The Spanish protectorate in Morocco [ a ] was established on 27 November by a treaty between France and Spain [ 2 ] that converted the Spanish sphere of influence in Morocco into a formal protectorate. The Spanish protectorate consisted of a northern strip on the Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar , and a southern part of the protectorate [ 3 ] around Cape Juby , bordering the Spanish Sahara. The northern zone became part of independent Morocco on 7 April , shortly after France relinquished its protectorate.
Spain finally ceded its southern zone through the Treaty of Angra de Cintra on 1 April , after the short Ifni War.
Since France already held a protectorate over most of the country and had controlled Morocco's foreign affairs since 30 March , it also held the power to delegate a zone to Spanish protection. At a time when other European nations were acquiring or expanding their colonial empires, Spain's had generally gained independence. Its disastrous war with the United States stripped Spain of its few overseas provinces 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. Furthermore, the discovery of iron ore near Melilla convinced many that Morocco contained vast mineral wealth. The key motivation for intervention, although less openly stated, was the belief that Morocco was Spain's last chance to maintain its position in the Concert of Europe , as it was the one area in which it could claim sufficient interest to generate some diplomatic strength with respect to the European powers.
