The
Republic of the Rif (full name:
The Confederal Republic of the Tribes of the Rif), (Amazigh:
Tagduda n Arif, ) was created in September 1921, when the people of the
RifThe Rif is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Moulouya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Ouargha in the south.It is part of the Cordillera Bética that also...
(
the Riffians) revolted and declared their independence from
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
occupation as well as from the
MoroccanA Moroccan is something of, from, or related to Morocco, a country in North Africa.The term may also refer to:* A person from Morocco, or of Moroccan descent. For information about the Moroccan people, see Demographics of Morocco and Culture of Morocco...
sultan.
Its capital city was
AjdirAjdir is a small city in Morocco near Al Hoceima. It was the capital of the Republic of the Rif from 1922 to 1926 under the leadership of Abd el-Krim .-See also:*Republic of the Rif*Aith Ouriaghel...
, its currency the Rif Republic Riffan, its national Independence Day was held on 18 September, and its total population was an estimated 550,000 people. The independence of the Rif was proclaimed on 18 September 1921, with Mohand
Abd el-KrimAbd el-Krim Abd el-Krim (1880, Ajdir –February 6, 1963, Cairo) Abd el-Krim (1880, Ajdir –February 6, 1963, Cairo) (Mulay Abdelkrim, full name: Muhammad Ibn 'Abd El-Karim El-Khattabi , was the Berber leader of the Rif, a Berber area of northeastern Morocco. He became the leader of a...
as its president or leader. The Republic of the Rif was formally constituted 1 February 1923, with Abd el-Krim as
head of stateHead of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state...
. Its prime minister, from July 1923 to 27 May 1926, was ben Hajj Hatmi and General Driss Riffi Temsamani was named Basha or Governor of the Rif. It was dissolved by Spanish and French occupation forces on 27 May 1926, after long and bloody battles of the
Rif WarThe Rif War of 1920, also called the Second Moroccan War, was fought between Spain and the Moroccan Rif and J'bala tribes.-Early Stages:...
in which German-made chemical weapons were used against the Berber populations by Spanish occupation forces.
History
The
BerbersBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are discontinuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke various Berber languages, which together form a branch of the...
fiercely resisted both Spanish and
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
incursions into Morocco. However, the Berbers had been unable to consolidate power, and had continually returned to ethnic fighting and tribal division. The Great Revolt of 1912 against French rule was a complete failure due to the fact that any tribal alliances created during the Great Revolt came apart within months.
A single leader,
Muhammad Abd el-KrimAbd el-Krim Abd el-Krim (1880, Ajdir –February 6, 1963, Cairo) Abd el-Krim (1880, Ajdir –February 6, 1963, Cairo) (Mulay Abdelkrim, full name: Muhammad Ibn 'Abd El-Karim El-Khattabi , was the Berber leader of the Rif, a Berber area of northeastern Morocco. He became the leader of a...
who was a court judge previously, became the leader of the Berbers in the Rif. Having created this command and power structure, Abd el-Krim defeated the Spanish many times and drove them back to a few coastal outposts. He wanted to create a stable state for the Berbers to give them a break from the long years of fightings. Abd el-Krim sent diplomatic representatives to London and Paris to try to establish diplomatic relations with Europe. This did not work very much because the French were anxious about the growing strength of Abd el-Krim's young republic, which could in the future drive the French occupation completely out of Morocco, if it had some time to gather forces and weapons. Abd el-Krim's rhetoric was concentrating on the right for freedom for all people, a message which wasn't welcome by the European colonial forces.
In late 1925, the French and Spanish created a joint task force of over 400,000 men with hundreds of tanks and aircraft. They attacked the new Republic territories using massive bombing some of which were German-designed
chemical weaponsDuring the Third Rif War in Spanish Morocco between 1921 and 1927, the Spanish Army of Africa dropped chemical warfare agents in an attempt to put down the Riffian Berber rebellion led by guerrilla leader Abd el-Krim....
used by the Spanish army. The Rif Republic collapsed in May 1926.
The French intellectual groups denounced the imperialism of the French ruling classes. They associated the army and the notion of 'patrie' with the bourgeoise ruling groups.
GuerrillaGuerrilla warfare is the irregular warfare warfare and combat in which a small group of combatants use mobile military tactics in the form of ambushes and raids to combat a larger and less mobile formal army....
elements of the army continued fighting until 1927.
See also
- Rif War
Rif War can mean:*Rif War also called the Melilla War or the Margallo War*Rif War *Rif War also called the War of Melilla or Second Moroccan War...
- Chemical weapons in the Rif War
During the Third Rif War in Spanish Morocco between 1921 and 1927, the Spanish Army of Africa dropped chemical warfare agents in an attempt to put down the Riffian Berber rebellion led by guerrilla leader Abd el-Krim....
External links