The First Melillan Campaign, also called the Melilla War or the Margallo War (after
Juan García y Margallo, the
Spanish governor of Melilla whose defeat and death infuriated the Spanish public) in Spain, was a conflict between Spain and the
Riffian tribes of northeastern
Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
, and later the
Sultan of Morocco
This is a list of rulers of Morocco since 789. The common and formal titles of these rulers has varied, depending on the time period. Since 1957, the designation King has been used.
The present King of Morocco is Mohammed VI of Morocco, Mohammed ...
, that began in October 1893, was openly declared November 9, 1893, and was resolved by the
Treaty of Fez in 1894.
Historical situation
The
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...
captured the citadel of Melilla in 1497. In the 19th century Spain moved into the outlying territories and began investing in their economic development. Treaties with Morocco in 1859, 1860, and 1861 consolidated Spain's growing interests. Although Spain enjoyed the compliance of the Moroccan government, tensions flared between
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century.
The Spanish Army has existed ...
patrols and the local
Riffian tribes that were hostile to Spain, and over whom the Sultan had practically no control.
Riffian raiding and piracy was widely reported in the Spanish press and produced the occasional sensational incident. In the early 1890s the Riffians captured a Spanish merchant vessel and abducted its crew; a small rescue expedition headed by the
Spanish cruiser ''Isla de Luzon'' concluded that the captives had been sold into slavery. Over the summer of 1893 a period of renewed agitation by the locals enabled García y Magallo to secure the funds for the expansion of fortifications surrounding the city. Construction was pushed forward as fast as possible, the main effort being to erect new
redoubt
A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...
s at ''Peuta de Cabiza'' and ''Punta Dolossos''.
Siege of Melilla
After a period of escalating violence the war began in earnest on October 3 when 6,000 Riffian warriors armed with
Remington rifles descended from the mountains and attacked the city's garrison of 400 regular infantry. The Spaniards fought a bloody daylong battle without relief, losing 21 dead and 100 wounded, while the citizens of Melilla fled to the citadel. Although a civilian corps was organized to aid in the defence, the weight of the attackers, whose ranks were swelled by tribesmen from the hills, compelled the last of the defenders to retire to the fortress.
Lacking any form of heavy weaponry, the Riffians tried to take the citadel by storm, charging up the road ways and scaling the walls. Foreign observers described it as an act of gallant fury, but doomed to failure. The Spaniards held the ramparts with the bayonet and their gunfire swept the attackers from the walls. For the first time, Spanish soldiers wielded their formidable
7 mm Mauser Model 1893
The Mauser Model 1893 is a bolt-action rifle commonly referred to as the Spanish Mauser, though the model was adopted by other countries in other calibers, most notably the Ottoman Empire. The M1893 was based on the experimental M1892 rifle, whi ...
's, made famous a few years later at the
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill (), also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Span ...
. 160 Riffians died. Spanish
artillery
Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
was brought forward and used to good effect to bombard the Riffian assembling in neighbouring villages, but when an unlucky cannonade demolished a
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
outside of the city, the Riffian effort took on the character of a
jihad
''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...
. Riffians across the province, whatever their earlier sympathies, rushed to arms against Spain. By October 5 the native force numbered perhaps 12,000, some reports putting its strength as high as 20,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry.
Spanish response
News of the attack brought war fever to Spain. The government dispatched the
ironclad
An ironclad was a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by iron armour, steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or ince ...
''Numancia'' and two
gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-steam ...
s stationed at
Málaga
Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
, put the
fleet on alert, and mobilized the Army of Andalusia for service abroad. Newspapers and patriotic citizens of every stripe clamoured for vengeance at whatever cost in blood or treasure. The troops mobilizing to bolster Melilla's garrison, initially numbering about 3,000, received in many cities ceremonies and ovations from the populace as they moved to the ports.
From the outset
Sultan Hassan recognized Spanish grievances and reaffirmed Spain's right to pursue construction of field works for its own protection. However, his reluctance to cooperate in pacifying his own subjects infuriated the
Spanish government
The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain.
The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...
and people, who found themselves committed to military operations far exceeding their modest
financial
Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...
resources, on account, they believed, of Moroccan negligence.
The crisis
On October 4 the ironclad ''
Numancia'' shelled several villages along the coast. An artillery detachment from
Málaga
Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
arrived in Melilla that same day. For several weeks the situation stagnated. Juan García y Magallo, Governor of Melilla and commander of the Spanish forces, issued an ineffective
ultimatum
An ; ; : ultimata or ultimatums) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a coercion, threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the ...
while the Sultan dispatched a contingent of regular troops under
Baja-el-Arbi to restore the situation, without success. Skirmishes were fought at forts ''Camellos'' and ''San Lorenzo''. When the Riffians tore down the forts they'd captured, Margallo deployed small parties of infantry and workmen to throw up new
earthworks at forts ''
Cabrerizas'' and ''Rostro Gordo'', under cover of the Spanish batteries.
On October 22 the gunboat
''Conde de Venadito'' steamed to the mouth of the
Río de Oro, anchored there, and turned her
Hotchkiss guns on the Riffians. The ship hurled 31
shells at the Riffian trenches and returned to Melilla's harbour without sustaining any damage. 5,000 Riffians in turn made a heavy attack on the heights of ''Sidi Guariach'' on October 27 and, despite again running afoul the guns of the ''Venadito'' and the Spanish batteries, drove General Margallo and General Ortega back into the citadel and seized their half-finished field works.
Margallo's sortie
To dislodge the Riffians from the works near ''Cabrerizas'' and ''Rostro Gordo'' Margallo rode out on October 28 at the head of a column of 2,000 men. The Riffians in the trenches numbered about 3,000 men; both sides fought with courage but the Rif warriors held the line while their main body flocked 6,000 reinforcements to the battle. With this numerical superiority the Rif fighters extended their line in an attempt to envelop Margallo's Spaniards. The general, thinking he saw the enemy centre weaken, led a charge against the Riffian trenches and was thrown back with heavy losses.
Margallo sounded a retreat. He was shot dead moments later and his detachment collapsed. The Spanish Army admitted to at least 70 men killed and 122 wounded that day; actual losses were probably much higher. Only General Ortega's rearguard actions kept the retreat from becoming a rout.
News of the disaster, coupled with Ortega's
telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...
s, convinced the
Cabinet to send out an additional three regiments of cavalry and four
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
s of infantry that day. The next morning, October 29, Ortega led 3,000 men out of ''Cabrerizas'' and swept the Riffians from their ruined trenches.
Among the survivors of Margallo's last sortie was a young
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
named
Miguel Primo de Rivera
Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, 2nd Marquis of Estella, Grandee, GE (8 January 1870 – 16 March 1930), was a Spanish dictator and military officer who ruled as prime minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930 during the last years of the Resto ...
. Army investigations later revealed that Margallo had made a small fortune
embezzling guns and materiel from the army and selling them for profit to the locals. Ironically, the Rif warriors may have shot him using the firearms that he had sold to them.
Stalemate

Early November found the besieged locked in a desperate struggle for survival. Large Rif forces held the beaches, frustrating the Spanish Navy's efforts to disembark horses, troops, and supplies. The Rif expanded their trenches around the city and set up fortified camps, blocking off all communication between the citadel and the outlying forts and destroying the roads between them. Only the desperate fighting of nighttime sorties kept the outposts supplied with water, rations, and munitions.
Still the defenders held out and heavy fire from the fortress checked Rif advances and kept the town clear of invaders. Spanish retaliation often took gruesome turns: convicts and
penal labour
Penal labour is a term for various kinds of forced labour that prisoners are required to perform, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence involving penal labour have included in ...
ers were assembled into
search and destroy
Seek and destroy (also known as search and destroy, or S&D) is a military strategy which consists of inserting infantry forces into hostile territory and directing them to search and then attack enemy targets before immediately withdrawing. Fi ...
units led by army officers and crept out into the night to ambush Rif patrols. These units both terrified the Rif and captured the imagination of the foreign press with their conspicuous courage and brutality.
At the various forts activity continued without pause: the defenders had no lack of building materials,
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
s, and manual labourers and managed to continue constructing their redoubts even while under siege. The Spanish lost 12 officers and 100 men during the month, while Rif losses were fixed at 500 dead, mostly from bombardment.
Relief and peace
With the arrival of the
armoured cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a pre-dreadnought battles ...
s
''Alfonso XII'' and ''Isla de Luzon'', Spain began to apply its naval power to full effect, subjecting the Rif to incessant and untiring bombardment from the coast. On November 6 Spain's naval guns forced a request for parley from the shot-torn Rif. When the Rif proved unwilling to surrender these cannonades were repeated nightly by
searchlight, marking the first battlefield use of the device.
At home, Spain's sometimes lethargic military machinery was being brought up to speed in response to Margallo's military reverses, and began to produce visible results for Margallo's successor, General Macias. By the middle of the month, he had received sufficient forces to keep the Rif in check and rebuild Melilla's outer defences. General
Martínez-Campos steamed for Melilla on November 27 with 7,000 reinforcements, bringing the total men committed to the war to two
Army Corps. In April 1894, Martínez de Campos was appointed Ambassador to Morocco in addition to his military command, and negotiated peace directly with the Sultan.
Aftermath
European
powers watched Spain's campaigns against the Rif closely.
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, seeking an ally for its own designs on the region, encouraged
Spanish territorial expansion at the expense of Morocco. Spain, however, was largely uninterested in an
African empire and cautious not to break treaties with the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(which viewed any acquisition of territory along the
Straits of Gibraltar with alarm). The Spanish therefore demanded only token territorial concessions from the Sultan. This did not discourage French ambitions, however, and in 1912 the
Treaty of Fez divided Morocco into
French and
Spanish protectorates.
As a result of the war, Melilla was granted its own branch of the ''
Guardia Civil'', Spain's
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
.
See also
*
Tetuán War
*
Second Melillan campaign
*
Kert campaign
Sources
*
External links
Rif War 1893-1894*
Las Guerras de Marruecos
{{Franco-Spanish conquest of Morocco
Conflicts in 1893
Conflicts in 1894
Melillan, First campaign
19th century in Morocco
Morocco–Spain military relations
1893 in Africa
1894 in Africa
History of Melilla
1893 in Morocco
1894 in Morocco
African resistance to colonialism