Rif Republic

Infobox Former Country
native_name = Tagduda n Arif
جمهورية الريف
conventional_long_name = The Confederal Republic of the Tribes of the Rif
common_name = Republic of the Rif
continent = Africa
region = Western Africa
country = Morocco
era = Interwar period
status =
empire =
government_type = Republic
life_span = 1921 – 1926
event_start = Established
year_start = 1921
date_start = September 18
event_end = Disestablished
year_end = 1926
date_end = May 27
event1 =
date_event1 =
event2 =
date_event2 =
event_post =
date_post =
p1 = Spanish Morocco
flag_p1 = Flag of Spanish Morocco.svg
s1 = Spanish Morocco
flag_s1 = Flag of Spanish Morocco.svg

---

image_map_caption =
capital = Ajdir
common_languages = Tamazight, Arabic
religion = Muslim
leader1 = Abd el-Krim
year_leader1 = 1921-1926
leader2 =
year_leader2 =
title_leader = President
representative1 = Hajj Hatmi
year_representative1 = 1923-1926
representative2 =
year_representative2 =
representative3 =
year_representative3 =
title_representative = Prime minister
deputy1 =
year_deputy1 =
deputy2 =
year_deputy2 =
title_deputy =
currency = Rif Republic Riffan
footnotes = The Republic of the Rif (full name: The Confederal Republic of the Tribes of the Rif), (Amazigh: Tagduda n Arif, _ar. جمهورية الريف) was created in September 1921, when the people of the Rif ("the Riffians") revolted and declared their independence from Spanish occupation as well as from the Moroccan sultan.

Its capital city was Ajdir, its currency the Rif Republic Riffan, its national Independence Day was held on 18 September, and its total population an estimated 550,000 people. The independence of the Rif was proclaimed on 18 September 1921, with Mohand Abd el-Krim as its president or leader. The Republic of the Rif was formally constituted 1 February 1923, with Abd el-Krim as head of state. Its prime minister, from July 1923 to 27 May 1926, was ben Hajj Hatmi. It was dissolved by Spanish and French occupation forces on 27 May 1926, after long and bloody battles in which German-made chemical weapons were used against the Berber populations by Spanish occupation forces.

History

The Berbers fiercely resisted both Spanish and French incursions into Morocco. However, the Berbers had been unable to consolidate power, and had continually returned to ethnic fighting and tribal division. The Great Revolt of 1912 against French rule was a complete failure due to the fact that any tribal alliances created during the Great Revolt came apart within months.

A single leader, Muhammad Abd el-Krim who was a court judge previously, became the leader of the Berbers in the Rif. Having created this command and power structure, Abd el-Krim defeated the Spanish many times and drove them back to a few coastal outposts. He wanted to create a stable state for the Berbers to give them a break from the long years of fightings. Abd el-Krim sent diplomatic representatives to London and Paris to try to establish diplomatic relations with Europe. This did not work very much because the French were anxious about the growing strength of Abd el-Krim's young republic, which could in the future drive the French occupation completely out of Morocco, if it had some time to gather forces and weapons. Abd el-Krim's rhetoric was concentrating on the right for freedom for all people, a message which was't welcome by the European colonial forces.

In late 1925, the French and Spanish created a joint task force of over 400,000 men with hundreds of tanks and aircraft.Fact|date=August 2007 They attacked the new Republic territories using massive bombing some of which were German-designed chemical weapons used by the Spanish army. The Rif Republic collapsed in May of 1926.

The French intellectual groups denounced the imperialism of the French ruling classes. They associated the army and the notion of 'patrie' with the bourgeoise ruling groups.

Guerrilla elements of the army continued fighting until 1927.

External links

* [http://www.imperial-collection.net/rif_republic.html "Republic of the Rif" by The Imperial Collections]
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Morocco.htm#Rif Rif Republic by World Statesman]
* [http://www.visitrif.c.la]