How did the Rif War begin in 1921?

The Rif War began in 1921 as a result of escalating tensions between colonial Spanish forces and the indigenous Berber peoples of northern Morocco.1

Following years of European interference and unsuccessful attempts by the Spanish military to "pacify" the region, Spanish authorities intensified their efforts to occupy the central Rif in 1919. This expansionist policy directly threatened the autonomy of the Beni Urriaguel, a prominent Berber group. In response, Abd el-Krim—a leader from a leading Beni Urriaguel family—organized indigenous resistance to these advances.23

The conflict erupted into open warfare in June and July 1921 through a series of guerrilla attacks against Spanish fortifications. The situation culminated on July 22, 1921, at the Battle of Annual, where Abd el-Krim’s forces routed the poorly prepared Spanish army under Gen. Manuel Fernández Silvestre. This decisive defeat forced a massive Spanish retreat, resulting in thousands of casualties and the loss of all territory Spain had occupied in the region since 1909.13