Following the destruction of much of the Spanish fleet in the Spanish–American War of 1898, the Spanish Navy made a series of failed attempts to begin the process of rebuilding. After the First Moroccan Crisis strengthened Spain's ties to Britain and France and public support for rearmament increased in its aftermath, the Spanish government came to an agreement with those countries for a plan of mutual defense. In exchange for British and French support for Spain's defense, the Spanish fleet would support the French Navy in the event of war with the Triple Alliance. A strengthened Spanish fleet was thus in the interests of Britain and France, which accordingly provided technical assistance in the development of modern warships, the contracts for which were awarded to the firm Spanish "Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval" (SECN), which was formed by the British shipbuilders Vickers, Armstrong Whitworth, and John Brown &amp; Company. The vessels were authorized some six months after the British had completed the "all-big-gun" , and after discarding plans to build pre-dreadnought-type battleships, the naval command quickly decided to build their own dreadnoughts.