Hassan II

Hassan II, full name Moulay Hassan (1929-1999), King of Morocco (1961-1999), born in Rabat on July 9, 1929, the son of Mohammed V. Hassan received his education in Rabat and qualified for the licentiate in law through the extension division of the University of Bordeaux in Rabat. France granted independence to Morocco in 1956, and the following year Hassan was invested as Crown prince and made commander-in-chief of the Moroccan army. He was minister of defence and deputy premier from 1960 until he succeeded to the throne on his father's death in February 1961. As king, Hassan instituted social and economic reforms and sought greater unity with the other Arab countries of North Africa. His relatively conservative regime aroused the hostility of some leftist Arab countries, such as Algeria and Libya. In 1971 and 1972 Hassan survived two assassination attempts. His annexation of part of Western (formerly Spanish) Sahara in 1976, and the rest of it in 1979, was popular at home. It earned him the hostility of Algeria, however, and also involved Morocco in a costly, inconclusive struggle with Saharan guerrillas, who sought an independent status for their territory. In 1986, Hassan resigned the chairmanship of the Arab League after Arab states denounced his public peace talks with Prime Minister Shimon Peres of Israel. In 1991, Morocco was the only Arab Maghreb country to send troops in support of the United Nations in the Gulf War against Iraq. He died on July 23, 1999, and was succeeded by his son, Sidi Mohammed, who took the name Mohammed VI.