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The Republic of the Rif (full name: The Confederal Republic of the Tribes of the Rif), (Amazigh: Tagduda n Arif, Arabic: 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.citation needed 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.
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