1859 — Spain Declares War on Morocco

On October 22, 1859, Spain declared war on Morocco. The spark was a border clash near Ceuta, Spain's fortress enclave on Africa's northern coast. Spain's parliament voted for war almost unanimously, and 40,000 soldiers sailed across the Strait of Gibraltar under General O'Donnell. The Moroccan army fought fiercely in the mountains, but Spanish artillery proved decisive against that resistance, and the campaign turned steadily in Spain's favour.

Within months, the city of Tetouan fell. The Treaty of Wad Ras ended the war, forcing Morocco to pay a crushing indemnity and cede territory. The war signalled the coming age of European empires carving up Africa, and Morocco would never fully escape its shadow.