WI: Anglo-Moroccan Alliance against Spain

Anglo-Moroccan relations were good from the late 16th century, with many trade deals being struck. Relations were very good between the two monarchs of the nations. In 1600, the Moroccan ambassador to England, Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud, proposed a joint Anglo-Moroccan alliance and even attack against Spain. After discussion at great depth, Queen Elizabeth declined the offer against Spain. Is it plausible that an alliance could have been struck?
 
The alliance was plausible around the era of Al-Mansur of Morocco, who did have some ambitions against the Iberian powers. However, eventually due a crisis (I think a lack of gold) they instead focused on the south and the Transaharan trade. If you can keep Al-Mansur's focus on reclaiming the Spanish settlements on the Maghrebi coast, perhaps allied with not only England but also the Ottomans, then the alliance is completely plausible and could be a serious power bloc in the 17th century.
 
As far as I know Almansur also wanted to send troops to attack Cuba.

He had a lot of very ambitious plans. Settling the new world, reclaming andalusia for the muslims, seizing the sahel, etc. Whether or not any of that would happen is another matter, morocco had it's own problems and for all his bluster he rarely did anything actually reckless.

This was a man who claimed that he was the rightful caliph rather than the ottoman sultan but never actually acted unfriendly towards the ottomans.

Could you get an anglo-moroccan alliance? Sure, Elizabeth talked with moroccan diplomats and set up a trade company to deal with them. The guns Al-mansur used to to destroy the songhai and mali empires were bought from the english. And the morrocan slave sugar plantations in the sus valely were england's main source of sugar during the last years of elizabeth's reign. But, same as with russia, Elizabeth was reluctant to agree a full out military alliance as opposed to an economic one and al-mansur wasn't that eager to take on spain himself, after defeating portugal in the battle of the three kings he didn't really need a battle against the europeans to prove himself.

You need her to be more desperate and al-mansur more eager to retake the iberian port cities in morocco for an alliance to happen. A worse anglo-spanish war will do it.
 
He had a lot of very ambitious plans. Settling the new world, reclaming andalusia for the muslims, seizing the sahel, etc. Whether or not any of that would happen is another matter, morocco had it's own problems and for all his bluster he rarely did anything actually reckless.

This was a man who claimed that he was the rightful caliph rather than the ottoman sultan but never actually acted unfriendly towards the ottomans.

Could you get an anglo-moroccan alliance? Sure, Elizabeth talked with moroccan diplomats and set up a trade company to deal with them. The guns Al-mansur used to to destroy the songhai and mali empires were bought from the english. And the morrocan slave sugar plantations in the sus valely were england's main source of sugar during the last years of elizabeth's reign. But, same as with russia, Elizabeth was reluctant to agree a full out military alliance as opposed to an economic one and al-mansur wasn't that eager to take on spain himself, after defeating portugal in the battle of the three kings he didn't really need a battle against the europeans to prove himself.

You need her to be more desperate and al-mansur more eager to retake the iberian port cities in morocco for an alliance to happen. A worse anglo-spanish war will do it.

I can definitely see the relationship being plausibly beneficial to both, Morocco taking back the Iberian settlements in the Maghreb and England defeating it's main rival at the time in terms of New World expansion. How to make Elizabeth more desperate however? Perhaps a Spanish Armada that is mildly successful but still overall a failure? As in being able to land on mainland England and capturing a few towns but Elizabeth is still queen in London? I'm not sure of this scenarios plausibility.
 
I can definitely see the relationship being plausibly beneficial to both, Morocco taking back the Iberian settlements in the Maghreb and England defeating it's main rival at the time in terms of New World expansion. How to make Elizabeth more desperate however? Perhaps a Spanish Armada that is mildly successful but still overall a failure? As in being able to land on mainland England and capturing a few towns but Elizabeth is still queen in London? I'm not sure of this scenarios plausibility.

Well, I wrote a, sadly currently abandoned, timeline in which this happens.

My POD was ferdinand dying of the plague before he could invade morocco, meaning that without his otl victory over portugal, al-mansur needs a victory over someone to cement his reign and otoh, england tried in otl to support the prior of crato for the throne of portugal rather than philip ii and without ferdinand's army being destroyed in morocco he's a better bet and so the anglo-spanish war goes hot in portugal so elizabeth needs morocco more too.

But there's plenty of other ways to make elizabeth want to open up a north african front. A more successful spanish backed irish rebellion or a less succesful dutch rebellion or the catholic league winning in france. Anything that means england needs another front opened up enough to take away elizabeth's caution.

Once you have the alliance, though. You have the problem that morocco in otl collapsed into complete anarchy at the death of al-mansur. Unless you can avoid that, any alliance isn't going to survive that.
 
For Morocco not to fall into anarchy, perhaps his elder son Zidan is more capable ruler whilst Abu Faris of Fez dies before his father, meaning the Civil War would be avoided, at least to the extent it occurred OTL. However, following the return of the Maghrebi coast to Moroccan dominance, you have to ask what the alliance has in benefit for Morocco? Perhaps England sends advisors to help the Sultanate in various ways, such as developing it's gunpowder industry, or help build a fleet similar to England. if an English man could help Shah Abbas in Iran I'm sure they could find one or two willing to venture to Morocco.
 
For Morocco not to fall into anarchy, perhaps his elder son Zidan is more capable ruler whilst Abu Faris of Fez dies before his father, meaning the Civil War would be avoided, at least to the extent it occurred OTL. However, following the return of the Maghrebi coast to Moroccan dominance, you have to ask what the alliance has in benefit for Morocco? Perhaps England sends advisors to help the Sultanate in various ways, such as developing it's gunpowder industry, or help build a fleet similar to England. if an English man could help Shah Abbas in Iran I'm sure they could find one or two willing to venture to Morocco.

I imagine England would help to modernise Morocco and especially its army. Also, I believe Ahmad al-Mansur may have had colonial ambitions.
 
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