Abd el-Krim
Abd el-Krim was a prominent anti-colonial leader who emerged during the early 20th century in the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco. He is best known for leading a successful uprising against Spanish colonial forces in 1921, notably achieving a significant victory at the Battle of Annual, where his forces inflicted heavy casualties on the Spanish army. This rebellion marked a critical moment in Moroccan resistance to colonial rule, as Abd el-Krim united various Riffian tribes and expanded the conflict across the protectorate.
Despite initial successes, including harassment of Spanish outposts and a significant weakening of Spanish military presence, the situation escalated when Spain allied with France to counter his forces. This coalition culminated in a decisive military campaign in 1925, leading to Abd el-Krim's defeat by 1926. Following his surrender, he was exiled to Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where he remained until his eventual return to Morocco years later. Abd el-Krim's legacy is significant in the context of anti-colonial movements in North Africa, symbolizing resistance against European domination.
Abd el-Krim
Military leader
- Born: 1882
- Birthplace: Ajdir, Morocco
- Died: February 6, 1963
- Place of death: Cairo, Egypt
Full name: Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Khaṭṭabī
Born: 1882; Ajdir, Morocco
Died: February 6, 1963; Cairo, Egypt
Principal war: Rif Rebellion
Principal battles: Annual (1921), Xauen (1924)
Military significance: At the Battle of Annual, Abd el-Krim reversed twenty years of Spanish advancement into the Rif in a fortnight.
Hoping to eliminate Spanish colonialism in the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco (established in 1912), Abd el-Krim and his younger brother Muhammad rose up against Spanish authority in 1921.
On July 21, 1921, at the Battle of Annual, Abd el-Krim and his Riffian tribesmen annihilated a Spanish army of 20,000 under the command of General Manuel Fernández Silvestre. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Spaniards (soldiers and civilians alike) were slaughtered, with Silvestre committing suicide.
Following their victory at Annual, their army of between 3,000 and 4,000 regulars, plus auxiliary tribesmen, harassed Spanish outposts throughout the protectorate. Although the rebellion began in the eastern zone of the protectorate, it quickly spread westward. With the tenuous state of Spanish outposts in the interior, the new government of General Miguel Primo de Rivera decided in 1924 to retreat to their coastal presidios. During the withdrawal from Xauen in 1924, Spanish forces suffered approximately 17,000 casualties.
At the same time, Abd el-Krim attacked positions in the French protectorate, leading to a coalition between Spain and France. In 1925, the new allies carried out an amphibious landing at Alhucemas Bay, which led to Abd el-Krim’s downfall in 1926. He surrendered to the French, who exiled him to Reunion Island.
Bibliography
Pennell, C. Richard. A Country with a Government and a Flag: The Rif War in Morocco, 1921–1926. Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England: Middle East and North African Studies Press, 1986.
Woolman, David S. “In Spanish Morocco, Two Berber Brothers Became a Legend in Their Guerrilla War Against Two European Powers.” Military History (February, 1994).
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Rebels in the Rif: Abd el-Krim and the Rif Rebellion. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1968.