The role of the Spanish Foreign Legion from its inception in 1920 to the start of the Rif Rebellion through to the pacification of the Protectorate in 1927 is examined. Particular focus will be given to why the Legion was created, the organization of the Legion within the Army, and the impact it had in reconquering the territory lost after the Annual disaster. Emphasis is placed on the vital need at the time in the Protectorate for "shock troops" capable of fighting the "natives" on their own terms as well as reducing the growing number of Spanish reservists and conscripts that were perishing in the pacification of the Protectorate. Particular consideration is given to the personalities who forged together this unlikely group of volunteers into an elite fighting force and led them in the most important battles of the Riffian War. In the first three chapters, the Legion's creation and first campaigns will be examined, as well as the Annual disaster and its aftermath. Chapters four through eight will cover the middle years of the Rif Rebellion while focusing on the actions and changes which occurred within the Legion: the retreat from Xauen, the Alhucemas Bay landings, and the end of the Moroccan War will be given special attention. Also examined is the debate within Spain at the time between the abandonistas and the africanistas both in the Army and the civilian population over the continuation of the Protectorate. Furthermore, the disastrous campaign waged by ineffective generals, who employed outdated tactics and allowed corruption to destroy the Army in the Protectorate from within, will be touched upon. Lastly, the Regulares who joined the Legion as the "spearhead" of the reconquest of the lost territory, will be examined as the cradle of the coterie of generals who saved the second Republic from a Soviet-style revolution in 1934 (Asturias), but rose up against it in 1936 touching off the bloody Spanish Civil War. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-08, Section: A, page: 3268. / Major Professor: Peter P. Garretson. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77523 |
| Contributors | Alvarez, Jose Eusebio., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 419 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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