Massacre of Monte Arruit

The massacre of Monte Arruit took place on 9 August 1921 in Al Aaroui during the Rif War, when, after the July 1921 Battle of Annual, Riffian forces slaughtered most of the Spanish soldiers who had capitulated the position on that day.

History

The Riffians forces advanced quite rapidly into a number of positions following the crushing defeat of the Spanish forces at the 22 July 1918 Battle of Annual and by early August they had already taken Zeluán and Nador.[1] General Felipe Navarro had retreated to Arruit on 29 July,[2] with around 2,201 ready soldiers and 252 wounded, to which the 964 soldiers already in the garrison added.[3]

After 12 days of siege,[n. 1] General Navarro was allowed to negotiate on the surrender terms.[4] He agreed on 9 August on the delivering of the weapons in exchange for free passage.[4] However, the Riffians failed on the terms of the agreement (either from treason from the Riffian leaders who negotiated the terms or revolt from the disgruntled low-rank Riffians)[5] and most of the remaining Spanish soldiers (over 2,000)[6] were slaughtered on that day after the capitulation.[4] About 400 (or 600),[7] mostly officers—including General Navarro—were spared from the butchery to be used as ransom.[4]

The Riffian forces disobeyed orders from Abd el Krim who had extolled a good treatment of prisoners and wounded.[5]

Once after the process for recapture of the Spanish territory lost after Annual began on 10 October 1921, the troops led by General Sanjurjo who secured the position of Monte Arruit on 24 October were overmatched by the rotting stench of the corpses.[8]

References
Informational notes
  1. One of the losses during the siege was Fernando Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja who died on 5 August.
Citations
  1. Albi de la Cuesta 2016, p. 427.
  2. Albi de la Cuesta 2016, p. 411.
  3. Albi de la Cuesta 2016, p. 414.
  4. Romero Salvadó 2016, p. 247.
  5. Albi de la Cuesta 2016, p. 439.
  6. Albi de la Cuesta 2016, p. 432.
  7. Álvarez 2001, p. 47.
  8. Álvarez 2001, p. 54.
Bibliography
  • Albi de la Cuesta, Julio (2016). En torno a Annual (PDF). Madrid: Ministerio de Defensa. ISBN 978-84-9091-143-3.
  • Álvarez, José E. (2001). The Betrothed of Death: The Spanish Foreign Legion During the Rif Rebellion, 1920-1927: The Spanish Foreign Legion During the Rif Rebellion, 1920-1927. Wesport, CT & London: Greenwood Publishing. ISBN 0-313-30697-4.
  • Romero Salvadó, Francisco J. (2016) [2008]. The Foundations of Civil War: Revolution, Social Conflict and Reaction in Liberal Spain, 1916–1923. London & New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-39603-5.
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