Britannica Sources used in this answer

Who won the Rif War?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Spanish soldiers operate artillery cannons in a desert landscape near Melilla, with smoke billowing as a cannon fires during a 1930s battle. — Rif War Spanish artillery firing outside Melilla during the Rif War.

The Rif War (1921–1926) ended in a victory for the allied colonial powers of Spain and France.123

Although the Berber leader Abd el-Krim and his forces achieved significant early successes—most notably the crushing defeat of Spanish troops at Anwal in 1921—the tide turned when the conflict expanded into the French protectorate in 1925. This escalation prompted France and Spain to form a military alliance against the Republic of the Rif.423

The combined strength of the two European powers, utilizing superior manpower and modern military technology, overwhelmed the Rifian resistance. Following a joint offensive in 1925, Abd el-Krim surrendered to the French on May 27, 1926. While the French and Spanish effectively ended the organized rebellion, it took the Spanish until July 1927 to fully pacify remaining pockets of resistance in their protectorate.23