protectorate · Egypt, North Africa and Sudan

Spanish protectorate in Morocco

1912 CE – 1956 CE · capital Tetouan

Spain's zone of Morocco, covering the Rif and the north coast, scene of the Rif War and the launchpad of Franco's 1936 coup.

Origins

After the Treaty of Fez created the French protectorate in Morocco in 1912, a Franco-Spanish treaty of November 1912 assigned Spain a northern zone along the Mediterranean coast, including the Rif and Jbala mountains, and a southern zone around Cape Juby. Tetouan became the capital.

Rule and society

The sultan was represented by a khalifa at Tetouan, while a Spanish high commissioner held real power. The mountain tribes resisted fiercely: the Rif War and the disaster at Annual in 1921 cost Spain thousands of lives. Spain later recruited Moroccan troops, and in July 1936 Francisco Franco launched his rising from the protectorate, bringing the Army of Africa to the mainland.

Decline and legacy

Following French recognition of Moroccan independence, Spain ended its protectorate in April 1956, and the northern zone joined the Kingdom of Morocco; the Tarfaya strip followed in 1958. Ceuta and Melilla remained Spanish.

Lineage

Alaouite Sultanate 1631 CE – 1957 CESpanish protectorate in Morocco

Connections (5)

  • Spanish protectorate in Morocco was a protectorate of Restoration Spain1912 CE – 1931 CE
  • Rif Republic split from Spanish protectorate in Morocco1921 CE
  • Rif Republic was conquered by Spanish protectorate in Morocco1926 CE
  • Spanish protectorate in Morocco was a protectorate of Second Spanish Republic1931 CE – 1936 CE
  • Spanish protectorate in Morocco was a protectorate of Francoist Spain1936 CE – 1956 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Spanish protectorate in Morocco. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/spanish-protectorate-in-morocco
MLA
“Spanish protectorate in Morocco.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/spanish-protectorate-in-morocco. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Spanish protectorate in Morocco.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/spanish-protectorate-in-morocco.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Spanish protectorate in Morocco’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/spanish-protectorate-in-morocco (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻