page_title: Paul Révoil
section_title: Algeria (1901–03)
hierarchical_section_title: Paul Révoil / Algeria (1901–03)
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Portrait du diplomate français Paul Révoil par Eugène Pirou
context_page_description: Amédée Marie Joseph Paul Révoil was a French diplomat and administrator who represented France in Morocco, was Governor General of Algeria and was French ambassador to Switzerland and Spain. He is known for his role in moving towards a peaceful extension of French influence in Morocco.
context_section_description: In June 1901 Révoil left Tangier to become Governor General of Algeria in place of Jonnart. He was replaced in Tangier by Georges Saint-René Taillandier. He accepted the job in Algeria after some resistance, pleading poor health and the need to settle important issues in Morocco. He was persuaded by Delcassé, Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau, Minister of the Interior and President of the Council, and his friend Alexandre Millerand. Delcassé thought that Révoil would prevent any military adventures.
  In July 1901 Révoil wrote that after 70 years of French rule in Algeria it was finally becoming possible to exploit the Sahara commercially and strategically, linking France's West African territories to Mauritania and French Sudan. At this time the status of the territories to the south of the traditional Algerian provinces was unclear. Stephen Pichon considered that a distinction should be made between Algeria and "territories annexed to Algeria". This would allow the authorities to determine the date from which the inhabitants were French subjects. Revoil was impatient with this question and wrote, "there can be no question of a distinction, in my view, between 'Algeria' and 'territories annexed to Algeria.'" He admitted that there had been no real annexation, but only "a police action in regions that we had always regarded as having belonged to French territory. He could not delimit the physical boundaries of the southern territories, but thought any person from a place under nominal French authority must be considered French.
  During the two years he spent in Algeria Révoil followed a policy of cooperation with Morocco with the goal of avoiding military incidents in the border. In the summer of 1901 he went with the Moroccan envoy to Paris for talks about the frontier question, and acted as the main negotiator for France. On 20 July 1901 Revoil and representatives of Sultan Abdelaziz of Morocco signed the Protocol of Paris to define the border between Algeria and Morocco. The protocol of 20 July 1901 was confirmed by a protocol of 20 April 1902. Morocco recognized that Tuat was French territory, and agreed that in future when marauding tribesmen caused border incidents the agents of the two government should settle the issue on the spot through joint consultations.
  Under the 1901 protocol two commissioners, Mohammed Guebbas of Morocco and General Auguste Constant Cauchemez of France, would go to the Guir-Zousfana region to implement the agreements. They would inform the people of the oases of the way the protocol affected them, would appoint local commissioners to regulate tribal disputes, and would choose places for the Moroccan police and customs posts and the police posts in the ksour of Figuig. This last was the most important to Revoil, since many of the tribesmen who had attacked French supply lines had taken refuge in the oasis of Figuig. The railway from Djéniane Bourzeg had already extended to about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Figuig, and was to be extended towards Igli. It was essential that French troops have control of all the areas around the Oued Zouzfana valley so they could protect the line.
  Révoil created the position of "director of economic services" for Henri de Peyerimhoff, who settled with his wife in Algiers in April 1902. Révoil later resigned due to political disputes and was replaced by Charles Jonnart. He left office on 11 April 1903. Peyerimhoff prepared a huge survey of the results of colonization that was published in 1906.
caption: Paul Révoil by Eugène Pirou
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