Why did the Spanish retreat from Annual turn into a disaster?

The Spanish retreat from Annual in July 1921 became a disaster primarily due to the collapse of military discipline and leadership. Following Gen. Manuel Fernández Silvestre’s ill-considered decision to abandon the frontline post, the Spanish troops panicked and fled in general disorder, which empowered the Rifian forces to push them back to Melilla.12

The subsequent investigation, known as the Expediente Picasso, identified several critical failures that turned the withdrawal into a rout:

• Leadership and Morale: The report highlighted negligible military leadership and poor troop morale and training.1
• Logistics and Equipment: The army suffered from problematic frontline logistics and shoddy equipment.1
• Army State: The colonial army was described as being in a generally pitiable state, consisting of poorly organized and supplied conscripts.12

This disaster resulted in the loss of all territory Spain had occupied since 1909 and caused between 8,000 and 10,000 Spanish deaths, including that of Gen. Silvestre.12