My war in Morocco: Prelude to the Spanish Civil War of 1936

... marching with our squadron in a line formation, we made a left turn and then a hard stop in a ravine; shortly after, the better mounted officers took the lead and went up a slope. We then marched three hundred meters from where the rest of the force remained, we were ferociously attacked by a large enemy force. Cpt. Despujol, Lt. Sáenz de Tejada and I, Lt. Martínez, responded with our pistols, causing many casualties to the rebels… 31st March 1924, Midar, Morocco The Second Moroccan War (1921-1927) is known as the conflict where Spain had to defend its Protectorate in Morocco, in the region known as the Rif, from a violent insurrection led by local tribal (kabyle) leader Mohamed ben Abd el Krim el Khattaby. It was the last war Spain has had to fight (on its own) outside its borders, and, despite the attrition, it emerged victorious on the battlefield. Cavalry officer Sáenz de Tejada is the main “character witness” in the historical review of this armed conflict that still resonates with many in Spain. This book relies on military archives and twenty-four of letters written by Sáenz de Tejada, many of them from the front, to give the reader a first-hand perspective of Spanish life and the frontline in the Rif.