Rif War
La Guerre au Maroc, Mort du Général Espagnol Margallo, from Le Petit Journal, November 13, 1893.
Date November 9 (de facto October 3), 1893 - April 25, 1894 Location er-Rif, northern Morocco, near Melilla, Spain Result Treaty of Fez: Morocco pays war reparations of 20 million pesetas and agrees to pacify northern provinces. Territorial changes Melilla hinterlands ceded to Spain.
Combatants
Spain	Rif Confederacy (Morocco)
Commanders
Juan García Margallo † Arsenio Martínez de Campos	Hassan I of Morocco Baja-el-Arbi
Strength
25,000 regulars and militia	40,000 irregulars

The Rif War of 1893, also called the Melilla War or the Margallo War (after an unfortunate Spanish general whose defeat and death infuriated the Spanish public) was a conflict between Spain and 39 of the Rif tribes of northern Morocco, and later the Sultan of Morocco, that began in October 1893, was openly declared November 9, 1893, and was resolved by the Treaty of Fez in 1894. Below is a list of newspapers in France. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... This is about a region in Morocco: RIF is also an acronym/initialism. ... Area  â€“ Total    20 km² (8 mi²) Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  65,488  3274. ... War reparations refer to the monetary compensation provided to a triumphant nation or coalition from a defeated nation or coalition. ... The peseta is the former currency of Spain and, (along with the French Franc), of Andorra. ... The meaning of hinterland and its history. ... Image File history File links Spain1785. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Kabyle_people. ... Rif mountains near Al Hoceima The Rif (Arif in Berber, er-Rif الريف in Arabic) is a mainly mountainous region of north Morocco, from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Cape Tres Forcas and Melilla in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... Hassan I of Morocco (b. ... Combatants Morocco Spain Commanders Mohammed IV of Morocco Juan Prim Leopoldo ODonnell Strength 40,000 140,000 Casualties 6,000 dead or wounded 4,000 dead or wounded The Spanish-Moroccan War of 1859, known as the African War in Spain (Spanish: La Guerra de África), was a war... The Ifni War, also known as the 1957 Invasion of Spanish Sahara and, in Spain, the Forgotten War (la Guerra Ignorada), was a series of armed incursions into Spanish West Africa by Moroccan insurgents and indigenous Sahrawi rebels that began in October 1957 and culminated with the abortive siege of... for the historical event see: History of Western Sahara for the aerobatic team see: Marche Verte This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Mercator projection: public domain Online Map Creation The Isla Perejil (Parsley Island in Spanish; Arabic: Leila, night[probably just an adaptation from a romance form li(s)la the island], local i. ... A General is an officer of high military rank. ... Rif mountains near Al Hoceima The Rif (Arif in Berber, er-Rif الريف in Arabic) is a mainly mountainous region of north Morocco, from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Cape Tres Forcas and Melilla in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river... This is a partial list of Kings of Morocco. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... By the Treaty of fez, signed March 30, 1912, sultan Abdelhafid gave up the sovereignty of Morocco to the French, making the country a protectorate. ...

Historical situation

Castile captured the citadel of Melilla in 1497. In the 19th century Spain moved into the outlying territories and began investing in their economic development. Treaties with Morocco in 1859, 1860, and 1861 consolidated Spain's growing interests. Although Spain enjoyed the compliance of the Moroccan government, tensions flared between Spanish Army patrols and the local Berber tribes that were hostile to both Spain and Morocco, and over whom the Sultan had practically no control. Area  â€“ Total    20 km² (8 mi²) Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ Density  65,488  3274. ... The starting point of Crown of Castile can be considered when the union of the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon in 1230 or the later fusion of their Cortes (their Parlaments). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Spanish Army (Ejército de Tierra in Spanish; literally, Land Army) is one branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, in charge of land operations. ... The Berbers (also called Imazighen, free men, singular Amazigh) are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family. ...

Rif raiding and piracy was widely reported in the Spanish press and produced the occasional sensational incident. In the early 1890s the Rif captured a Spanish merchant vessel and abducted its crew; a small rescue expedition headed by the Spanish Navy gunboat Isla de Lúzon concluded that the captives had been sold into slavery. Over the summer of 1893 a period of renewed agitation by the locals enabled the Governor of Melilla to secure the funds for the expansion of fortifications surrounding the city. Construction was pushed forward as fast as possible, the main effort being to erect new redoubts at Peuta de Cabiza and Punta Dolossos. The Spanish Navy (in Spanish, Armada Española) is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military. ... A gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Table of Fortification, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ...

Siege of Melilla

After a period of escalating violence the war began in earnest on October 3 when 6,000 Rif warriors armed with Remington rifles descended from the mountains and attacked the city's garrison of 400 regular infantry. The Spaniards fought a bloody daylong battle without relief, losing 21 dead and 100 wounded, while the citizens of Melilla fled to the citadel. Although a civilian corps was organized to aid in the defence, the weight of the attackers, whose ranks were swelled by tribesmen from the hills, compelled the last of the defenders to retire to the fortress. Remington Arms is a major American manufacturer of rifles, shotguns, other firearms, and ammunition. ...

Lacking any form of heavy weaponry, the Rif tried to take the citadel by storm, charging up the road ways and scaling the walls. It was an act of gallant fury, but doomed to failure. The Spaniards held the ramparts with the bayonet and their gunfire swept the attackers from the walls. The Rif dead, numbering perhaps 160, fell in heaps. Spanish artillery was used to good effect to bombard the Rif assembling in neighbouring villages, but when an unlucky cannonade demolished a mosque outside of the city, the Rif effort took on the character of a jihad. Moroccans across the province, whatever their earlier sympathies, rushed to arms against Spain. By October 5 the native force numbered perhaps 12,000, some reports putting its strength as high as 20,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan with an iwan at center, three domes, and five visible minarets A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Djehad, Jawwad, or Cihad, (Arabic: ‎ ) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle. ...

Spanish response

Types of uniform in the Spanish infantry.

News of the attack brought war fever to Spain. The government dispatched the ironclad Numancia and two gunboats stationed at Málaga, put the fleet on alert, and mobilized the Army of Andalusia for service abroad. Newspapers and patriotic citizens of every stripe clamoured for vengeance at whatever cost in blood or treasure. The troops mobilizing to bolster Melilla's garrison, initially numbering about 3,000, received in many cities ceremonies and ovations from the populace as they rushed to the ports. Spanish infantry in uniform, Spanish-American War, from the Library of Congress This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Spanish infantry in uniform, Spanish-American War, from the Library of Congress This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ... A gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. ... Location within Spain Malaga redirects here. ... The Spanish Navy (in Spanish, Armada Española) is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military. ... Motto: Andalucía por sí, para España y la humanidad (Andalusia by herself, for Spain, and for humankind) Capital Seville Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 2nd  87,268 km²  17. ...

From the outset Sultan Hassan recognized Spanish grievances and reaffirmed Spain's right to pursue construction of field works for its own protection. However, his reluctance to cooperate in pacifying his own subjects infuriated the Spanish government and people, who found themselves committed to military operations far exceeding their modest financial resources, on account, they believed, of Moroccan negligence. Hassan I of Morocco (b. ... The Cortes Generales (English: General Courts) is the Spanish legislature. ... // Overview Spain inherited a fascist economy from General Francos regime, characterized by lack of economic freedom. ...

The crisis

On October 4 Numancia shelled several villages along the coast. An artillery detachment from Málaga arrived in Melilla that same day. For several weeks the situation stagnated. General Margallo, commander of the Spanish forces, spat out an ineffective ultimatum while the Sultan dispatched a contingent of regular troops under Baja-el-Arbi to restore the situation, with little success. Inconsequential skirmishes were fought at forts Camellos and San Lorenzo. When the Rif tore down the forts they'd captured Margallo deployed small parties of infantry and workmen to throw up new earthworks at forts Cabrerizas and Rostro Gordo, under cover of the Spanish batteries. October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Location within Spain Malaga redirects here. ... An ultimatum is a final demand, with a threat, made without intent of negotiation, for example before war, before killing hostages, etc. ... Earthworks can refer to: Civil engineering earthworks based on moving massive quantites of soil; The Earthworks audio equipment company; The novel Earthworks by Brian Aldiss; The earthworks style of art. ...

On October 22 the gunboat Conde de Venadito steamed to the mouth of the Ouro, anchored there, and turned her Hotchkiss guns on the Rif. The ship hurled 31 shells at the Rif trenches and returned to Melilla's harbour without sustaining any damage. The Rif, in turn, poured 5,000 men into a heavy attack on the heights of Sidi Guariach on October 27 and, despite again running afoul the guns of the Venadito and the Spanish batteries, drove General Margallo and General Ortego back into the citadel and seized their half-finished field works. October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 1800s. ... A shell is a projectile, which, as opposed to a bullet, is not solid but contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage includes large projectiles without a filling which are properly termed shot. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ...

Margallo's sortie

To dislodge the Rif from the works near Cabrerizas and Rostro Gordo Margallo rode out on October 28 at the head of a column of 2,000 men. The Rif in the trenches numbered about 3,000 men; both sides fought with their usual insolent courage and the Rif held the line while their main body flocked 6,000 reinforcements to the battle. With this numerical superiority the Rif extended their line in an attempt to envelop Margallo's Spaniards. The general, seeing the enemy centre weaken, led a reckless charge into the teeth of the Rif trenches and was thrown back with appalling losses. October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 64 days remaining. ...

Margallo sounded a retreat. He was shot dead moments later and his detachment collapsed. The Spanish Army admitted to at least 70 men killed and 122 wounded that day; actual losses were probably much higher. Only General Ortega's furious rearguard action kept the retreat from becoming a rout and a massacre.

News of the disaster, coupled with Ortega's grave telegrams, convinced the Cabinet to dispatch an additional three regiments of cavalry and four battalions of infantry that day. The next morning, October 29, Ortega led 3,000 men out of Cabrerizas and swept the Rif from the red, ruined trenches. Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far away and grapho = write) is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ... A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a group of battalions, usually four and commanded by a colonel. ... Kircholm, a 1925 painting by Wojciech Kossak. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Army investigations later revealed that Margallo had made a small fortune embezzling guns and materiel from the army and selling them for profit to the locals. Ironically, the Rif that shot him very likely did so using the firearms he had sold them. Embezzlement is the fraudulent conversion of property from a property owner. ...

Stalemate

Early November found the besieged locked in a surging, desperate struggle for survival. Large Rif forces held the beaches, frustrating the Spanish Navy's efforts to disembark horses, troops, and supplies. The Rif expanded their trenches around the city and set up fortified camps, blocking off all communication between the citadel and the outlying forts and destroying the roads between them. Only the desperate fighting of nighttime sorties kept the outposts supplied with water, rations, and munitions. Rationing is the controlled distribution of resources and scarce goods or services: it restricts how much people are allowed to buy or consume. ...

Still the defenders held out and heavy fire from the fortress checked Rif advances and kept the town clear of invaders. Spanish retaliation often took gruesome turns: convicts and penal labourers were assembled into search and destroy units led by army officers and crept out into the night to ambush Rif patrols, often at knife-point. These units both terrified the Rif and captured the imagination of the foreign press with their conspicuous courage and brutality. Penal labour or penal servitude is a form of unfree labour. ... Search and Destroy, or Seek and Destroy, or simply S&D, refers to a military strategy that became a notorious element of the Vietnam War. ... An officer is a member of a military service who holds a position of responsibility. ... An ambush is a long established military tactic in which an ambushing force uses concealment to attack an enemy that passes its position. ...

At the various forts activity continued without pause: the defenders had no lack of building materials, engineers, and manual labourers and, amazingly, managed to continue constructing their redoubts even while under siege. The Spanish lost 12 officers and 100 men during the month, while Rif losses were fixed at 500 dead, mostly from bombardment. Among their dead was a Sheik. Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sheik can refer to. ...

Relief and peace

With the arrival of the armoured cruisers Alfonso XII and Isla de Luzon Spain began to apply its naval power to full effect, subjecting the Rif to incessant and untiring bombardment from the coast. On November 6 Spain's naval guns forced a request for parley from the shot-torn Rif. When the Rif proved unwilling to surrender these cannonades were repeated nightly. The armored cruiser was a naval cruiser protected by armor on its sides as well as on the decks and gun positions. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 55 days remaining. ...

On the Peninsula Spain's lethargic military machinery, brought to the highest pitch of activity by Margallo's military reverses, began to produce visible results and General Macias, Margallo's successor, commanded by the middle of the month forces adequate to keep the Rif in check and rebuild Melilla's outer defences. General Martínez de Campos steamed for Melilla on November 27 with 7,000 reinforcements, bringing the total men committed to the war to two Army Corps. In April 1894 Martínez de Campos, in addition to his military command, was appointed Ambassador to Morocco and negotiated peace directly with the Sultan. November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... A corps (a word that immigrated from the French language, pronounced IPA: , but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body; plural same as singular) is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery or signals... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ...

Aftermath

European Powers watched Spain's campaigns against the Rif with ardent eyes. France, seeking an ally for her own designs on the region, encouraged Spanish territorial expansion at the expense of Morocco. Madrid, however, being largely uninterested in an African empire and cautious not to offend the United Kingdom (which viewed any acquisition of territory along the Straits of Gibraltar with alarm), demanded only token territorial concessions from the Sultan. This did not discourage French ambitions, however, and in 1912 the Treaty of Fez divided Morocco into French and Spanish protectorates. World map showing Europe Political map (neighboring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... A great power (or Great Power) is a term used to refer to a nation or state that, through its great economic, political and military strength, is able to exert power over world diplomacy. ... Military flag of the Spanish Empire from the 16th century up to 1843. ... Location Location of Madrid in Europe Coordinates : 40° 23’N , 3°43′0″W Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Villa de Madrid (Spanish) Spanish name Villa de Madrid Founded 9th century Postal code 28001-28080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 91 (Villa de... Cecil Rhodes: Cape-Cairo railway project. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. ... By the Treaty of fez, signed March 30, 1912, sultan Abdelhafid gave up the sovereignty of Morocco to the French, making the country a protectorate. ... A protectorate is, in international law, a political entity (a sovereign state or a less developed native polity, such as a tribal chiefstainship or feudal princely state) that formally agrees (voluntarily or under pressure) by treaty to enter into an unequal relationship with another, stronger state, called the protector, which...

Trivia

• Among the survivors of Margallo's last sortie was a young Lieutenant named Miguel Primo de Rivera.
• As a result of the war Melilla was granted its own branch of the Guardia Civil, Spain's Gendarmerie. [1]
• The Spanish Army's 1893 Mausers, made famous at the Battle of San Juan Hill, were first used in this war.
• In November 1893 the searchlight was used for the first time in actual warfare, directing Spanish artillery fire at night. Results were mixed.

Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... Spanish dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, Marqués de Estella (Jerez, January 8, 1870 - Paris, March 16, 1930) was a Spanish military official who ruled Spain as a dictator from 1923 to 1930, ending the turno system of alternating parties. ... Patrol boat, Nervion river, Bilbao. ... A gendarmerie (pronounced ) is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. ... The 7x57 Mauser, also known as the 7 mm Mauser, 7 mm Spanish Mauser, and .275 Rigby, was developed as a military cartridge in 1893 for use by the military forces of Spain. ... Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Spain Commanders William Rufus Shafter Joseph Wheeler Arsenio Linares Strength 15,000 regulars 4,000 guerrilleros 12 field guns 4 Gatling guns 800 regulars 5 field guns Casualties 124 dead 817 wounded 58 dead 170 wounded 39 captured The Battle of San Juan Hill... Edisons classical searchlight cart. ...

External links

• Rif War 1893-1894
• Wars of the World - The Rif War 1893
• Las Guerras de Marruecos