Muhammad V of Morocco

Uncommon card · No. 83925

Muhammad V (Muhammad al-Khamis bin Yusef bin Hassan al-Alawi; 10 August 1909 – 26 February 1961) was the ruler of Morocco from 1927 to 1961, except for a two-year period in exile during the 1950s. He reigned as sultan until 1957, and afterwards as the first king of Morocco. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he played an instrumental role in restoring the independence of Morocco from the French and Spanish protectorates. Muhammad was enthroned as sultan upon the death of his father Yusef bin Hassan in 1927. Early in his reign, his approval of the Berber Dahir drew widespread backlash and spurred an upsurge of Moroccan nationalism and opposition to continued French rule. Initially more amenable to colonial authorities, Muhammad grew increasingly supportive of the nationalist movement later on. During World War II he supported the Allies, participated in the 1943 Anfa Conference and has been widely credited with protecting Morocco’s Jewish population during World War II, as he reportedly resisted...

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