542 Chapter 5
Narrative: The Spanish-Moroccan war of 1909 is commonly known as one of the
Rif Wars. Spain was limited in its colonial ambitions, certainly in Africa. A weak
state relative to the rest of Europe that had been dealt a damaging blow by the United
States in Cuba and the Philippines (the Spanish-American War, see MID#1557), the
north of Morocco was the extent to which Spain could be involved in the African
scramble. Spain already had establishments in Morocco acquired in the past, and addi-
tional inquiries into Morocco came only after an agreement was reached with France
regarding a division of territory. Even this brought intrigue from the Germans, though
mostly directed at the French.
This war is commonly known as one of the Rif Wars because it is a conflict between
Spain and Morocco regarding the Riffian tribesmen that lived in the north of Morocco,
where the Spanish settlements were. Spanish nationals working on railways were
killed by some Riffians near Melilla, which was one of the Spanish settlements. After
some early setbacks, in part because of Spain’s dilapidated infrastructure and discon-
tent in the Spanish population, the Spanish military eventually overwhelmed Morocco
in battle. The fighting ultimately ended on March 23, 1910, and was formally con-
cluded with an agreement signed on November 16. An indemnity was fixed for the
conflict, and an outline was provided for customs houses in Ceuta and the maintenance
of order. Morocco would not remain independent much longer as France soon coerced
Morocco into a protectorate, eliminating it from the interstate system until 1956.
MID#1087
Dispute Number: 1087
Date(s): May 23, 1911 to March 30, 1912
Participants: 230 Spain/600 Morocco
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: Spain moved to add more of northern Morocco into its Moroccan hold-
ings in 1911. Spain began with an occupation of Ras el Hasian and Mulay er Rexid
and ultimately acquired Tangiers and Rif. The occupation persisted throughout
1911, though a timely resolution of the issue was complicated by the Agadir Crisis
(MID#315) that brought Germany and France to the brink of conflict over the devel-
opments in Morocco. The resolution of that issue on November 4, led to the resolution
of the issue between France and Morocco (MID#3139). With these matters resolved,
France and Spain formalized their holdings in Morocco in March 1912 and Novem-
ber 1912. These two treaties, both signed in Fez, formalized Spanish Morocco. Spain
gained 10,400 square miles of Morocco as a result.
Coding changes: End Date changed from December 30, 1911.
MID#1117
Dispute Number: 1117
Date(s): November 21, 1957 to April 2, 1958
Participants: 600 Morocco/230 Spain
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (Negotiated)