The Rif War

The Rif War in rugged northern Morocco is remembered for romantic films and novels about the French Foreign Legion, such as Beau Geste. In reality, the French intervention, although very important, was late and secondary in importance to that of the Spanish.

The second volume of The Rif War begins with the aftermath of the Disaster of Annual and documents the Spanish response and reconquest of Morocco. While the renewed campaign remained largely one of columns, outposts and fortresses, it also took on the character of a very modern war, with the use of armored vehicles, trench warfare, aircraft, chemical weapons and large-scale amphibious landings by combined arms forces. Indeed, the Spanish landing at Alhucemas, conducted with French naval support, would become the subject of study by the Allies in the Second World War. Yet despite these innovations, including a number of ‘firsts’ in the history of conflict and in particular, of the history of conflict in Africa, Spain would continue to suffer heavy casualties in a bitterly fought contest for control of Morocco.

Volume 2 of The Rif War covers the Spanish reconquest of the positions lost after the Disaster of Annual in the Melilla Sector, the near disaster of Xauen in the Western zone of the African Protectorate, the Rifian attack in French Morocco, the Landing at Alhucemas and the Spanish-French offensive, with the capture of Abd El-Krim and the destruction of his forces, and the final campaigns in the Gomara region to pacify the Protectorate.

This series of books addresses the organization of the Spanish and Rifian armies, and of the air forces and their operations, including those of an incipient and frustrated Rifian aviation. The war also saw the Spanish Army completely reformed, reaching new levels of effectiveness with the Spanish Legion and the recruitment of Moroccan soldiers of the Regulares.

This volume is richly illustrated with original photographs of the conflict, and includes specially commissioned artworks showing the men, vehicles, aircraft and ships employed in the Rif War.