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The Rif War between Spain and the Rif Republic gave rise to a young Spanish officer named Francisco Franco – who later would become Spanish dictator. After Spain had almost lost the war against the Rifi people, they got help from France and WW1 hero Philippe Pétain.

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» SOURCES
Álvarez, José E., The Betrothed of Death: The Spanish Foreign Legion During the Rif Rebellion, 1920-1927, (Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2001)

Balfour, Sebastian & La Porte, Pablo, “Spanish Military Cultures and the Moroccan
Wars, 1909–36”, European History Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 3, (2000)

Chandler, James M. “Spain and Her Moroccan Protectorate 1898 – 1927”, Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 10, No. 2, (1975)

Harris, Walter B,. France, Spain and the Rif, (London : Edward Arnold & Co., 1927)

Maddy-Weitzman, Bruce, “Abdelkrim: Whose Hero is He? The Politics of Contested Memory in Today’s Morocco”, The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 2, (2012)

Pack, Sasha D, The Deepest Border : The Strait of Gibraltar and the Making of the Modern Hispano-African Borderland, (Stanford, CA : Stanford University Press, 2019)

Pennell, C R, A Country with a Government and a Flag: the Rif War in Morocco, 1921-1926, (Wisbech : Middle East and North African Studies Press Ltd, 1986)

Pennell, C R, “Ideology and Practical Politics: A Case Study of the Rif War in Morocco, 1921-1926”, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, (1982)

Peyron, Michael, The Berbers of Morocco: A History of Resistance, (London : Bloomsbury, 2020)

Sangster, Andrew, Probing the Enigma of Franco, (Cambridge : Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018)

Woolman, David S. Rebels in the Rif: Abd el Krim and the Rif Rebellion, (Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1969)

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The Spanish Rif War, also known as the Moroccan War, was a conflict that took place between 1921 and 1926 in Northern Morocco. It was fought between the Spanish and the Rif tribes who wanted to establish an independent state in the region.

The war began in 1921 when the Spanish launched a surprise attack on the Rif tribes. The Rifians, under the leadership of their charismatic leader Abdelkrim El Khattabi, put up a fierce resistance against the Spanish. The Rifians used guerrilla tactics to inflict heavy losses on the Spanish forces, which were ill-prepared and poorly equipped.

However, the tide of the war turned in favor of the Spanish in 1924 when General Francisco Franco, one of the rising stars of the Spanish military, was sent to lead the Spanish troops. Franco, a gifted strategist and a charismatic leader, quickly asserted his authority and turned the tide of the war in favor of the Spanish.

Under Franco’s leadership, the Spanish army adopted new tactics and strategies that enabled them to defeat the Rifians. Franco’s leadership was characterized by ruthlessness and brutality, and the Spanish troops committed atrocities against the Rifians, including the use of chemical weapons.

The war ended in 1926 when the Spanish army captured and executed Abdelkrim El Khattabi. The war had a profound impact on the Spanish military and society. Franco emerged as a hero and a rising star in the Spanish military, and his success in the Rif War paved the way for his rise to power.

The Rise of Franco – The Spanish Rif War 1921-1926 is a 4K documentary that tells the story of the war and Franco’s rise to power. The documentary is a fascinating insight into a little-known conflict and provides a window into the early career of one of the most controversial figures in 20th-century European history.

The documentary uses rare archival footage and interviews with historians and experts to provide a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the war and its aftermath. It explores the motivations of the Spanish and the Rifians and the tactics and strategies of both sides.

The documentary also provides a nuanced portrait of Franco, highlighting his military genius and ruthlessness, as well as his political ambition and authoritarian tendencies. It shows how the war shaped his worldview and paved the way for his rise to power.

Overall, The Rise of Franco – The Spanish Rif War 1921-1926 is a must-watch for anyone interested in 20th-century European history. It is a fascinating and insightful look at a little-known conflict that had a profound impact on Spain and the world.