-
Period: to
Background and start of Rif War
Morocco was distributred to France and Spain and some Spanish workers were attacked by Rif tribes (in the north of Morocco) near Melilla because they wanted to get back his country. The war srtarted officialy with the Larache landing, in which the Spanish navy invaded the city of Larache. -
Period: to
War statistics
Initial soldiers: Spain and France had a total of 125000 and 60000 soldiers, respectively, and the Rif people had 150000. Deaths and injured ones: After war, Spain had lost 26500 soldiers and France 26873 and had more or less 8500 soldiers injured. While the Rif people lost 30000 soldiers. Commanders: Spain had 4 commanders in the war (Primo de Rivera, Dámaso Berenguer, José Sanjurjo and Manuel Fernández). France had only 2 (Louis Hubert and Philippe Pétain). The Rif people had 8 in total. -
Resistance by the Rif People
Yebala was a rsistance place for the Rif People, leaded by Ahmed al-Raisuni. -
Alberto Castro Girona and his forts in the way to Teutan
Alberto didn't have too much troops, so he decided to build about 400 forts (blocaos) to cover a big space between Teutan and the sea, but there was no water so it was carried on mules that were often attacked by Rif people. Thanks to this strategy, al Raisuni had to move to Yebala to be protected. -
Manuel Fernández Silvestre.
Manuel Fernámdez Silvestre was named to command the COMGEMEL (Melilla's General Commandance), who was obsesses with war and winning against the Moroccan after conquering the Alhucema islands -
Disaster of Annual
Between the 22 of July and the 9 of August of 1921, Spain lost a very important battle, 11500 Spanish soldiers died. After this battle, The Spanish army retreat and the Rif people, leaded by Abd el-Krim, formed an independent state, the Republic of Rif. Al the events occured at the same time as Primo de Rivera's dictatorship. -
Afrau
Afrau is a city in Morocco that suffered the landing in the Rif War and was the trigger of the occupation of Sidi Dris -
Invasion of the beach of Sidi Dris
The king ordered a conservative coalition leaded by Manuel Allendesalazar after the death of Eduardo Datio, and the same day of the oath, the general SIlvestre invaded the beach of Sidi Dris, this operation had as background the Afrau Landing. -
Dictatorship won the war
In 1923, Miguel Primo de Rivera revealed against the government and against his command, but the king supported him. He established a dictatorship which had as objective to end war in Africa, but by winning it, no by abandoning it. He reinforced the army in Africa and after some years, he won the Rif war. -
Period: to
Use of chemical weapons
The allied side, formed by Spain and France, used mustard gas pumps against the Rif People and the civilian population. Even nowadays, the gas mustard effects still remain in the Rif zone, it is the zone of Morocco with more cancer patients. -
Period: to
France takes part in the war
Since 1924, France started military movements in the Rif war, it stareted by occupying his north part and setting outposts in the frontier with Spain, so the tribes couldn't ask for help to the Rif people. In 1925, the Battle of Uarga took place, France against Rif Republic, this forced France to have a more beligerant pose in the conflict. -
Landing of Alhucemas
Thanks to this landing, The Rif War ended. In this operation, more than 13000 French and Spanish soldiers from Ceuta and Melilla, the general of the operation was Miguel Primo de Rivera, but there were aslo other commanders like Francisco Franco and Leopoldo Saro Marín.
