 1972 Moroccan coup attempt
Hassan's damaged Boeing 727 after the 1972 Airmen's coup attempt.

In the early 1970s, King Hassan survived two attempts to remove him from power. These events made his rule over Morocco stronger.

The first attempt happened on 10 July 1971, during his birthday party. About 1,000 armed rebels attacked his palace. Many people were killed. Royal troops fought back, and the attempt failed the same day.

The second attempt happened on 16 August 1972. Military jets fired at the King's plane while he was flying. The plane was badly damaged, but Hassan was able to land it safely. He then escaped to his palace. Many people involved in this attempt were arrested.

Conflicts and land gains

In 1963, the Sand War started between Morocco and Algeria. This happened because of disagreements over borders. The war caused economic problems for both countries. A peace treaty ended the war in 1969. Hassan later called the war "stupid."

In 1973, Hassan sent Moroccan troops to help Egypt and Syria during the Yom Kippur War. During his reign, Morocco also gained control of Ifni in 1969. In 1975, Morocco gained control of two-thirds of what was then Spanish Sahara through a peaceful march called the Green March.

Relations with other countries

King Hassan II of Morocco at Abdel Nasser’s residence 1
Hassan II and Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser meeting during preparations for the 1965 Arab League summit in Casablanca

During the Cold War, Hassan II made Morocco an ally of Western countries, especially the United States. He also accepted aid from the Soviet Union. He once said, "We can wed East and West and be faithful to both."

In 1974, he created an agency called Bayt Mal Al Qods Acharif (BMAQ). This group works to protect the Arab-Muslim heritage of Jerusalem. It helps restore mosques and build schools and hospitals there.

Hassan also helped with peace talks between Arab countries and Israel. In 1977, he hosted secret meetings that led to the Egypt–Israel peace treaty.

Hassan II and Yasser Arafat meeting in Benghazi in 1991
Hassan II and Shimon Peres at a press conference during the Casablanca Economic Conference, 1994

Economy and development

Economically, Hassan II supported a market economy. This means that businesses are mostly owned by private individuals, not the government. Agriculture, tourism, and phosphate mining were very important industries. In 1967, he started a large project to irrigate over a million hectares of land.

In 1973, he announced a "Moroccanization" policy. This meant that many foreign-owned businesses were transferred to Moroccan companies. Later, in 1988, he started a policy of privatization. This meant that many government-owned companies were sold to private owners.

Later years and human rights

Hugh Downs interviews King Hassan II of Morocco at the Florida showcase
Hassan II being interviewed by Hugh Downs for Today on NBC, 1963.

Hassan's rule faced criticism regarding human rights, especially during the 1960s to late 1980s. This period was sometimes called the "years of lead." During these times, many people who disagreed with the government faced difficulties. However, due to international pressure, Hassan II gradually worked to make Morocco more democratic in the 1990s. Since then, human rights in Morocco have improved.

Death and legacy

On 23 July 1999, King Hassan II passed away at the age of 70. He had been hospitalized for a lung condition. The Moroccan government declared 40 days of mourning. Many other countries also declared days of mourning.

A national funeral service was held for him in Rabat on 25 July. Over 40 world leaders attended, including U.S. President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He was buried in the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. His son, Mohammed VI, became the new King of Morocco a week after his father's death.

Hassan II was known for being knowledgeable in architecture, medicine, and technology. He spoke Arabic and French fluently, and also spoke English well.

Personal life

In 1961, King Hassan II married Lalla Latifa Amahzoune. They had five children:

Honors and decorations

Royal styles of
King Hassan II of Morocco
Coat of arms of Morocco.svg
Reference style His Majesty
Spoken style Your Majesty

National orders

  • Noribbon.svg Grand Master of the Order of Muhammad
  • MAR Order of the Throne - 4th Class BAR.png Grand Master of the Order of the Throne
  • Order of the Independence Combat (1963).gif Grand Master of the Order of the Independence
  • Ordre de l'Ouissam Alaouite Chevalier ribbon (Maroc).svg Grand Master of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite
  • Order of Fidelity (Kingdom of Morocco).gif Grand Master of the Order of Fidelity
  • MAR Order of the Military - 4th Class BAR.png Grand Master of the Order of Military Merit
  • Order of Civil Merit (Morocco).gif Grand Master of the National Order of Merit
  • Order of Prosperity (Morocco).gif Grand Master of the National Order of Prosperity

Foreign orders

  • AUT Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - 1st Class BAR.png Grand Star of the Order of Merit of the Austrian Republic
  • Wisam al-Khalifa 1st class.gif Grand Collar of the Order of al-Khalifa of Bahrain
  • Grand Crest Ordre de Leopold.png Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold of Belgium
  • KHM Ordre Royal du Cambodge - Grand Croix BAR.png Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia
  • Order of the Elephant Ribbon bar.svg Knight of the Order of the Elephant of Denmark
  • EGY Order of the Nile - Grand Cordon BAR.png Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile of Egypt
  • Legion Honneur GC ribbon.svg Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour of France
  • GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 9 Sond des Grosskreuzes.svg Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • GRE Order Redeemer 1Class.png Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer of Greece
  • Order of Pahlavi (Iran).gif Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi of Iran
  • Ord.2River-ribbon.gif Grand Cordon of the Order of the Two Rivers of Iraq
  • Cordone di gran Croce di Gran Cordone OMRI BAR.svg Knight Grand Cross with Collar of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
  • JOR Al-Hussein ibn Ali Order BAR.svg Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali of Jordan
  • Order of Mubarak the Great (Kuwait) - ribbon bar.gif Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait
  • Lebanese Order of Merit Extraordinary Grade.gif Extraordinary Grade of the Order of Merit of Lebanon
  • Order of Idris I (Libya) - ribbon bar.gif Grand Cordon of the Order of Idris I of Libya
  • MLI National Order - Grand Cross BAR.png Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali of Mali
  • Order of National Merit (Mauritania) - ribbon bar.gif Grand Cordon of the Order of National Merit of Mauritania
  • NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Grand Cross BAR.png Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
  • CivilOrderOman.png Special Class of the Order of Oman
  • Ord.Nishan-i-Pakistan.ribbon.gif Grand Cross of the Order of Pakistan, First Class
  • PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Collar BAR.png Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry of Portugal
  • PRT Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword of Portugal
  • Order of Independence (Qatar) - ribbon bar.gif Grand Cordon of the Order of the Independence of Qatar
  • Spange des König-Abdulaziz-Ordens.png Order of Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia, 1st Class
  • ESP Alfonso X Order GC.svg Collar of Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise of Spain
  • ESP Charles III Order GC.svg Collar of the Order of Charles III of Spain
  • Chain of Honor Sudan.png Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of Sudan
  • Order Of Ummayad (Syria) - ribbon bar.gif Wissam of the Order of Oumayid of Syria
  • Order of the Republic (Tunisia) - ribbon bar.gif Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia
  • Order of 7th November 1987.gif Grand Collar of the Order of the Seventh of November of Tunisia
  • Order of the Bath UK ribbon.svg Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • UK Royal Victorian Order honorary member ribbon.svg Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Order of Union Sash.gif Collar of the Order of Etihad (Order of the Federation)
  • Order of the Yugoslavian Great Star Rib.png Yugoslav Great Star

Honorary prizes

  • In 2022, Hassan was given the Pan-African Prize after his death. This was for his help in creating the African Union and supporting Pan-Africanism.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hasán II de Marruecos para niños

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