| Army of Africa | |
|---|---|
| Ejército de África | |
| Active | 1912–1956 |
| Country |  Spain |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land force |
| Size | 35,000 personnel (1909) |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence of Spain (from 1937) |
| Garrison/HQ | Tétouan |
| Engagements | Second Melillan campaign Rif War Asturian miners' strike of 1934 Spanish Civil War Invasion of Val d'Aran Ifni War |
TheArmy of Africa (Spanish:Ejército de África,Arabic:الجيش الإسباني في أفريقيا,romanized: Al-Jaysh al-Isbānī fī Afriqā,Riffian;Aserdas n Tefriqt), also known as theArmy of Spanish Morocco (Spanish:Cuerpo de Ejército Marroquí'), was afield army of theSpanish Army that garrisoned theSpanish protectorate in Morocco from 1912 untilMorocco's independence in 1956.
At the start of the 20th century, theSpanish Empire'scolonial possessions in Africa comprised Morocco,Spanish Sahara,Ifni,Cape Juby andSpanish Guinea.
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Spanish Morocco was the closest Spanish colonial territory to mainland Spain and the most difficult to control. A majorMoroccan revolt against both Spanish and French colonial rule began in 1921, with the destruction of a Spanish army atAnnual. TheRif tribes were finally subdued only with difficulty by substantial Franco-Spanish forces after several years of fighting.
Spain maintained garrisons in its two Moroccan coastal enclaves ofMelilla from the fifteenth century onwards andCeuta (which despite having been Portuguese since 1415, chose to be the only Portuguese territory to side with the Spanish Empire after Portugal won back its independence in 1640 —due to the Iberian Union of 1580-1640). At different times these were made up of sailors, disciplinary companies,marine infantry, free companies and detachments from metropolitan units.[1] The Spanish Army of Africa can be said to have originated as a permanent institution with the establishment in 1893 of the Regimiento de África N° 1 (1st African Infantry Regiment).[2]
Following theMelilla Campaign of 1909–10 Spain began expanding inland from its established coastal holdings and a force of Policia Indigena (Native Police) was created with Moroccan personnel.[3] This indigenous force provided the basis for the establishment in 1911 of theRegulares - Moroccan infantry and cavalry units with Spanish officers.[4]
The Spanish Army of Africa included an indigenous light infantry force under European officers, designated as theTiradores de Ifni. In existence from 1934 to 1969, this corps was modelled on the North Africantirailleurs of the French Army.
TheSpanish Legion was formed by royal decree ofKing Alfonso XIII on 28 January 1920 as the Regiment of Foreigners.El Tercio was modeled on theFrench Foreign Legion. Its purpose was to provide a corps of professional troops to fight in Spain's colonial campaigns inNorth Africa in place of conscript units that were proving ineffective. The initial make-up of the regiment was that of a headquarters unit and three battalions known asBanderas ("banners") - an archaic 16th-century term.
By theRif War of the 1920s, the Army of Africa was composed in essence of theSpanish Legion and theRegulares; pluscazadores (Spanish infantry), artillery, engineers and support units. In total it numbered 30,000 soldiers and was the most professional and effective fighting force in the 100,000-man Spanish Army during the 1920s and 30s.[5] Indigenous infantry recruited in the enclave ofIfni (Tiradores de Ifni) from 1934 on, were also considered part of the Army of Africa. A locally recruitedgendarmerie, theMehalas de la Mehalla' Jalifiana, numbering about 5,000 men and modeled on theMoroccan Goumiers attached to theFrench Army of Africa, was established in 1923 and provided support to the regular units of the Army of Africa.
Following the conclusion of the Rif War, the garrison of Spanish Morocco was reduced to the units listed above; plus seven infantry battalions, six cavalry squadrons and six artillery batteries from mainland Spain assigned to African service on a rotation basis.[6]
The Spanish Legion and Moroccan colonial forces took part in the suppression of theAsturias miners' strike of 1934. The government decided to deploy them instead of the inexperienced peninsular troops, fearing the negative impact of conscript casualties on public opinion.[5]
The Army of Africa was to play a key part during theSpanish Civil War of 1936–1939. Along with other units in the Spanish Army, the Army of Africa rose against theSecond Spanish Republic and took part in theSpanish coup of July 1936 on the side of theNacionales. On 18 July 1936, GeneralFrancisco Franco assumed the supreme command over this force.
Spanish Morocco fell to the rebels without significant opposition. The initial intention was to transport the Army of Africa to mainland Spain by sea. However the crews of the majority of ships in the Spanish Navy had remained loyal to the Republican government,[7] overwhelming the officers who had joined the rising.[8] Between 29 July and 5 August 1936 1,500 members of the Army of Africa were accordingly transported to mainland Spain in abold airlift led byJunkers Ju 52 transport planes supplied byNazi Germany. Thefascist régime of theKingdom of Italy providedSavoia-Marchetti SM.81 bombers to provide air cover for merchant ships carrying 3,000 soldiers and equipment from Morocco on 5 August. Thereafter daily flights continued until about 8,000 Moroccans and legionaries, with supporting artillery, were gathered at Seville.[9]
After landing in Spain, the Army of Africa was split into two columns, one commanded by GeneralJuan Yagüe and the other commanded by ColonelJosé Enrique Varela. Yagüe's force advanced north, making remarkably rapid gains, and then turned north-eastwards towardsMadrid andToledo. Varela's force enteredAndalusia and took control of the key cities ofSeville,Granada, andCórdoba. Thanks mostly to the Army of Africa's advances, almost all of western Spain was in Francoist Nationalist hands by the end of September 1936. By early 1937 the Army of Africa's strength had been increased to 60,000 men. The Legion and Regulares spearheaded Nationalist operations for the remainder of the war and played a central role in theFrancoist victory.
After the end of theSpanish Civil War, the demobilization and reorganization of theFrancoist Army began. TheSpanish Army was to be composed of twenty-four infantry divisions and one cavalry division, divided into ten Army Corps. Two were deployed in the Spanish territories of North Africa (northern part of the Protectorate of Morocco, Ceuta, Melilla and minor towns):[10]
With the ending of the Civil War the Army of Africa was reduced to a peacetime establishment. However under Franco it was accorded a higher profile in Spain itself than had been the case under either monarchy or republic. During the 1940s detachments from theTiradores de Ifni garrisoned theCanary Islands, while a mountedGuardia Mora ("Moorish Guard") undertook ceremonial duties in Madrid.
The Moroccan troops returned to the Protectorate to resume their former duties as garrison and colonial troops: after two years of war they had already fulfilled the task entrusted to them and Franco sent them to the other side of the Strait. They would remain there during the years of theSecond World War, when they could be useful in the event ofSpain entering the war.
The Legion and troops of Regulares were sent to theVal d'Aran in October 1944 to repel theinvasion of the area by Spanish maquis from France.[11]
With theindependence of Morocco in 1956, most of the locally recruited Regulars were transferred to the newRoyal Army. The cities ofCeuta andMelilla and the smaller towns of Spanish sovereignty were maintained, and are still garrisoned by units of the Legion and Regulars. In the plans for theWithdrawal of the Spanish Army (10 April 1956 - 31 August 1961), as a consequence of theIndependence of Morocco, the number of Regular Infantry Forces Groups was reduced from eight to four and the two Cavalry Groups were dissolved. The Regulars had 127 Moroccan officers and 12,445 soldiers of the same nationality.[12]
FollowingMoroccan independence in 1956 the bulk of the locally recruited Regulares were transferred to the newRoyal Moroccan Army. The cities ofMelilla andCeuta, and the lesserplazas de soberanía as well, remained Spanish and are still garrisoned by Legion and Regulares units.
Ifni remained under Spanish administration until June 1969. However widespread disturbances in the territory in 1956 and theIfni War of 1957-58 led to substantial desertions amongst the indigenous rank and file of theTiradores de Ifni. Accordingly, the four tabors which made up this force underwent a process of "europeanisation" in which the majority of their personnel were recruited from Spain itself.
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