El "pretexto"de la seguridad? El protectorado francés en Túnez y la comunidad italiana (1881-1918)

the study aims to analyze the foundational aspects of the hegemonic policy of France in Tunisia from 1881 to 1918 and to validate the hypothesis that the concept of ‘security’ has influenced both the genesis and the consolidation of French Protectorate, often being used as a pretext. After an explaination of the political and diplomatic background of the French Protectorate, the role played by ‘security’ in establishing it will be investigated. Special attention will be granted to the pretext of making the Algerian – Tunisian border safer as the main official reason to justify the creation of the new entity. The investigation will proceed by explaining the institutional innovations introduced in the Protectorate, proving that the purpose of increasing security and public order propelled some of the most important reforms decided by French authorities. It will be also explained the link existing between the stabilization of the Protectorate and the control of foreigners living there: for this purpose, it will be fundamental to understand the political and institutional meaning of the various treaties between France, Tunisia and foreign Nations. In this contest, a special attention will be payed to the Conventions signed by Italy and Tunisia in 1896. The apparent search for a dialogue with the biggest foreign community in Tunisia, as the Italian was, as well as the equality between the Italians and the French formally guaranteed by the Conventions, seem legal tools to act a substantial control, functional in granting French domination purposes. Finally, it will be investigated if several violations to the 1896 Conventions really occurred, until their denunciation in 1918, in order to understand whether and why sometimes they were justified by security instances.