​This paper sheds light on the subsistence crises in Tangier throughout the first half of the twentieth century, a period rocked by national and international conditions. In the country, rapid and unexpected transformations had negative ramifications for society and the economy, while internationally, large segments of Tangier's community found themselves in a struggle to secure their livelihood due to a tense political climate. At the same time, speculators in food, currency, and housing were the biggest benefactors. The repercussions of those transformations were evident in the daily lives of Tangiers, resulting in coordinated political, diplomatic, and popular reactions with a common purpose: mitigating and containing the crisis's impact as much as possible.