| Battle of Tétouan | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theSpanish-Moroccan War | |||||||
_La_batalla_de_Tetuan_-_Mari%25C3%25A0_Fortuny_Marsal_-_MNAC.jpg) Oil on canvas painting of the battle byMarià Fortuny. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spain |  Morocco | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Leopoldo O'DonnellAntonio Ros Olano | Muhammad IVMawlay Abbas | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 25,000 men 65 pieces of artillery 41 ships | 35,000 | ||||||
  Battle of Tetuán Location within Morocco | |||||||
TheBattle of Tétouan (Arabic:معركة تطوان,Spanish:Batalla de Tetuán) was fought from 4 to 6 February 1860, nearTétouan,Morocco, between aSpanish army sent toNorth Africa and the tribal levies which at the time made up theMoroccan Army. The battle was part of theSpanish-Moroccan War of 1859–1860.
The Spanish expeditionary force, which departed fromAlgeciras, was composed of 36,000 men, 65 pieces ofartillery, and 41 ships, which includedsteamships,sailboats, and smaller vessels. GeneralLeopoldo O'Donnell personally took charge of the expedition and divided these forces into three corps. These were commanded byGeneralThe 5th Marqués de Torreblanca,GeneralAntonio Ros de Olano and GeneralRamón de Echagüe. Reserves were placed under the command ofGeneralThe 1st Conde de Reus.AdmiralSegundo Díaz Herrero commanded the fleet. The objective of the Spanish forces was to take Tétouan, which had served as a base for raids onCeuta andMelilla.
Hostilities between Moroccan and Spanish troops began on 17 December 1859 when the column commanded byThe Marqués de Torreblanca occupied theSierra de Bullones. On 19 December, Echagüe captured thePalacio del Serrallo. TheConde de Lucena commanded a force that landed atCeuta on 21 December. By 25 December, the three columns had consolidated their positions and awaited orders to advance towards Tétouan.
On 1 January 1860, the Spanish monarch, present in Tetouan, encouraged her troops with a clear message “let’s demonstrate who we are“. TheConde de Reus advanced towards the port ofGuad al Gelu. TheMarqués de Torreblanca’s column and theRoyal Spanish Navy guarded his flank. Clashes continued until 31 January 1860, when a major Moroccan offensive was stopped. TheConde de Lucena began a march towards the objective of Tétouan, and was supported by forces composed ofCatalan volunteers. Covering fire was provided by units commanded by General TheConde de Reus and GeneralRos de Olano. Spanish artillery inflicted heavy losses on the Moroccan ranks; the Moroccan forces that remained took refuge in Tétouan. The city fell on 6 February 1860. A week of further fighting followed before hostilities ceased.
The capture of Tétouan prevented further attacks onCeuta andMelilla by Moroccan forces. The Conde de Lucena returned with his troops to Spain; they camped at a spot north ofMadrid while a triumphal entry into the capital was arranged. The camp, which acquired permanent structures as well as shops over time, became the Madrid neighbourhood known asTetuán de las Victorias. In the aftermath of the battle,GeneralLeopoldo O'Donnell, 1st Conde de Lucena, was elevated in theSpanish peerage to being The 1stDuque de Tetuán. He later served asPresident of the Council of Ministers (also known as the Prime Minister).
Salvador Dalí painted a version of Fortuny’s painting of the battle.[1][2]
The Spanish victory was carved and painted on the pediment of theChurch of San Joaquín, Iloilo, considered a militarist-themed church in the Philippines. It was declared a national historical site in 1974. It was built in 1859 and completed in 1869 by the Spanish friar Tomas Santaren of the Augustinian Order.[3]
TheSpanish Navyarmoured frigateTetuán, in service from 1866 to 1873, was named for the Battle of Tétouan.
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