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Regulares (Spanish for "Regulars", officially called the Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas) was the name commonly used to designate the volunteer infantry and cavalry units of the Spanish Army recruited in Spanish Morocco. They consisted of Moroccans officered by Spaniards. These Moroccan troops played a major role in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). They were known for their ability to traverse "dead ground" without being detected. Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
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Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (baptized as Juan Carlos Alfonso VÃctor MarÃa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias) was born on January 5, 1938 in Rome and is the reigning King (Rey de España) and head of state of Spain. ...
Fatherland is the nation of ones fathers or forefathers. ...
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The Spanish Army (Ejército de Tierra in Spanish; literally, Land Army) is one branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, in charge of land operations. ...
Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 28 km² Population – Total (2006) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 75,861 2,709. ...
Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 20 km² Population – Total (2006) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 66,871 3,343. ...
19th-century Spanish map showing the Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera is one of the Spanish territories on North Africa off the Moroccan coast (Plazas de soberanÃa), along with the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the island...
19th-century Spanish map showing the Peñón de Alhucemas Peñón de Alhucemas, or Lavender Rock, is one of the Spanish territories in North Africa off the Moroccan coast, along with the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the island of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera...
19th-century Spanish map showing the Chafarinas. Islas Chafarinas are a group of three small islands located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Morocco, 45 km to the east of Melilla and 3. ...
Dámaso Berenguer y Fusté (4 August 1873 – 19 May 1953) was a Spanish soldier and politician. ...
Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ...
French Republican Guard - May 8, 2005 celebrations Cavalry (from French cavalerie) were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. ...
The Spanish Army (Ejército de Tierra in Spanish; literally, Land Army) is one branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, in charge of land operations. ...
Spanish Morocco, was the area of Morocco ruled by Spain from up to 1956, when France and Spain recognised Moroccan independence. ...
It has been suggested that Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War be merged into this article or section. ...
Establishment The Regulares were first raised in 1911 as a "batallon indigena" of infantry. Their formation came at a time when Spain was expanding into the Moroccan hinterland from the long held coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Previously use had been made of Moroccan auxiliaries as scouts and the designation of "regulars" appears to have been intended to distinguish the newly raised force as a permanent unit of the Spanish Army. Officers and some NCOs were seconded from Peninsular regiments. Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 28 km² Population – Total (2006) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 75,861 2,709. ...
Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 20 km² Population – Total (2006) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 66,871 3,343. ...
History From 1914 to 1922 the Regulares were expanded in numbers to five "Grupos" based respectively on Melilla, Tetuan, Ceuta, Alhucemas and Larache. While they remained predominantly infantry, recognition of Moroccan skills as horsemen led to the establishment of cavalry "tabors" (squadrons). This mounted element of the Regulares was to remain a conspicuous feature throughout the period of Spanish rule.
The Moroccan troops generally remained loyal during the Rif War of the early 1920s, although there were reports of mutiny at Yat el Bax following the major Spanish defeat of the Battle of Annual in 1921. During this period the Regulares and the Spanish Foreign Legion ("Tercio") emerged as the elite corps of the Spanish Army - long serving professionals on more or less continual active service, attracting the best officers. These included the future dictator Francisco Franco who served initially with the Regulares (from 1913) before transferring to the newly raised Tercio (whose personnel were mostly Spanish) as second in command in 1920. Combatants Spain France Republic of the Rif Commanders Manuel Silvestre Dámaso Berenguer José Millán Astray Miguel Primo de Rivera Philippe Pétain Abd el-Krim Strength 465,000 regulars 15,000 irregulars Casualties 31,000 dead or wounded 54,000 dead or wounded The Rif War of 1920...
Combatants Republic of the Rif Spain Commanders Abd el-Krim El Khattabi Manuel Fernández Silvestre Strength 3,000 combatants 25,700 Spanish troops plus 5,100 Moroccan auxillaries Casualties ~1,000 dead ~13,192 dead ~1,100 captured The Battle of Annual was a battle fought in Spanish Morocco...
The Spanish Foreign Legion was founded by General Milian Astry in February 1920 as the Spanish equivelent to the French Foreign Legion. ...
General Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892–20 November[1] 1975), commonly abbreviated to Francisco Franco (pron. ...
In 1923 a detachment of the Fuerzas Regulares de Ceuta mounted guard at the Royal Palace in Madrid, indicating the high profile achieved by the Moroccan troops. In 1934 cavalry and infantry of the Regulares were brought to Spain by the Republican Government to assist in the suppression of the rising by Asturian miners that year. The use of Moroccan troops (associated with the Moors of the Medieval wars) caused much critical comment both in Spain and internationally. Even modern historians such as Paul Preston ("Franco") sometimes refer to the Regulares as "mercenaries" although the epithet could no more unfairly be used of the Indian troops of the British Empire. Paul Preston is a British historian, working in the London School of Economics, specialising in Spanish history, in particular the Spanish Civil War, which he has studied for more than 30 years. ...
Under Franco In 1936 the Army of Africa, totaling 30,000 in the Legion and Moroccan regiments, joined the rebellion led by General Franco against the Republican Government in Madrid. After some initial difficulty, the Nationalist rebels were, with German and Italian assistance able to get significant numbers of the African troops across the Straits of Gibraltar. The professionalism (and undoubted brutality) of the Army of Africa played a major part in early Nationalist successes. With the raising of substantial Nationalist forces in mainland Spain the role of the Regulares diminished but they retained a key role as shock troops until the end of the Civil War and were conspicuous in Franco's victory parade in Madrid in 1939. The numbers of the Army of African doubled in the course of the war to about 60,000. Following the Nationalist victory the Regulares were reduced to the five Grupos of their peace-time establishment. Franco authorised the establishment of a ceremonial mounted honour guard ("Guardia de S.E. el Generalismo") from the Regulares cavalry which, with colourful Moorish uniforms and white Arab horses, served in close attendance on him.
With the independence of Morocco in 1956 the majority of the Moroccan personnel of the Regulares, numbering about 10,000, were transferred to the newly raised Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. The cavalry units (including Franco's ceremonial guard in Madrid) were disbanded.
Present Day Spain however retained the historic enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta and the reduced Grupos of Tetuan, Melilla, Ceuta and Alhucemas remained in existence as part of the two garrisons. The modern Spanish Army retains a single regiment of Regulares which still parades in the fezs, sashes and white cloaks of the traditional Moorish style uniforms, although now recruited solely from Spanish citizens many of them natives of Ceuta and Melilla. Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 20 km² Population – Total (2006) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 66,871 3,343. ...
Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area – Total – % of Spain Ranked 28 km² Population – Total (2006) – % of Spain – Density Ranked 75,861 2,709. ...
Al Hoceima is a Moroccan port on the Mediterranean Sea, and it is the main city in the Rif. ...
See also It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Goum. ...
References Bueno, Jose. Los Regulares ISBN 84-86629-23-3 |
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