The
Rif War, also called the
Second Moroccan War, was fought in the early 1920s between the colonial power
Spain (later joined by
France) and the
Berbers of the
Rif mountainous region. Led by
Abd al-Karim, the Riffians at first inflicted several defeats on the Spanish forces by using
guerrilla tactics and captured European weapons. After France's entry into the conflict and the massive landing of Spanish troops at
Al Hoceima, el-Karim surrendered to the French and was taken into exile. Despite victory, controversy in Spain over the conduct of the war led to a military coup by General
Miguel Primo de Rivera in 1923 and foreshadowed the
Spanish Civil War of 1936–39.