Hassan II of Morocco facts for kids
Hassan II (born 9 July 1929 – died 23 July 1999) was the King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. He was a member of the 'Alawi dynasty, a royal family that has ruled Morocco for centuries.
Hassan II was the eldest son of Sultan Mohammed V and his second wife, Lalla Abla bint Tahar. He became crown prince in 1957 and was named the first commander-in-chief of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. He became king in 1961 after his father passed away. During his time as king, Morocco saw the start of the Western Sahara conflict and the Sand War. He also survived two attempts to overthrow him in 1971 and 1972. After his death, a special group was formed to look into claims of human rights issues during his rule.
Quick facts for kids Hassan IIالحسن الثاني |
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| Amir al-Mu'minin | |||||
Hassan II in 1983
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| King of Morocco | |||||
| Reign | 26 February 1961 – 23 July 1999 | ||||
| Predecessor | Mohammed V | ||||
| Successor | Mohammed VI | ||||
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See list
Ahmed Bahnini
Mohamed Benhima Ahmed Laraki Mohammed Karim Lamrani Ahmed Osman Maati Bouabid Azzeddine Laraki Abdellatif Filali Abderrahmane Youssoufi |
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| Born | 9 July 1929 Dar al-Makhzen, Rabat, Morocco |
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| Died | 23 July 1999 (aged 70) Rabat, Morocco |
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| Burial | Royal Mausoleum, Rabat, Morocco | ||||
| Spouse | Princess Lalla Latifa | ||||
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| Arabic | الحسن الثاني | ||||
| Dynasty | 'Alawi | ||||
| Father | Mohammed V | ||||
| Mother | Lalla Abla bint Tahar | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
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| Military career | |||||
| Allegiance | Morocco France |
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Royal Moroccan Armed Forces French Navy |
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| Rank | Field Marshal | ||||
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Contents
Early Life and Education
Hassan was born on 9 July 1929, in Rabat, Morocco. At that time, Morocco was under French control, known as the French Protectorate. He was the oldest son of Sultan Mohammed V.
Hassan first studied Islamic subjects in Fez. Later, he attended the Royal College in Rabat. Here, he learned in both Arabic and French. A special class was even created just for him.
In 1943, when he was 12, Hassan went with his father to the Casablanca Conference. There, he met important world leaders like U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
In 1947, Prince Hassan joined his father for a speech in Tangier. In this speech, his father expressed a wish for Morocco to become one united country, free from foreign control. This speech became very important for Moroccans who wanted independence.
Hassan later felt upset by French colonialism. He earned a master's degree in public law from the University of Bordeaux in 1952. After that, he served in the French Navy.
Exile and Return
On 20 August 1953, French authorities forced Hassan and his family into exile. They were first sent to Corsica, an island, and then to Madagascar. This exile caused many protests and made the movement for independence even stronger.
During his exile, Prince Hassan acted as his father's political advisor. They returned to Morocco on 16 November 1955.
After Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, his father made him the first Commander in Chief of the new Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. That same year, he led the army to victory against rebel groups during the Rif revolt.
While serving in the military, Hassan met General Mohamed Oufkir. Oufkir later became the Minister of Defense during Hassan II's rule. However, Oufkir was later suspected of trying to overthrow Hassan. 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 passed away from heart problems. He was officially crowned King in Rabat on 3 March 1961. His first trip as King was to attend a meeting in Belgrade.
Changes in Morocco
In 1962, Hassan II and his team wrote Morocco's first constitution. This document said that Morocco would be a country with a king who follows a constitution. It also made Islam the official religion. The constitution gave the king the title of Amir al-Mu'minin, meaning "Commander of the Faithful."
In 1965, after some riots, Hassan temporarily closed the Parliament and stopped the constitution. He ruled Morocco directly for more than five years. However, he did not completely get rid of the idea of a parliament.
In 1990, Hassan created the Consultative Human Rights Council. This group was set up to look into claims of abuse by the government. In 1991, he released 2,000 prisoners, including some who were held for political reasons. In 1998, the first government led by the opposition party was elected under Hassan's rule.
Attempts to Overthrow the King
In the early 1970s, King Hassan survived two serious attempts to remove him from power. These attempts actually made his rule over Morocco stronger.
The first attempt happened on 10 July 1971, during his 42nd birthday party. About 1,000 armed soldiers attacked his palace. Around 400 people were killed during this event. The soldiers also took over the state broadcasting company, claiming the King was dead. However, loyal troops quickly took back the palace, ending the attempt the same day.
The second attempt happened on 16 August 1972. Six military jets fired at the King's plane while he was flying. Eight people on board were killed, and 50 were injured. The plane was badly damaged, but it did not crash. Hassan quickly went to the cockpit and used the radio to trick the attackers. He reportedly shouted, "Stop firing, the tyrant is dead!" This made the pilots stop shooting. After an emergency landing, Hassan escaped to his palace. Many members of the Royal Moroccan Air Force were arrested. General Mohamed Oufkir, the defense minister, was suspected of leading this attempt and was later found dead.
Conflicts and Foreign Relations
On 14 October 1963, the Sand War began between Morocco and Algeria. This war was about disagreements over borders left over from French colonial times. The war hurt both countries' economies. A peace treaty ended the war in 1969.
Hassan also sent 11,000 Moroccan troops to help Egypt and Syria during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. During his reign, Morocco gained control of the Spanish-controlled area of Ifni in 1969. Morocco also took control of two-thirds of what was called Spanish Sahara in 1975, through a peaceful event known as the Green March.
During the Cold War, Hassan II made Morocco an ally of Western countries, especially the United States. His government had close ties with the CIA, which helped organize Morocco's security forces. Hassan once said that Morocco could "wed East and West and be faithful to both."
In 1974, he created the Bayt Mal Al Qods Acharif Agency. This group works to protect the Arab-Muslim heritage of Jerusalem. It helps restore mosques and build hospitals and schools in the city.
Hassan also played a role in peace talks between Arab countries and Israel. In 1977, he hosted secret meetings between Israeli and Egyptian officials. These meetings helped lead to the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
[[Multiple image | direction = vertical | image1 = Yasser Arafat and King Hassan II of Morocco.png | caption1 = Hassan II and Yasser Arafat meeting in Benghazi in 1991 | image2 = King Hassan II with Shimon Peres in 1994.jpg | caption2 = Hassan II and Shimon Peres at a press conference during the Casablanca Economic Conference, 1994 ]]
Relations with Algeria became difficult due to the Sand War and the Western Sahara conflict. Algeria supported the Polisario Front, a group fighting for independence in Western Sahara.
Hassan II was also close with Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran. He even hosted the Shah in 1979 when he was exiled.
Economy and Human Rights
Economically, Hassan II focused on a market-based economy. Farming, tourism, and mining for phosphates were very important industries. In 1967, he started a large project to irrigate over one million hectares of land.
In 1973, Hassan II started a "Moroccanization" policy. This meant that businesses that were mostly owned by foreigners were taken over and given to Moroccan companies and businesspeople. This policy helped Moroccan ownership of industries grow from 18% to 55%. Later, in 1988, he also began a policy of privatization, selling off many state-owned companies.
Hassan's rule was known for its human rights record, especially from the 1960s to the late 1980s. This period was called the "years of lead." During this time, many people who disagreed with the government were jailed, killed, or disappeared. However, by the early 1990s, Morocco began to become more democratic due to international pressure. After Hassan II's death, Morocco's human rights record improved significantly.
Death and Legacy
Hassan II passed away on 23 July 1999, at the age of 70, from a heart attack. The Moroccan government declared 40 days of mourning. Many entertainment and cultural events were cancelled.
A national funeral service was held for him in Rabat on 25 July. Over 40 world leaders attended, including UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.S. President Bill Clinton, and many leaders from Arab states.
He was buried in a wooden coffin at the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. His son and successor, Mohammed VI, carried his coffin. Mohammed VI became the King of Morocco a week after his father's death.
Honors and Awards
| Royal styles of King Hassan II of Morocco |
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| Reference style | His Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
National Orders
- Grand Master of the Order of Muhammad
- Grand Master of the Order of the Throne
- Grand Master of the Order of the Independence
- Grand Master of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite
- Grand Master of the Order of Fidelity
- Grand Master of the Order of Military Merit
- Grand Master of the National Order of Merit
- Grand Master of the National Order of Prosperity
Foreign Orders
- Grand Star of the Order of Merit of the Austrian Republic
- Grand Collar of the Order of al-Khalifa of Bahrain
- Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold of Belgium
- Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia
- Knight of the Order of the Elephant of Denmark
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile of Egypt
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour of France
- Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer of Greece
- Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi of Iran
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Two Rivers of Iraq
- Knight Grand Cross with Collar of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali of Jordan
- Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait
- Extraordinary Grade of the Order of Merit of Lebanon
- Grand Cordon of the Order of Idris I of Libya
- Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali of Mali
- Grand Cordon of the Order of National Merit of Mauritania
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Special Class of the Order of Oman
- Grand Cross of the Order of Pakistan, First Class
- Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry of Portugal
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword of Portugal
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Independence of Qatar
- Order of Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia, 1st Class
- Collar of Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise of Spain
- Collar of the Order of Charles III of Spain
- Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of Sudan
- Wissam of the Order of Oumayid of Syria
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia
- Grand Collar of the Order of the Seventh of November of Tunisia
- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Collar of the Order of Etihad (Order of the Federation)
- Yugoslav Great Star
Honorary Prizes
- In 2022, Hassan was given the Pan-African Prize for his work in helping to create the African Union.
Personal Life
Hassan was described as being knowledgeable in architecture, medicine, and technology. He spoke Arabic and French fluently, and also spoke English well.
In 1961, King Hassan II married Lalla Latifa Amahzoune. They had five children:
- Princess Lalla Meryem (born 1962)
- King Mohammed VI (born 1963)
- Princess Lalla Asma (born 1965)
- Princess Lalla Hasna (born 1967)
- Prince Moulay Rachid (born 1970)
See also
