Battle of Annual
1921 · Annual (in the Rif Mountains of northeastern modern Morocco) · World · Modern
Spain's defensive line in eastern Morocco collapsed entirely; Silvestre was killed, and the remnants who surrendered at Mount Arruit were mostly massacred.
Belligerents
Rif tribal confederation
- Commanders
- Abd el-Krim
- Strength
- About 3,000 at first, quickly growing larger
Kingdom of Spain
- Commanders
- Fernández Silvestre, Navarro
- Strength
- c. 20,000
Background
In 1912 northern Morocco was made a Spanish protectorate. General Silvestre was eager to push into the heart of the Rif Mountains, setting up many isolated outposts along the way, with long and fragile supply lines.
Course of the battle
- Fall of AbarránOn June 1, Rif fighters captured the newly built outpost of Abarrán, opening the campaign.
- Fall of IgueribenIn late July the outpost of Igueriben, short of water, was overrun, and almost all of its garrison was killed.
- The great retreat from AnnualOn July 22 the Spanish army retreated from Annual; order collapsed into a rout, and Silvestre was killed.
- Surrender at Mount ArruitOn August 9 the besieged remnants surrendered at Mount Arruit; large numbers of prisoners were killed, and the fighting closed in on Melilla.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Place | Annual (in today's Rif Mountains, northeastern Morocco) |
| Result | Spain's defensive line in eastern Morocco collapsed entirely; Silvestre was killed, and the remnants who surrendered at Mount Arruit were mostly massacred. |
| Winner | Rif tribal confederation |
| Casualties | Spanish dead estimated at about 8,000 to more than 10,000; Rif losses from several hundred to over a thousand |
| Territorial change | In 1923 the Rif tribes proclaimed the Republic of the Rif, which lasted until it was crushed by a French-Spanish coalition in 1926. |
Impact
This was one of the worst defeats suffered by a colonial army in Africa in the 20th century. It directly triggered a political crisis in Spain that led to Primo de Rivera's coup in 1923, and Abd el-Krim's mountain guerrilla tactics later influenced a number of anti-colonial wars.
See the world in 1921 on the map →