Spanish protectorate in Morocco: Difference between revisions

At a time when other European nations were acquiring or expanding their colonial empires, Spain's was slipping away. Its [[Spanish–American War|disastrous 1898 war]] with the United States stripped Spain of it'sits few last colonies and exposed an inferior military. Yet, due to Morocco's proximity and the presence of [[Ceuta]] and [[Melilla]], Spain eyed expansion in northern Morocco, despite an overall lack of enthusiasm for new colonial enterprises. During the last decades of the 19th century, Spain nervously watched the increasing influence of its European rivals in the Maghreb. Thus, ensuring Spanish security offered the most compelling reason to intervene. For example, Liberal leader [[Eugenio Montero Ríos|Montero Ríos]] argued that if northwestern Morocco were to come under French control, Spain would be vulnerable to France from both north and south. Furthermore, the discovery of iron ore near Melilla convinced many that Morocco contained vast mineral wealth.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chandler|first=James A.|date=1975|title=Spain and Her Moroccan Protectorate 1898 - 1927|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/260149|journal=Journal of Contemporary History|volume=10|issue=2|pages=301–322|doi=10.1177/002200947501000205 |jstor=260149 |s2cid=159817508 |issn=0022-0094}}</ref>