Abdelkrim and the Rif War

Overview

The Rif War took place in northern Morocco from 1921 to 1926. It began in July 1921 with the defeat of the Spanish army by the Rif tribes led by Abdelkrim, who resisted Spain for several years by leading his people on the path to independence. This struggle ended in May 1926 when the Riff inhabitants were defeated by the combined forces of the Spanish and French armies. The Riff War claimed tens of thousands of lives and devastated the country and its population through bombing and the use of chemical weapons. It cost enormous fortunes, plunged Spain into dictatorship, and enabled the Spaniard Franco to take his first steps and the Frenchman Pétain to consolidate his position as a man of providence. Despite this record, the Rif War served as a model for all those who dreamed of freeing themselves from the colonial yoke in the 20th century.