The Rif War: From the Annual Defeat to the Al Hoceima Landing

The Rif War (1921-1926) represented a complex conflict between Morocco and Spain, evolving from a limited confrontation into a large-scale bloody war.
According to a report by the Spanish site okdiario, the conflict's roots go back to Spain's attempt to maintain its influence after losing its major colonies in 1898, which led it to expand in northern Morocco under the protectorate system.
The Rif tribes fiercely resisted the Spanish presence, taking advantage of the rugged terrain and their knowledge of mountain paths.
Mohamed Ben Abdelkrim El Khattabi emerged as a leader with political and administrative training, succeeding in unifying the tribes and exploiting the Spanish army's weaknesses.
The confrontation peaked at the Battle of Annual in 1921, where the Spanish military system collapsed, resulting in the deaths of more than ten thousand Spanish soldiers, and Annual became a symbol of defeat.
With the threat extending to French zones of influence, France intervened militarily alongside Spain, and their forces carried out the Al Hoceima landing, a large-scale naval and air operation.
The war ended in 1926 with El Khattabi's surrender to the French authorities, but its effects persisted in Spain, and the Rif resistance became a reference for liberation movements worldwide.