The impact on Spain of Anglo-French informal imperialism in the colonization of Morocco, 1898–1914.

The article examines Spain's failure to assert an independent role amid the imperial competition between Britain, France, and Germany in the Western Mediterranean before World War I, focusing on the informal imperialism exercised by Britain and France during the colonization of Morocco. It argues that Spain's Restoration political elites were unable to effectively mediate between the demands of these imperial powers and the evolving social and political pressures within Spain, leading to chronic instability and undermining Spain's sovereignty and development. Key events include Spain's diminished role following the 1898 Spanish-American War, the 1904 Entente Cordiale between Britain and France that sidelined Spain, and the 1906 Algeciras Conference, which formalized France's dominance in Morocco with Spain as a subordinate partner. The article concludes that this dynamic contributed to Spain's political fragmentation, military entanglement in Morocco, and ultimately the collapse of its liberal monarchy, foreshadowing challenges faced by other nations caught between imperial powers.