# French Evacuation of Bizerte (1963)

URL: https://allhistories.com/tunisia/timeline/1963-french-evacuation-of-bizerte
Location: Bizerte, Tunisia
Themes: main-event

After the bloody crisis of July 1961, Bizerte remained the last French military presence in Tunisia. The end of the Algerian war with the Évian accords of March 1962 reduced the base's importance to France, and Paris and Tunis restored diplomatic relations and negotiated a timetable for withdrawal. French forces handed over their installations progressively, and on 15 October 1963 the last French troops and ships departed from Bizerte. The handover was celebrated as a national victory, and later festivities in Bizerte were attended by Arab leaders including Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser and Algeria's Ahmed Ben Bella. The Tunisian flag was raised over the base, which became a facility of the Tunisian navy. The date is commemorated every year as Evacuation Day (Fête de l'Évacuation), a national holiday that marks the completion of Tunisia's military sovereignty seven years after independence; a monument and the martyrs' cemetery in Bizerte recall the price paid in 1961. The departure removed the main source of conflict with France, although relations soured again within months over the nationalisation of French-owned farmland in May 1964. At this point in the timeline (15 October 1963), the President of Tunisia was Habib Bourguiba (25 July 1957 – 7 November 1987).

## Why it matters
The evacuation ended the French military presence and completed Tunisia's sovereignty over its territory.

Ruler at the Time: [Habib Bourguiba](https://allhistories.com/tunisia/rulers/habib-bourguiba)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Bizerte crisis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizerte_crisis)
- [Wikipedia — Bizerte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizerte)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Bizerte](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Bizerte)
- [Wikipedia — France–Tunisia relations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France–Tunisia_relations)
- [Wikipedia — Bourguiba And Ben Ali (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_modern_Tunisia)