Destination casablanca, recently published by public affairs. She is a historian and a Senior Writer for the magazine, humanities, which is the quarterly review of the National Endowment for the humanities and among her scholarly credits are articles in holocaust and genocide studies and intelligent intelligence and national security. She has also written for the new york times, salon, long reads and other periodicals. She received her phd from American University and today, she will be speaking on the new a book, destination casablanca. Meredith hindley. Thank you all for coming this afternoon. I would like to thank the Wilson Center and the National History center for inviting me to give this talk today. I want to start not with africa,ca and not with but with another invasion during the war. Dday. When we think about world war ii and when world war ii shows up in popular culture, it is often dday. The sort of brave, heroic moment when the allies, the americans and the western allies we always talk about in terms of the americans, they stormed the beaches of normandy and they liberate france from the germans. But there is another invasion during world war ii. When americans stormed the beaches of french territory to liberate a populace. That is operation torch which takes place in november of 1942. But we dont talk about torch in the same way that we talk about dday. In fact, the 75th anniversary of torch just passed. There was not very much talk about it. In a few places you may have , seen an article or two but i can guarantee that when the 75th anniversary of dday comes it , will be a juggernaut. So, why dont we talk about operation torch in the same terms that we talk about dday . Why is this operation not part of the heroic mythmaking that has come to embrace world war ii . I would like to talk about that, today. And i would like to talk about how the americans ended up in north africa. Lets start with casablanca itself. It is a port city in africa on the atlantic coast. It was founded in the 11th century, probably by the berbers. And by the 15th century, it had grown into a minor fishing village that was popular with pirates. It was also popular with traders, particularly the spanish and portuguese. And they were the ones who gave it the name casablanca because way when you would sail into casablanca, you would see the white houses lining the harbor. Casablanca would remain a minor port. The portuguese would come, they got tired of the moroccan pirates attacking them. They would build a casbah which is actually what you see here. And then they would leave. ,casablanca would again come under the control of the sultan and dynasty. The sultan in the 18th century decided that maybe he should start investing in casablanca to also drive trade to the interior of morocco. But that did not really help, because tangiers to the north would be the most important port and continue to be most important port into the 20th century. All of that would change when the french took over morocco. Now the moroccans had managed to hold off european powers that for a very long time. In fact, they were one of the last holdouts in africa. But in the early 20th century, that would change and morocco would be divided up into three. At the top, you would see spanish morocco, a little sliver that would be given to spain. Tangiers would become an International Free zone, a trade zone open to everybody. And the southern three quarters would become the french protectorate of morocco. The french would grasp onto the existing political architecture in morocco their , own version of colonialism. They would control moroccos economics, diplomacy, military. Essentially, take control of morocco without replacing every structure that already existed as they had in algeria. This is a picture of an army officer and he is in charge of french morocco at the beginning of world war ii. In standing with him is the sultan and his son. The sultan would be allowed to maintain authority over his subjects spiritual life. He would also be a liaison with other powerful families in morocco. Again, the french were in charge. And they would take morocco and they would use it to enhance both their Colonial Holdings and to do what they could to enhance economically as well. So casablanca would benefit from the arrival of the french. In the upper lefthand corner, there is a picture of casablanca in 1900. It was a bit of a wild west town. A lot of dirt streets, not particularly modernized, the french would come in and they would do to casablanca what they did to paris in the 19th century. They would create boulevards and they would create apartment blocks. And they would essentially go through and build a new, white colonial city. The other three pictures are pictures of various boulevards in casablanca. And you can see this growth of this french city. They managed to avoid a typical oriental fantasia in terms of architecture. But they would fuse the white exterior with art deco flourishes until you end up with this beautiful, white, colonial city. I need to be clear here that this white colonial city was meant for the french and europeans, not for the moroccans. This is casablanca in 1940. In the upper lefthand corner is the old medina that is this incredibly compact place. Old medina had existed for hundreds of years. And you can see in the lower three fourths of this photo, this is what the french built in 30 years. And up on the right, you can see the port. Casablanca would go from 67,000 people in 1916 to 350,000 people by 1940. It was all driven by the port. When france did the treaty in and france got the lower three 1912 fourths of morocco, they were kind of annoyed because what they really wanted was tangiers. Tangier was the most important port on the atlantic in africa. It was a massive trade hub, not also glamorous. They wanted it. This was the jewel of morocco. They didnt get it. So instead, they decided to turn casablanca into the largest port on the atlantic in africa and that is precisely what they did over 30 years. So this is the port in 1942, this is an aerial shot. You can see how big it is. They built it out so they can accept massive traffic, more shipping traffic, they improve the fishing facilities. They also launch a campaign from which there are a lot of lovely posters. To try and encourage people to come to casablanca instead of tangiers. It did not really work because people would get off in casablanca and despite the fact it was a lovely white city, it did not have the charm of 10 jews. Of tangiers. Be the bigntinue to port for morocco. The port is why the refugees come to casablanca. The port is why americans come to casablanca. Before we get to that we need to , have germany invade france. In spring of 1940, germany would invade western europe and march into france. Morocco would answer the call and it would send five to fight in france. They would be stationed along this line and they are also in flanders and along the river. France is defeated by midjune. And we get the rise of the vichy. This was part of the german armistice and the northern part of france including paris which becomes occupied by the germans, the south becomes vichy. It becomes known as vichy because this is where the capital lives. Armisticeart of the gets to keep control of the colonies in north africa. That means that the french protectorate of morocco answers to vichy france. t have a grave effect that would have a grave effect on its trajectory during war. The german invasion would create a massive refugee crisis in europe and in france and it would cause 6 million and anyone else who feared the germans who flee south. They would hop across the mediterranean to marseille. Generally, marseille was the place to go. Toy would get a boat algeria, iran, or casablanca. Sometimes they would get on a train and get to casablanca from there. Casablanca would become a major waystation for refugees. In july of ships arrive off the 1940, 200 coast of casablanca bearing refugees. It is a massive humanitarian crisis at the port. It would take weeks for those ships to offload the refugees. The protectorate would set up sheds at the port to provide food, clothing, medicine, medical care. They would also establish a makeshift internment camp outside of the town to process all of the refugees. Country that sent men off to fight in france now found itself accepting refugees who were trying to flee france. At the center of the refugee crisis, what would become an eight to the refugees is the u. S. Consulate. In 1940, the u. S. Consulate had a staff of six. It was small, intentionally small because they were just over 100 americans in all of french morocco. Businessmen, Singer Sewing machine, douglas aircraft. There were also some missionaries, the diplomatic corps, plus their children, that there just were not a lot of americans which is why rick in the movie casablanca is an extraordinary character. It would have been rare to come across an american in casablanca. U. S. Consulate would become a point of contact for the refugee. Each day, more than 200 people would line up outside of the consulate, hoping to get a visa , to apply for a visa, to receive assistance. The consulate would help them book passage. They would tell them who not to book passage with because there were plenty of people looking to take their money. And there were captains who were willing to trade money, fact or or whatever it would take to get passengers on their ship. And there were plenty of refugees who were willing to barter that. The consulate also told them where to sell their jewels so they could get a better price. But it was overwhelming for the diplomats. U. S. Consul general would write to the state department in august 1940. The american consulate of the city has been the club for hundreds of people who could not get into the United States or canada but came to tell their stories to us and to each other. I suppose it was one of the few places where they did not get a Cold Shoulder and i do not regret that these forlorn people felt that at our office, they could at least here in friendly word. They had nearly wrecked us. One of the people would find a way to his office was arthur. 10 days before the germans invaded france, finished his book and mailed it to his publisher in london. When the germans arrived, he knew that he was in trouble. He was hungarian, communist known to be antinazi, he , already had problems with the french police. He knew that he was going to have problems with the germans. So he fled with his lover. After some close scrapes, including a brief moment of almost being sent to an internment camp, he was going to have to do something drastic. So, he joins the French Foreign legion. Because for the price of five years of service, you can get a brandnew name and disappear. Here he is, the man known more for typing and smoking cigarettes who has now joined the French Foreign legion wearing the iconic hat. He gets a new name and disappears. He makes it to marseille where he joins up with bunch of british soldiers who are also trying to escape from france and they make their way off across the algiers. Train andhey hopped a go to casablanca. From there, he wants to go north to lisbon and then on to britain. He has a problem though, he is no longer arthur cursor. He has a brandnew name and he doesnt have any paperwork. He shows up at the u. S. Consulate and tells his story. He is backed up by a british spy master who is also working at casablanca who is in favor of him leaving as well. So, Herbert Gould issues him this emergency certificate for britain which allows him to leave for lisbon and eventually make it to the u. K. On july 3, 1940 the british , would attack the french fleet in algeria. ,700 frenchave 129 soldiers dead. The british wanted the french to turn over the fleet because they were worried the germans would capture it. If the germans got a hold of it, that would mean they could take over the mediterranean. Therefore, cutting off britains way to the empire. Meant thatca, that the brits, the canadians, the australians and the south africans would all have to leave. And they would pack up their consulates, seal the doors, and make a run for the board before they were arrested. The u. S. Consulate would take over affairs for britain and the commonwealth. Not only do they have the refugees, they now have assumed responsibility for British Affairs in casablanca. Of which, there are a lot of british citizens who are stuck because they are not allowed to leave morocco. And they, too, begin to fall under french authority. In the fall of 1940, as the refugee population continues to grow and we have all of these foreigners running around morocco, the french protectorate opens up what would be the first of a series of internment camps, they take over an old French Foreign legion camp in the south and they start putting refugees in it. Now, how do you get into an internment camp . You get there because youre considered to be a charge on the city of casablanca because you have run out of money and cannot pay for your residency permit anymore. That is why you wouldnt want to gamble your money at ricks cafe because you could be in casablanca a really long time. You can also end up there because you are british, hungarian, german, austrian, russian, or published. There were a lot of polish people in the internment camp but not surprisingly, they were also jewish. Vichy would begin to infiltrate itself into french morocco. This is a ceremony in front of basically the justice palace in the central square. And that is a poster of martial thethe marshall hanging from the rampart. This is a ceremony to swear in 10,000 former veterans into the vichy organization. Begin purging anyone from the bureaucracy who did not toe the line. If you are thought to be questionable and perhaps you didnt, you are out. Antisemitic legislation would also begin to arise, will that the mesh rules that were introduced in france would also find their way to morocco, although in a slyly watereddown people would lose their professions, they would lose their businesses. And in the fall of 1941, they would be told that the jews that lived in the european section would be told that they have to move into the old jewish quarters in the city throughout morocco. Casablanca, there was no room. The jews did not move. But slowly, but surely, their lives, the lives of the moroccan jews, were slowly being chipped away. The fact that britain and france have severed relations creates an opening for someone to step in to broker. That would be Franklin Roosevelt , who always likes to juggle and to play a game. Roosevelt would decide that someone needed to keep open relations with the she. Vichy. Someone needed to keep to talk to them because he really believed that they really werent going to go all in on a collaboration with germany. That is sort of naive, but that is what he thought he thought someone needed to talk to them. Robert murphy would set up the american consulate or embassy in enter thebegin to wonderland of vichy in which relations and business meetings were conducted in hotels and opera houses in vichy because the city was not designed like paris to host a government. But Robert Murphy was tapped by roosevelt to go on a mission. Reports had been leaking out that french africa needed medicine, gasoline because , extractions had begun. There were no germans german troops in french morocco. But, the German Armistice Commission had arrived and it had begun to send people and inventories of french moroccos resources had begun. What can be sent from french aidcco to france that could the war effort . Of course, that means that there is little left behind for the residents of french morocco. And so shortages began. Sending reliefks to french north africa right away to perhaps open a dialogue. That dialogue he thought should be had with maxine weagad. He was a world war i hero. He had overseen part of the french war effort when france fell to the germans. He had also been one of the architects of vichy. However, he did not support or was reluctant to collaborate with the germans. He would be maneuvered out. They do not want to fire him because of his role in helping himound vichy, so he packed after north africa and makes him high commissioner of north africa. Roosevelt cant believe that this honorable general would really collaborate with the germans. And he thought some sort of entree could be offered and that relief might be the way to do it. So he sends Robert Murphy in december and january and december of 1940 and january of 1941 on an inspection tour. So, murphy goes on the tour. N to her and that is in quotation marks because because wherever he goes he runs around french morocco, he goes to casablanca, he goes to tangiers, algeria. They do strike a deal, it is called the north African Economic program. A very bland sounding program. Written is not keen on this idea because it revolves around sending supplies for the blockade. Britain feels that you have very few weapons available to them and if the americans start sending anderson through the blockade, youre going to dilute it. As part of the agreement, they decide to send inspectors to north africa. And there would be 12 of them. That is how they become known as the apostles. Any 12 men to send to french north africa to basically keep an eye on the shipments that are going to arrive. The idea is that the men would go down to the port, inspect the ships and then they would watch , could come out and then they would make sure to follow the supplies and make sure they went into morocco instead of going to be put back on another boat and sailing north to france and then later into germany. But when they looked around for men to send, a realized they had a problem. There was no one in the entire military establishment that spoke arabic. French morocco was primarily an arabic speaking country. But they did find men who spoke french. In particular, two men would become key to the operation out of casablanca. Stafford reed is a world war i veteran. He worked on intelligence during the war. And in the interim, he basically minded his real estate portfolio in new york. But he was looking around for something to do, a way to get involved with the war. So he was tapped. Dave king, it is almost like a novel with his career. He left harvard in the middle of world war i, signed up with the French Foreign legion, fought in france. And then would join with the americans when the americans entered the war. He was also involved in intelligence in the 1920s and 1930s. He did some adventuring in ethiopi