Spanish-Moroccan War
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In the Spanish-Moroccan War Spain fought against Morocco in 1859 and 1860 to expand the Spanish possessions in North Africa . This conflict is also called the First Moroccan War , in Spain often called the African War (Spanish: La Guerra de África ).
Spain later continued its expansion efforts in the Rif Wars of 1893 , 1909 and 1921 (also known as the Second Moroccan War ).
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The Moroccan Sultan Sidi Muhammad IV had just taken power from his late father and was struggling with civil unrest when the inhabitants of the Rif invaded the Spanish possessions in North Africa in September 1859 . Spain succeeded in repelling them and now demanded that the Moroccan government surrender an area as compensation and as a guarantee for the security of its African possessions. The negotiations that had been initiated remained unsuccessful and on October 22, 1859, Spain declared war on Morocco.
General Leopoldo O'Donnell received the supreme command of the Spanish army, which consisted of 35,000 to 40,000 foot soldiers, 2,000 cavalry and 150 guns. At the beginning (in December) he was violently attacked by the Kabyle and Moors of the plain, about 60,000 cavalrymen, but soon advanced victoriously. After many small but very bloody skirmishes, the Spanish occupied the city of Tétouan on February 4, 1860 , and after a decisive defeat west of Tétouan on March 23, the Moroccans asked for an armistice.
The peace of Wad-Ras, signed in Tétouan on April 25 by O'Donnell and Ambassador Muley-el-Abbas, stipulated that Morocco should pay Spain 20 million piastres in compensation and leave the city of Tétouan to the Spanish pending payment of this sum had to. Only when it gained independence under Mohammed V in 1956 did the city revert to Morocco.
An estimated 10,000 people were killed in this war (4,000 on the Spanish side, 6,000 on the Moroccan side).
