In June 1829, a fleet of four ships from the Habsburg Empire made history by bombing three Moroccan cities and conducting a daring raid on one of them. This bold action was the result of a hijacked Austrian merchant ship, which had been attacked by Moroccan corsairs just months prior. The Austrian Empire's response would prove to be a game-changer in their relations with Morocco.
The story begins in 1783 when the Habsburg Empire and Morocco entered into diplomatic relations, signing a friendship and trade treaty in Vienna. This marked the beginning of a long-standing relationship between the two nations. However, tensions arose when the Austrians took over the Republic of Venice in 1797, inheriting its merchant fleet and their existing agreements regarding safe passages. However Vienna stopped paying tribute to Morocco for them stopping their ships to attack the ships owned by Venice, which had been a practice since 1765.
Moroccan corsairs responded by increasingly targeting Austrian and Venetian ships. Despite these attacks becoming more frequent, Austria continued to renew their friendship and trade treaty with Morocco in 1805. It wasn't until 22 years later that tensions boiled over when an Austrian commercial ship, the Veloce, was hijacked near Cádiz by Moroccan pirates.
In response, the Habsburg Empire planned a rescue mission under the command of Korvettenkapitän Franz Bandiera. A fleet of four ships, consisting of the corvettes Carolina and Adria, the brig Veneto, and the schooner Enrichetta, sailed to Gibraltar. After negotiations with Moroccan officials, the Austrians secured the release of their captured crew members and an official apology from the Moroccan goverment but were refused the return of the Veloce or compensation.
This prompted Bandiera to take matters into his own hands. On June 3, 1829, he ordered the bombardment of Larache, a major Moroccan port city. A landing party of 136 men then disembarked and sank two anchored Moroccan ships. The Moroccans suffered significant losses, with estimates suggesting around 150 men were killed or wounded.
The Austrians also suffered casualties, losing 22 men and wounding 14.
This decisive action marked the beginning of the end for North African pirates' raids on Austrian ships in the Mediterranean Sea. In the months that followed, the Moroccan government signalled its willingness to negotiate, and a peace and trade treaty was renewed in March 1830.
The Veloce was finally returned to the Habsburg Empire, marking a turning point in their relations with Morocco. The bold action of the Austrian Navy had sent a clear message: they would not tolerate further attacks on their ships or crew members. This episode highlights the challenges of international diplomacy during the 19th century, as well as the importance of strong naval forces in protecting one's interests.