Spain's Brutal Rif War and the Rise of a Dictator in 1920s Morocco

in the early 1920s North Africa's Rift mountains witnessed a long and bloody anti-colonial struggle by the amazing peoples armed with modern weapons religious fervor and a newfound sense of nationalism the reefy fighters inflicted heavy defeats upon their would-be Spanish colonizers and proclaimed an independent republic until France intervened the rift War would go on to become a part of Amazon identity and would Shake Spain to its core sparking the rise of one of Europe's longest reigning dictators by 1904 European powers had divided and taken control of the territory of present-day Morocco France controlled most of the region and left a weak Sultan as the nominal head of state Spain took a much smaller strip of

territory along the coast around the Spanish enclaves of the Utah and media in 1912 France imposed a protectorate on its area and allowed Spain to do the same as long as the Spaniards kept the German influence out Spain's government initially paid little attention to its Moroccan possessions after the first world war however Spanish attention was drawn by rumors of mineral wealth in the interior and Madrid's desire to recover some prestige after defeat in the Spanish-American war of 1898 but the Spanish authorities had little information about the remainder of their colony it was covered by rugged arid mountainous terrain populated by numerous amazing tribes the largest and most powerful of which was the

banuaryahal these tribes had already clashed with the Spanish on at least two local campaigns since the 1890s their land centered on the rift mountains a region many Outsiders considered violent and plagued by tribal blood feuds in reality though Clan infighting was kept relatively in check by a system of fines at first Spain tried to extend its influence in the tribal areas by political means especially based on the payment of Pensions this was partly because of the strong Spanish left especially in Catalonia who opposed military occupation and led protests against conscription meanwhile Spanish officials worked with reefy notables like ABD al-karim al-hatabi also known in Europe as ABD elkrim or among the

amaziks as mule mohant elkrim had been educated in Spanish schools and originally favored Spanish rule over the French by 1918 though he turned against his Spanish employers because of their corruption and Prejudice in 1923 he described this change of heart to his fellow refiance I served with the Spanish and I discovered that Misfortune had come down on our land from above when they came into it let us dedicate ourselves to rescuing ourselves our people and our land in 1920 El cream's Clan revoked their allegiance to Spain and began organizing anti-spanish resistance in the Riff he called for an independent riff and he would soon become Spain's worst enemy in North Africa so Spain had tried a policy

of political penetration in the Riff which had failed and led to amazing resistance in 1919 the new Spanish High Commissioner General Damascus Berenger decided to deal with the rebellious tribes by force the rift Rebellion against Spanish rule was not limited to elkrim in the west around shibala tribal leader mulai Ahmed erasuni also opposed Spain and reached out to elkrim for help a poor harvest and tribal animosity however prevented serious cooperation by October 1919 the Spanish defeated al-arizoni but failed to capture him new Spanish Commander Manuel Fernandez Silvestre had a reputation for recklessness but despite the concerns of High Commissioner Berenger Silvestre could act freely since he was a favorite

of the king in May 1920 Silvestre called for and received permission for an offensive interel cream's territory about twenty thousand Spanish and 5 000 Allied Moroccan troops entered the region they met with Little Resistance as the lightly armed amazing retreated deeper into their own territory in the interior Al cream began to organize a bureaucracy and army for his movement inspired in part by turkey's Mustafa Kemal by early summer 1921 the Spanish had Advanced 128 kilometers and reinforced their control by building a system of 144 block houses these block houses were not an effective defense though they were isolated from main roads and sources of water and the living conditions and morale of Spanish troops

were poor officers often went absent leaving their men to suffer at their posts Berenger told Silvestre that the Spanish were overstretched and El climb might attack in fact El cream warned the Spanish not to cross the American River Silvestre was unimpressed this man abdelkrim is crazy I'm not going to take seriously the threats of a little Berber khaid whom I had at my Mercy a short while ago his insolence merits a new punishment Spanish troops had taken part of the Riff and on June 1st they crossed the American river and established a new base at abaran what they did not know is that they'd walked right into a trap El claims warnings to the Spanish had been serious and his retreat was a ruse I must say Fighters attacked the new

Spanish base at aberan and spanish-led Moroccan troops mutinied the Spanish abandoned their position after suffering 179 killed to El Grim the victory at a Baran was a rallying call to the other tribes of the region the Spanish have already lost the game look at abaran there they've left their own dead mutilated and unburied the souls vaguely wandering tragically denied the Delights of paradise in July the amaziks launched attacks all along the Spanish line they besieged the 300-man Spanish Garrison at igeriben which soon ran out of water stories emerged of soldiers drinking cologne vinegar and even ink to Stave off dehydration eventually the fort fell with only 25 survivors Spanish made a general withdrawal with

many units converging on the fort at anwal Silvestre ARG on July 21st to take control of the situation but was immediately overwhelmed eyewitnesses claimed that he compulsively chewed his mustache and asked practically everyone what he should do as reefy tribesmen began to fire into the fort he ordered a retreat which soon turned into a route Spanish soldiers fled in all directions in what One Survivor described as quote a human Avalanche those who escaped the fort were picked off by reefy Marksman or ambushed by amazing swordsman Sylvester's fate is not clear but an eyewitness claimed that he was seen on the battlements screaming run the boogeyman is coming whether Silvestre was killed or

committed suicide is still debated but elkrim was later seen wearing his sash although the larger Rift tribes had started the attack many others most without Firearms also joined in as the fleeing Spaniards crossed their territory Airmen who flew over the area reported seeing the countryside strewn with Spanish corpses at City dris only five of the 500 strong Spanish garrisons survived while at Monte arit the Spanish attempted to make a stand the Garrison surrendered there on August 9th whereupon reefy tribesmen massacred them on other occasions elkrim's Fighters followed his orders to treat Spanish prisoners well all in all Spanish casualties might have been as high as 20 000. now the Spanish Town of Malia seemed to be under threat as well

Spanish commanders sent a rising star in the military named Francisco Franco of the Spanish Foreign Legion to protect the town the legion had been formed in 1920 and earned the nickname deaths betrothed for its ferocity writer Patrick Turnbull described the legion's attitude the Spanish Foreign Legion is comprised of men who for various reasons have no future nothing to live for but who wish to take a Savage revenge on life before dying there is something akin to the Japanese in their indifference to death though the Spanish legionnaires face it with a cold individual contempt as though death were something to be spat on disdainfully in its acceptance rather than the hysterical emotion born of overcharged nationalism

despite its name however most of the troops of the Spanish Foreign Legion were actually Spaniards once they arrived in Morocco Franco took credit for saving Melia even though the city was never in serious Danger forces had defeated the Spanish at anwal but he did not intend to move on Malia instead he turned his attention to building a new reefy state El cream was not interested in leading just another disorganized tribal Uprising his goal was to create an independent reefy state or as he put it a country with a government and a flag with the prestige and Spanish weapons that he gained at anwal he intended to create a nation-state and a regular army traditionally the rift tribes defended themselves with harakas informal bands

of Fighters recruited in Town Market squares now elkrim and his staff including European educated technocrats reformed the Army along modern lines with organized units uniforms and salaried soldiers in reality though the regular army was always quite small consisting of only about six to seven thousand men however it did add to El cream's legitimacy and Authority and Authority was important although the tribes United against the Spanish they were still divided some tribal leaders resented El Grim's Central Authority While others distanced themselves from him after Anwar to them they defeated the Spanish and could now go home in 1927 El Grim reflected on this attitude even those of the greatest knowledge and

intelligence believed that after the victory had been won I would allow each tribe to return to complete Freedom despite their realization that this would return the country to the worst conditions of Anarchy and barbarism El cream tried to draw the tribes Closer by sending appointed officials to villages to introduce reforms like taxation road construction creating a telephone system and nationalizing production some tribes resented the changes especially taxation so elkrim's new regular army repressed opposition all the same The Reef state did provide some stability as Swedish journalist Alexander langlett observed authorities seemed to be absolute and his laws for example against tribal and family feuds seemed to be kept you can

sleep on the road in the Riff which you can do neither in the French nor in the Spanish Zone El cream also understood the value of propaganda to Europeans he spoke of the modern aspects of his State Building and downplayed the religious aspect telling them that quote we no longer live in the Middle Ages but he also knew his own people were devoutly religious his government often framed the conflict with the Spanish as a Jihad an elkim downplayed the modern side of his vision to local followers his dual approach is clear in a letter meant to be read aloud to the rufians through God's will we have declared war on the Christian Spaniard and have thrown him out of our beloved land blessed by the prophet our Victory must

be completed by the total expulsion of the Christians to that end Jihad has been called throughout the Riff you must not make war sons of Muhammad like Bandits we must go to battle in an orderly fashion beneath a flag just how much the rift people supported El Grim is hard to judge although his own tribe stood by him others hedged their bets sometimes cooperating and sometimes refusing as the people of the rift began to build the state their Spanish enemies became more divided the unwiled disaster caused the shock in Spain made worse by the king's allegedly callous attitude towards the deaths of working-class soldiers Spain's already tense politics got even more polarized despite the annual defeat the Spanish soon recovered much of the Lost

territory they expanded from Malia in late 1921 and by April 1922 had Advanced 75 kilometers the Spanish now had Armored Cars aircraft and a healthy sense of caution though the refians rarely contested the advance a major battle did take place at TZ Aza in November which caused 2 000 Spanish and an unknown number of amazing casualties but Spain lacked the resources and the political will to take the heartland of the reef instead they resorted to Aerial bombing of reefy villages including the use of poison gas in March 1922 a new government was formed in Spain the eighth in three years although pledging revenge for anwal it was crippled by an economic crisis and political factionalism the Moroccan colony was costing half of Spain's expenditures and

Spanish anarchists and socialists celebrated El cream's humiliation of the Spanish military that they despised but even the military mostly wanted to leave the Riff the Spanish officer Corps was divided into two camps the abandonistas often represented by an Officers Association called the juntas de defensa wanted Spain to leave Morocco the africanistas led by officers who volunteered to serve in North Africa demanded victory over elkrim eventually Franco and the legion became the face of the africanistas even though Franco himself had occasionally flirted with the abandonista's position career prospects also worsen the split abandonistas resented the rapid promotion of younger less well-educated officers who'd served in Morocco a

popular saying highlighted the issue officers were said to earn one of two things from their time in Morocco La caja olafaja the coffin or the general sash the result of the Schism was a lack of any coherent Spanish strategy in Morocco and the Riff Madrid tried non-military solutions they made a deal with alarisuli and they went against Spanish officers advice and paid El cream a large ransom for 326 Spanish prisoners and cream used this money for his army in February 1923 a Spanish civilian Governor replaced the military governor in Morocco and began negotiations with elkrim the Spanish offered autonomy but the rifi leadership insisted on full Independence for what it called the state of the ruthean Republic by August

Spanish troops were Mutiny in the ports and riots broke out in Catalonia General Miguel Primo de Rivera made his move and after declaring martial law in Catalonia he went to Madrid and deposed the government in a bloodless coup the general argued that the civilian government had committed quote treason on the home front and promised what he called a prompt dignified and sensible solution to the rift War King Alfonso gave him permission to form a military directorate so General Primo de Rivera ruled Spain but he had to walk a tightrope between the military factions gradually he changed from an abandonista to favoring a defensive line in Africa then he announced the state of war and created

an Army Reserve all the while the reefy state was growing in late 1923 Spain focused its attention in the east of its North African possessions establishing a new defensive line around Melia the reefy state though turned to the West since early 1923 elkrim had been extending his influence over the tribes of gomara and jubala progress was not always smooth command leaders were reluctant to surrender their Authority and alarisuli's continued presence blocked reefy penetration however by September much of the West was under reefy control in June 1924 reefy forces increased their attacks against the Spanish in the west especially towards the important tetuan Shawan Road Primo de Rivera explained the threat to the isolated garrisons

the reality was very sad from Teton to Shawan not a simple Garrison or simple Detachment could be normally provisioned more than 25 000 men with their Canon machine guns rifles and Munitions were the Quarry which the enemy now had for his own there was no time to lose if the situation was to be saved Spanish command ordered its garrisons to hold out but the reefies captured one after the other in July the africanistas made it clear to Primo de Rivera that his passive strategy was not working with rumors of a new coup emerging they demanded action British Consul General Andrew Ryan recalled the tensions the army of occupation judged even by Latin Standards more nearly resembles a Greek debating society and its passion

for politics than a fighting instrument internal criticism is freely indulged in and its energies are dissipated in advocating this policy and condemning that eventually to appease the africanistas Primo de Rivera ordered only a limited withdrawal in the west to the new Primo line in September reefy troops attacked one of the key positions in the line the fort at chauhen with its three thousand man Garrison on the 23rd 40 000 Spanish soldiers including the legion set out to fight through enemy territory and relieve the Garrison at Shawan it took the Spanish column six weeks to travel the 40 kilometers to shaoen often in terrible weather conditions the rifis allowed the Garrison to leave the city

before attacking in late November they sniped ambushed and harassed the Spanish column the entire way much to the frustration of Spanish officers who spoke of fighting against Shadows Spanish Soldier Arturo Barrera later wrote of the trauma in his autobiographical novel the Moors got all those who didn't duck quickly enough it took us four hours to get to the bottom of that Ravine and two hours to climb that other slope until we were in Open Country it was the worst Butchery I've ever seen the Spanish Army limped back into tetran on December 13 1924 after the loss of up to 17 000 men and one General xiaowen was in reefy hands and when tribal leader al-raisuli lost control of his tribe to a rival in January 1925 at claims riff

Republic reached its peak so the Spanish had suffered yet another defeat at the hands of the rifis whose state was growing stronger but the expansion of the reefy state Drew new and Powerful forces into the war until 1925 El cream was careful not to provoke the more powerful and experienced French forces in Morocco French military Governor Uber leoti wanted to keep his distance as well and some French administrators watched El cream's victories over the Spanish with satisfaction however by December 1924 the mood was shifting yoti spoke of an imminent reefy attack nothing would be so bad for our regime in North Africa as the installation near Fez of an independent musliman state modernized and supported by the most war-like tribes with a morale exalted by

success against Spain in short the most serious kind of Menace which should be dealt with at the earliest possible moment around the same time elkrim also began to adopt stronger language I recognize that the French have given Morocco order security and economic Prosperity but I shall bring the same benefits with the further advantage that I am a Muslim although L cream used the language of religion his shift was actually pragmatic in May 1924 French forces made up largely of senegalese and Algerian troops crossed the uarga river to stop the Benny's at Wild tribe from falling under reefy influence this area was the reefy Bread Basket and home to many of their own fighters pressure was building

on El Grim to attack the French some Reef leaders were convinced that their successes against the Spanish and their religious convictions meant Victory against all Europeans was inevitable a reefy official calling elkrim the true Moroccan Sultan expressed his confidence to journalists the sultan can defeat all enemies in battle Sultan has many millions of fighting men who will sweep the French and the English and all the Christians out of the Arabs country when the sultan has driven the Spanish into the sea he will go to Spain and drive them out of there too Spain is an Arab country the rifi will kill until he is tired and he will take all the rest prisoners although elkrim would later distance

himself from concepts of jihad many of his followers still saw the struggle in religious terms at the expense of geopolitics and so on April 13 1925 the reviews launched a carefully prepared assault against the French positions reefy forces assaulted a French defensive line of 66 block houses on a 120 kilometer front the block houses were meant to defend against light arms but the reef he said captured artillery and machine guns weapons that helped them capture 43 of the French fortifications only the successful French defense of Taza saved the French line from Total collapse still the line was breached and around 4 000 reefy Fighters broke through removing the pro-french leaders of the benized while tribe leoti announced a withdrawal on

May 26th and called for reinforcements on June 5th El cream captured biban the Gateway defense by this point around 2640 French troops had been killed rumors spread that elkrim intended to march on Fez but he did not with the reefy army fighting both France and Spain the two Colonial Powers decided to cooperate French General yoti was no fan of the Spanish though so Paris replaced him with famous first world war Marshal Philippe peten with more flexibility than his predecessor patena quickly established a cordial relationship with Primo de Rivera although his first reports were not optimistic the brutal fact is that we were unexpectedly attacked by the most powerful and the best armed enemy that we have ever met with in our Colonial campaigns

and cream probably launched the attack to force France and Spain to negotiate and at first it seemed to work the French and Spanish offered autonomy but refused to recognize the reef Republic El Grim rejected the offer the French and Spanish now decided on military action there would be no unified command but they would launch mutually supporting offensives both Colonial Powers rapidly reinforced their armies with French forces increasing to 142 000 including armored cars and ft-17 tanks Spanish forces grew to two hundred thousand despite the exaggerated claims of refeed leaders I must say troop numbers were low just 3 000 on the entire Southern front in early September the colonial forces went on the offensive on September 8th Spanish

troops including Franco's Legion landed at al-husemas Bay only six kilometers from El Grim's Capital at ashdir over 100 Spanish and French ships landed 16 300 troops including a small number of Tanks The Landing also involved sea-based air support including aircraft from Spanish seaplane carrier de Dalo the AL who famous operation is considered by many as the first amphibious Landing involving tanks and mass Seabourn air support in history although the landing was largely uncontested the drive Inland was much harder it took Spanish troops 15 days to advance just two and a half kilometers on October 3rd they reached ashdir and burned it down on September 10th the French moved towards the reefy Heartland as well in

two days they recaptured Benny zarwal and in two weeks took biban Heavy Rain then bogged down the troops and the tanks reefy tribesmen also developed tactics for disabling tanks and other vehicles at close range by firing and stabbing through openings despite the Slowdown the Dual offensive threw elkrim onto the back foot to make matters worse there were severe food shortages in the Riff due to franco-spanish bombing and a lack of Manpower for the Harvest meanwhile cheap food in the French and Spanish zones encouraged tribal leaders to move away from elkrim even within his own tribe dissent was increasing final negotiations in May 1926 quickly collapsed on May 7th the franco-spanish

forces continued their advances with a coordinated air and ground campaign deep into the Riff by May 18th they'd taken anuel and cut the Riff Republican too and by the end of the month the colonial Powers had decisively beaten the reefy tribesmen some reviews continue to resist until 1927 but for elkrim and the Republic it was all over on May 25th El Grimm surrendered to French officers to avoid likely execution if he fell into Spanish hands much to Spain's annoyance the French allowed El cream to go into Exile on Reunion Island he eventually escaped and died in Cairo in 1963. the Franco Spanish victory in the rift war was propagandized in Spain as the culmination of the africanistas long and

bold struggle despite the fact that French assistance was likely critical to Victory although Primo de Rivera oversaw the victory Franco benefited the most and he gained much Prestige he was soon promoted to Brigadier General making him at 33 the youngest General in Europe leot would conclude what many in Spain were beginning to believe Spain has only one man in Africa Franco the Riff War had ended amazing hopes for riffian Independence but it made elkrim a hero an amazing memory and his Guerrilla tactics influenced later anti-colonial fighters in the 20th century despite Spain's ultimate Victory the war in the Riff was another step on Spain's path to an unstable future the first ever Landing with armor and

seaborne aircraft might have happened in the rift War but the art of the amphibious Landing reached its greatest scale and complexity in World War II when the Allies made Landings in practically every theater of the war even crossing a massive River like the Ryan in 1945 was a huge ground in Airborne operation to successfully land Allied troops and tanks on the Eastern Bank if you're interested in the Rhineland campaign we made a three-hour series about operations plunder and varsity called Rhineland 45. unfortunately we couldn't upload this documentary series to YouTube because our uncompromising portrayal of the second world war would violate their content guidelines instead you can watch Rhineland 45 on nebula a streaming service that we built together with

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directly supporting us to produce even more great history documentaries this year we want to thank Mark Newton for his help with this episode and as usual you can find all our sources for the episode in the video description below I'm Jesse Alexander and this is a production of real-time history the only YouTube History Channel that goes to war in an orderly fashion under a flag