A DOORWAY TO EUROPE. THE UNITED STATES, SPAIN AND THE MOROCCAN QUESTION (1906-1928)

This paper examines the foreign policy of the United States through the lens of their actions in Morocco between the crisis that gave way to the Algeciras Conference and the negotiation of the second Tangier Statute. Following its growing interest in World affairs, America tried to make its voice heard every time the legal status of the sultanate underwent some kind of reform. As the United States lacked important material or strategic interests in the area, their attitude towards the North African problem was often the result of their own perceptions about the main actors in the drama. This circumstance became more acute after World War I, when Washington showed some concern about France's actions in the Sheerifian protectorate. To check Paris' intentions, America thought of giving some support to Spain's ambitions regarding Tangier. Yet the United States did not offer that support until the late 1920s, when their perceptions about Spain's government and character experienced a significant change.