 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in French. (June 2018)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(August 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Hispano-Moroccan War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theSpanish–Moroccan conflicts | |||||||
_La_batalla_de_Tetuan_-_Mari%25C3%25A0_Fortuny_Marsal_-_MNAC.jpg) Mariano Fortuny's depiction of theBattle of Tetuan, oil on canvas (MNAC). | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spain |  Morocco | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Isabella IIAntonio Ros OlanoLeopoldo O'DonnellJuan de ZavalaJuan Prim | Muhammad IVMawlay AbbasMawlay Ahmad | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Expeditionary Army: 44,740 soldiers 3,000 cavalry 78 artillery Spanish Armada: 24 warships 11 transport vesselsWeek 6 reinforcements 5,600 soldiers 3,450 militias | Cherifian Army: 150,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
4,994 wounded | 6,000 killed[2] | ||||||
About 10,000 dead in total[3] | |||||||
TheHispano-Moroccan War, also known as theSpanish–Moroccan War, theFirst Moroccan War, theTetuán War, or, inSpain, as theWar of Africa, was fought fromSpain's declaration of war onMorocco on 22 October 1859 until theTreaty of Wad-Ras on 26 April 1860. It began with a conflict over the borders of the Spanish city ofCeuta and was fought in northern Morocco. Morocco sued for peace after the Spanish victory at theBattle of Tetuán.
Throughout the 19th century, Morocco suffered military defeats at the hands of Europeans powers, notably in theFranco-Moroccan War in 1844. In 1856 the Moroccan government signed theAnglo-Moroccan Treaty with the British which set the Moroccan customs duty at 10% and brought an end to royal monopolies.[4]
Since 1840, the Spanish cities ofCeuta andMelilla often experienced attacks byRiffian tribesmen, especially in 1844, 1845, and 1848.
Thecasus belli for Spain were the unrelenting attacks ofRiffian tribesmen on Spanish settlements in North Africa but also the increasing pressure of Queen Isabella on congress to attack; following unfruitful negotiations with SultanAbd al-Rahman vis-à-vis thereparations (the latter, unable to control thecabilas, actually died in the midst of negotiations and was replaced by his sonMuhammad IV), a declaration of war propelled byLeopoldo O'Donnell was unanimously passed by theCongress of Deputies on 22 October 1859.[5]
.jpg)
The expeditionary army that leftAlgeciras was made up of about 45,000 men, 3,000 mules and horses, and 78 pieces of artillery, supported by a war squad made up of a ship of the line; twopropeller and onesailfrigates, twocorvettes, fourschooners, elevenwheeled steamers and threefeluccas, in addition to ninesteamers and threeFeluccas that acted astroop transports.[6]
The objectives set were the taking ofTetouan and the occupation of the port ofTangier. On December 17, hostilities were unleashed by the column commanded by Zabala that occupied the Sierra de Bullones. Two days later, Echagüe conquered the Serrallo Palace and O'Donnell led the force that landed inCeuta on the 21st. On the 25th, the three army corps had consolidated their positions and were awaiting the order to advance towardsTetouan. On January 1, 1860, General Prim stormed to the mouth of Uad el-Jelúwith the flank support of General Zabala and that of the fleet that kept the enemy forces away from the coast. The skirmishes continued until January 31, when a Moroccan offensive action was contained, and O'Donnell began the march towards Tetouan, with the support of the Catalan volunteers. It was covered by General Ros de Olano and Prim on the flanks. The pressure of the Spanish artillery destroyed the Moroccan ranks to the point that the remains of this army took refuge in Tetouan, which fell on February 6.[7]
The Spaniards enteredTetouan on February 6, 1860. They bombarded the city for the following two days which allowed chaos to reign free.Riffian tribesmen poured into the city and pillaged it (mainly the Jewish quarters). The Moroccan historianAhmad ibn Khalid al-Nasiri described the looting during the bombardment:
A tumult broke out in the town,... the hand of the mob stretched out to plunder, and even [normal] people took off the cloak of decency.... People of the Jabal, and the Arabs, and the riffraff began to pillage and steal; they broke down the doors of the houses and the shops.... keeping at it the whole night until the morning
On February 5 the Spanish entered the city, ending both the battle and the war.
Following an armistice of 32 days,[8] the Treaty of Wad-Ras or Peace of Tétouan was signed on 26 April 1860. The treaty was indirectly influenced by the queen of Spain which demands were harsh for the Moroccan side and contemplated the extension on perpetuity of the Spanish presence inCeuta andMelilla, the end of tribal raids on those cities, the recognition by Morocco of Spanish sovereignty over theChafarinas Islands, the retrocession of the territory ofSanta Cruz de la Mar Pequeña (a territory of uncertain location by that time, ultimatelyIfni) to Spain in order to establish a fishing post, the permission to missionaries for establishing a Christian church in Tétouan, and the Spanish administration over the later city until reparations of20,000,000duros were paid.[9]
Once Morocco paid the compensation (partially throughmoney lent by the British), O'Donnell retired his troops from Tétouan.[10]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
