HISTORY:
** Morocco in the 1920s was divided between two expansionist ‘protecting powers’ – Spain in the north and France in the south. In July 1921, the Spanish suffered some 13,000 casualties - including 8,000 dead – and lost a mass of artillery and other weapons when hitherto intermittent Berber resistance erupted in an unprecedented pan-tribal uprising. Under the direction of charismatic leader Abd el Krim, the Berber tribesmen held off later campaigns headed by Tercio (Foreign Legion) and native Regulares, culminating in a Spanish strategic retreat in late 1924.
The tide turned in 1925, when el Krim made the fatal error of attacking French territory, drawing massive French reinforcements and prompting Franco-Spanish counter-offensives that would finally crush the uprising in May 1926. This fascinating new study takes a close look at a colonial conflict that astonished the world with its scale and ferocity. Rare photographs and newly commissioned artwork complement examinations of weapons, equipment and uniforms, enhancing the story of the challenge posed to two occupying armies by a tribal leader whose name is still honoured throughout North Africa. **
** Quoted from the back cover of the book.
THE BOOK:
Osprey Publications has released The Rif War 1921–26, Morocco's Berber Uprising as Number 257 in their Elite series. It is a soft cover book with 64 pages and is the standard Osprey Publishing size of 7 1/4 x 9 3/4 inches. Included with the text are black and white photographs, color illustrations, detailed captions, maps and more. It has a 2024 copyright, a publication date of October 22, 2024, and the ISBN is 978-1-4728-6247-1.
THE CONTENTS:
- Historical Background
- Spanish Forces, 1909-21
- Peninsular forces
- The Regulares
- The Tercio
- Operations, 1909-21
- The East, 1909-12
- Forces
- Operations: The Gurugu, 1909
- The river Kert, 1911-12
- The West, 1911-21
- Annual, 1921
- Silvestre’s advance
- Collapse
- The cost
- Aftermath, 1921-24
- Tizzi Azza and Tifarauin
- Armoured units
- 1923-24: Primo de Rivera’s retreat in the west
- Spanish air power
- Abd El Krim’s Zenith, 1924-25
- Political status
- Rifian forces
- Weapons
- Abd El Krim’s Gamble, April 1925
- French precautions
- La Coloniale and l’Armée d’Afrique
- Shock attacks, April-May 1925
- French air power
- Central and western fronts, May-July 1925
- Eastern front, June-July 1925
- Enter Pétain, July-August 1925
- Reinforcement and ‘re-articulation’
- Coordinated Operations, September-October 1925
- Planning
- Kudia Tahar
- The Alhucemas landings
- French counter-offensive
- The Final Offensive, May 1926
- Planning and forces
- Operations
- The end
- Select Bibliography
- Index
THE TEXT:
Authors Philip Jowett and Martin Windrow have written an excellent history about the fighting that took place between Spanish and French forces and the forces of the Republic of the Rif during what would become to be known as the Rif War, Morocco’s Berber Uprising, during the years of 1921 through 1926. The authors have done an excellent job of detailing and discussing The Rif War in a well written and easy to follow and understand manner. The text goes into very specific detail in all areas of the book as outlined on the contents page, please refer to the contents listing that I have provided for the areas that are covered through the book. The Osprey Publishing website states that the contents list shown with the book listing is “subject to confirmation”. The contents listing I have provided has been quoted from the book and is accurate. The authors discuss specifics of the military operations, as listed in the contents listing, and provide details for all of them such as the make up of the military commands including the numbers of combatants, the numbers of specific military ranks and the numbers of each type of military specification such as rifle troops, machinegun troops, buglers and mule handlers and whether they were full-time military members or military reservists. Also detailed is how combatants were recruited for duty with the Republic of the Rif by techniques such as religious inspiration, promises of victories and loot as well as coercion. The types of military tactics employed and their success and failures and what led to them in each of the discussed campaigns are also well covered and detailed such as the hit-and run tactics of the Rif forces and the successes of that as well as their tendency to not hold onto areas where they defeated their enemy, instead they looted and departed the area before a counterattack could take place. The ages of the military troops, the locations and times of day when battles took place and types of fortifications used such as trench systems are also well detailed. Information is also provided on the types of weapons employed by both sides of the conflict such as rifles and machineguns, artillery, armor and aircraft. The text in the book is nicely written and well detailed. As I read through the text, I didn’t notice any errors with the spelling or grammar. Correct spelling and grammar might not be an important factor to everyone; however, it is something that I take notice of and pass on my findings. Philip Jowett and Martin Windrow provide a wealth of information in the text and did not use what I refer to as fluff writing where a large amount of non-essential extra text is provided just to help fill the pages. As a reader that knew nothing of the Rif War, Morocco’s Berber Uprising, I found myself to be well informed on the subject upon finishing this book. Anyone wanting to add an excellent reference and history book on the Rif War, Morocco’s Berber Uprising, during the years of 1921 through 1926 to their personal library will be pleased with this very informative and well written book.
THE PHOTOGRAPHS:
A total of 53 black and white photographs are included in this volume. This volume contains no color photographs. The photographs range from wide angle photographs to close-up detailed photographs. They are a combination of in-action photographs, photographs removed from motion pictures to photographs that have been staged for the photographer. The majority of the photographs are clear and easily viewable; however, a few have an out-of-focus look to them and some appear to be too dark, and others appear too light. This is typical for photographs from this period in history and consideration needs to be given to the fact that most of the photographs are over one hundred years old and the quality of the photographs is of no fault of the author and do not take anything away from the book. The photographs include subjects such as military members from both sides of the conflict, various types of uniforms, both dress and combat, civilian clothing, several types of small arms such as handguns and rifles, artillery pieces and ammunition caissons, French tanks and aircraft, horses and various items of horse tack. The authors Philip Jowett and Martin Windrow stuck to the title of the book and chose subject specific photographs and did not include photographs that strayed from the main subject. The majority, if not all, of the photographs will prove to be excellent reference material for the military historian, the military uniform and smalls arms enthusiast as well as the armor, artillery and aviation enthusiasts and scale modelers will benefit from the excellent photographs as will anyone that is interested in the Rif War, Morocco’s Berber Uprising, during the years of 1921 through 1926.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS:
There are 8 plates featuring a total of 24 color illustrations included in the volume by illustrator Mark Stacey.
There are captions on the preceding pages before the pages containing the illustrations that provide well written and detailed information specific to each of the individuals shown such as their names, ages, military rank, military unit, the uniform and accoutrements such as medals they are wearing, weapons, their individual histories, dates, etc. The illustrations will prove to be valuable to the scale figure modeler as well as anyone interested in the Rif War, Morocco’s Berber Uprising, during the years of 1921 through 1926.
The illustrations are all very well done, nicely detailed and are of:
Plate A
Spanish Troops, 1921
1. Cabo, Regimiento de Infanteria de Linea No 42 Ceriñola
2. General de Brigada Manuel Fernández Silvestre, GOC Melilla Command
3. Cazador, Regimiento de Cazadores de Caballeria No 14 Alcántara
Plate B
Policia Indigena & Regulares, 1921-25 (See included scan)
1. Ascari, Policia Indigena; Tifaraouin, August 1923
2. Soldado, Grupo de Regulares No 3 de Ceuta; Melilla, autumn 1921
3. Spanish Capitán, II/ Grupo de Regulares No 2 de Melilla; Tetuán front, September 1925
Plate C
Spanish Troops, 1923-24
1. Artillero, 4a Regimiento Ligero de Artilleria, 1923
2. Teniente, Regimiento de Cazadores de Caballeria No 22 Victoria Eugenia; Xaouen, 1924
3. Cabo, Tercio de Extranjeros, 1924
Plate D
Berber Warriors, 1921-26
1. Berber tribal levy, 1921
2. Rifleman, Abd el Krim’s Rifian bodyguard, 1924-25
3. Rifian regular artilleryman, 1925-26
Plate E
Berber Warriors, 1923-26
1. Caid of tribal levies, 1923
2. Rifian standard-bearer, May 1926
3. Regulares deserter weapons-instructor, 1924
Plate F
French Troupes Coloniales & D'Afrique, 1925
1. Fusil-mitrailleur, 1 er Régiment de Tirailleurs Sénégalais du Marac
2. Fusilier-grenadier, II/ Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale du Maroc, GM Freydenberg
3. Tirailleur, 19e Bataillon de Marche de Tirailleurs Algériens; GM Colombat
Plate G
French Troupes D'Afrique & Aviation Militare, 1925-26 (See included scan)
1. Sergent, II/ 1er Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie; GM Colombat, 1925
2. Lieutenant navagant, 37e Régiment d'Aviation d'Observation, 1925
3. Lieutenant 2e Régiment de Zouaves; Division Marocaine, Groupement Taza, 1926
Plate H
Personalities
1. Comandante Francisco Franco Bahamonde, Tercio de Extranjeros; Tizi Azza, October 1922
2. Commandant/ Chef de batallion Zinovi Pechkoff; 3e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 1926
3. Lieutenant Henri de Bournazel (‘L'Homme Rouge’); 22e Régiment de Saphis Marocains, detached to 16e Goum, 1925-26
Note: There is a note (errata) on page 2 stating that the interior of the chilabas, visible when the hoods are thrown back, should match the exterior colours and striping. It also states that the errors are the responsibility of Martin Windrow, not of the illustrator Mark Stacey. The error with the coloring of the interior of the hoods can be seen in the figure in blue, labeled as 1, in the scan that I have provided of Plate B.
THE CAPTIONS:
The captions are well written and explain the accompanying photographs and illustrations in great detail eliminating any doubt as to what is shown. The captions go into very specific detail as to the specific individuals shown and their military rank and military unit they are assigned to, the types of uniforms and accoutrements such as medals they are wearing, equipment carried and used, small arms, armor, aircraft, artillery, dates and locations and other such pertinent information. I was impressed with Philip Jowett and Martin Windrow’s captions as they are very helpful to the reader due to their detailed content as opposed to other captions that I have seen that are very brief and lacking in detail.
THE MAPS:
There are 2 black and white maps included in this volume. The first map includes a key when the second map does not have a key. Both maps show the locations of the combatants on both sides of the war.
The maps are of:
- Northern Morocco, c. 1909-21 (See included scan)
- Northern Morocco, c. 1921-26; (detail) Oued Ouergha front, 1925-26
INFORMATIONAL CHARTS:
There is one informational chart included in this volume and it provides information on:
- Abbreviations in the text
CONCLUSION:
As with the other Osprey Publishing titles I was impressed with this book. This is a very nice reference book that contains a well written informative text, many subject specific photographs and illustrations, well detailed captions and more, all detailing the Rif War, Morocco’s Berber Uprising, during the years of 1921 through 1926. As with the other Osprey Publishing titles, I have no hesitation recommending this book to others as it will be a welcome addition to one’s personal reference library.
Osprey Publishing also offers The Rif War 1921–26, Morocco's Berber Uprising as:
Ebook (Epub & Mobi) ISBN: 978-1-4728- 6248-8
and
Ebook (PDF) ISBN: 978-1-4728- 6245-7
Osprey Publishing’s, The Rif War 1921–26, Morocco's Berber Uprising is also available as a Kindle version through Amazon.
PRICE:
UK £14.99 / US $21.00 / CAN $28.00
This book was provided to me by Osprey Publishing. Please be sure to mention that you saw the book reviewed here on the KitMaker Network when you make your purchase. Thank you.