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PortraitColonel Catroux in Damascus (autochrome, 1921)1921-10-10Musée départemental Albert-Kahn, via Wikimedia Commons

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Georges Catroux

جورج كاترو

General, at the head of the Marrakesh mobile group, west of the Bou Gafer.

Born
1877 Confirmed by a verified source
Died
1969 Confirmed by a verified source
French forces
Spellings
général Catroux

Biography

According to Gérardin, General Catroux's mobile group attacked on the west of the massif; on 24 and 25 February 1933, three assaults were launched against “steep and jagged needles” dominated by peaks 43 and 47. The failure of the 34th goum at dawn on the 25th irritated General Huré.

Assisted translation, not validated

Sources — 2 sources cited · 2 independent documentary line(s)

  1. Gérardin, 1987 — p. 42-43Full text consulted · Colonial military
  2. Wikidata — « Wikidata — éléments consultés (Q16531628 bataille de Bougafer ; Q553522 Catroux ; Q318122 Giraud ; Q4775491 Huré ; Q2868274 Assou Oubasslam ; Q3133179 Bournazel) » — Q553522Full text consulted · Encyclopedic synthesis

In the encyclopedia

Related events

  1. February 1933Confirmed by a verified source

    Order to “reduce” the Saghro

    “In February 1933, the order arrived to proceed with the reduction of this dissident patch” (Gérardin). Two mobile groups converged: General Catroux's, from Marrakesh, to the west; General Giraud's, from the Confins, to the east.

    ⌖ Jbel Saghro

    Sources — 1 sources cited · 1 independent documentary line(s)

    1. Gérardin, 1987 — p. 42Full text consulted · Colonial military
  2. 16 February 1933 – 17 February 1933Unverified information

    Huré takes command in the field; Giraud's plane accident

    According to Wikipedia, faced with the cliffs of the “Needles plateau”, Huré took command on the spot and divided the deployment into two sub-sectors (Catroux, Giraud); after a conference, Giraud's plane overturned during a forced landing and the general was injured. Not cross-checked.

    ⌖ Bou Gafer massif (combat area)

    Sources — 1 sources cited · 1 independent documentary line(s)

    1. Wikipédia (français) — « Bataille de Bougafer » — section DéroulementFull text consulted · Encyclopedic synthesis
  3. 24 February 1933 – 25 February 1933Confirmed by a verified source

    Failure of the western assaults; the 34th goum loses half its strength

    In the west, the Catroux group launched three assaults on needles dominated by peaks 43 and 47. At dawn on the 25th, after a night climb “in the cold and the rain”, Second Lieutenant Sieurac's 34th goum was thrown back near the summits; Sieurac was killed and the goum lost half its strength. Huré judged these attacks “in no way studied” (Gérardin).

    ⌖ Bou Gafer massif (combat area)

    Reported figures

    Losses of the 34th goum« la moitié de son effectif »Gérardin, 1987Confirmed by a verified source

    Figures are attributed to their source, never merged or averaged.

    Sources — 1 sources cited · 1 independent documentary line(s)

    1. Gérardin, 1987 — p. 43Full text consulted · Colonial military
  4. 25 March 1933Confirmed by a verified source

    25 March: end of the fighting and aman agreement

    “On 25 March, exhausted but magnificent, they surrendered to General Huré” (Gérardin). Saulay places the scene at the small marabout of Khouia Brahim, before Generals Huré, Giraud and Catroux, and reproduces Huré's official telegram (no. 43/PC, 25 March, 11 a.m.). 25 March is also the date given by Wanaim (2024), Wikidata and English Wikipedia.

    ⌖ Bou Gafer massif (combat area)

    What do the archives say? →
    Source pagesHart, 1984, p. 182Hart, 1984, p. 182Hart, 1984, p. 185Saulay, 1983, p. 62Saulay, 1983, p. 63

    Sources — 7 sources cited · 5 independent documentary line(s)

    1. Gérardin, 1987 — p. 45Full text consulted · Colonial military
    2. Wanaim, 2024 — titreBibliographic record only · Academic research
    3. Wikidata — « Wikidata — éléments consultés (Q16531628 bataille de Bougafer ; Q553522 Catroux ; Q318122 Giraud ; Q4775491 Huré ; Q2868274 Assou Oubasslam ; Q3133179 Bournazel) » — Q16531628, P582Full text consulted · Encyclopedic synthesis
    4. Wikipedia (English) — « Ait Atta »Full text consulted · Encyclopedic synthesis
    5. Saulay, 1983 — p. 62-63Full text consulted · Colonial military
    6. — « Anti-Atlas » — § 41Full text consulted · Academic research
    7. Hart, 1984 — p. 182-183Excerpts consulted · Academic research
  5. 1934Unverified information

    Anti-Atlas campaign, end of the “pacification”

    The 1934 Anti-Atlas campaign, conducted by two operational groups (Catroux to the west, Giraud to the east), is presented by Wikipedia as the last of the conquest.

    Sources — 1 sources cited · 1 independent documentary line(s)

    1. Wikipédia (français) — « Pacification du Maroc »Excerpts consulted · Encyclopedic synthesis

Source pages

  1. ConfirmsShort quotationSaulay, 1983, p. 62

    On 25 March, before Huré, Giraud and Catroux, the last fighters of Bou Gafer led by Assou lay down their arms; Saulay lists five conditions of aman, including keeping weapons after registration.

    « — soumission complète au Maghzen ; — recensement des armes possédées par les insoumis qui les gardent en leur possession ; — amnistie complète pour tous les faits antérieurs à la soumission ; — pas de confiscation des biens possédés en tribu par les dissidents ; — pas de corvées en dehors des impôts légaux. »

    One of the two consulted sources listing these conditions, with Hart (1984, p. 182), whose list differs; the text of the agreement itself has not been found. The presence of Catroux and Giraud, previously given from Wikipedia, is attested by Saulay and the telegram he reproduces.

    Document :
    La Koumia. Bulletin de liaison, n° 88 · Periodical issue
    Source :
    Saulay, 1983
    printed page
    printed page 62 · PDF page 66
    Status
    Quotation checked on the page image · 2026-11-07
    SHA-256 fingerprint of the private capture :
    3447a2e0efcfdca39041af138e9ce2b90a837159f533ae689fdc6ee54cf30c97

    Reproduction of the page not authorised: reference and short quotation only. The capture stays in the project's private archive.

    Linked to25 March 1933 — 25 March: end of the fighting and aman agreementAssou OubasslamAntoine HuréHenri GiraudGeorges Catroux