Spain’s Use of Chemical Weapons in the Rif War (1921–1927)

Spain’s Use of Chemical Weapons in the Rif War (1921–1927)

Between 1921 and 1927, the Rifian people in northern Morocco waged one of the fiercest resistance movements against European colonialism, led by the Mujahid Abd el-Krim al-Khattabi, who succeeded in uniting the Rifian tribes and inflicting a crushing defeat on the Spanish army at the Battle of Annual in 1921.

However, after this defeat, the course of the war changed.

As the resistance expanded and Spanish forces proved unable to achieve a military victory through conventional means, Spain resorted to more lethal weapons, including chemical weapons.

A collection of testimonies, documents, and historical studies indicates that the Spanish army used mustard gas and other poisonous gases against areas of the Moroccan Rif, including aerial bombardment, in an attempt to destroy the resistance and force the population to surrender.

The use of these weapons began during the 1920s. Historical sources indicate that mustard gas was dropped from aircraft in 1924, before the signing of the Geneva Protocol of 1925, which prohibited the use of asphyxiating, poisonous, or similar gases in warfare, as well as bacteriological methods.

The use of these weapons was not necessarily random. Some studies indicate that the bombardments targeted populated areas, leaving civilians, alongside fighters, exposed to the effects of these gases.

Spain had also developed its capacity to manufacture chemical weapons in facilities within the country, including the La Marañosa facility near Madrid. It was associated with the company Fábrica Nacional de Productos Químicos, whose establishment was linked to the German chemist Hugo Stoltzenberg, who had previously been connected to German chemical-weapons programs.

Despite attempts to conceal these operations, the testimonies of several Spanish pilots and military personnel remained as evidence of what had occurred.

In his memoir La vida y yo (Life and I), Spanish pilot Pedro Tonda Bueno discussed the use of aircraft to deploy poisonous gases and their effects on areas of the Rif. Pilot Ignacio Hidalgo de Cisneros also referred in his memoir Cambio de rumbo (Changing Course) to incidents related to the use of chemical weapons during the war.

In 1990, German researchers Rudibert Kunz and Rolf-Dieter Müller published their book Giftgas gegen Abd el Krim: Deutschland, Spanien und der Gaskrieg in Spanisch-Marokko, 1922–1927 (Poison Gas Against Abd el-Krim: Germany, Spain, and the Gas War in Spanish Morocco, 1922–1927), in which they collected and examined a body of evidence and documents concerning the use of chemical weapons during the war.

British historian Sebastian Balfour also addressed the issue in his book Deadly Embrace, after examining Spanish, French, and British archives. He concluded that the use of chemical weapons was widespread and that the bombardments did not target fighters alone, but also affected populated areas.

There are also references in British diplomatic documents to the use of poisonous gases during the war, including a telegram sent by the British official H. Bough Lloyd to the British Secretary of State for War.

Note: The figures and estimates mentioned in historical accounts vary considerably depending on the source, methodology, and available evidence. They should therefore be treated as estimates rather than definitive numbers.

u/Temporary-Crew1026 — 1 day ago

The German “Jerry Can”: The Simple Fuel Container That Revolutionized WWII Logistics

It may look like nothing more than a metal can…

But it is considered one of the most important German innovations that enabled Germany to wage World War II—and, according to some accounts, helped bring it close to victory.

Hitler understood that the most dangerous weakness in the “Blitzkrieg” (lightning war) strategy was fuel.

Panzer tanks required enormous quantities of it to keep advancing rapidly.

So an order was given to design a fuel container that was small, strong, easy to carry and pour from, and capable of minimizing fuel wastage during combat.

Thus emerged the “Jerry Can,” developed by the Müller engineering company in Schwelm in 1937.

By the beginning of the war in 1939, the Germans had already prepared thousands of them.

It had three handles, allowing one person to carry two cans, or making it easy to pass them from one person to another in human chains.

It had a capacity of around 20 liters and weighed approximately 20 kg when full.

Its design was packed with clever details:

An air chamber at the top allowed it to float if it fell into water—even if it had been dropped from an aircraft.

Its short spout required neither a funnel nor a separate opener. The closure was integrated into the design, allowing fuel to be poured easily without excessive spillage.

There was also a vent tube between the spout and the air chamber, ensuring a smooth flow as the fuel was poured out.

Inside, it was coated with a water-resistant plastic material, originally developed for coating steel beer barrels. This allowed the container to be used safely for carrying either fuel or water.

Even the cross-shaped pressed lines on its sides were not merely decorative. They strengthened the container and allowed it to accommodate expansion as its contents expanded.

All of that… in what looks like nothing more than a simple fuel can.

u/Temporary-Crew1026 — 2 days ago

The living skeleton

In the 19th century, a man appeared whom people called “the Living Skeleton.”

His name was Isaac Sprague. He was born in the United States and appeared normal during childhood, but from the age of twelve his body began to lose weight strangely and continuously, without doctors knowing the reason.

He reached a height of about 168 cm (5 ft 6 in), while at one point in his life his weight fell to only about 19.5 kg (43 lb)!

Imagine an adult of that height weighing less than 20 kilograms!

Sprague became a curiosity who attracted people who came to see him. He traveled with circus shows around the United States and became famous as “The Living Skeleton.”

Even more strangely, Sprague said that his appetite was normal and that he ate like other people, yet his body continued to lose weight.

u/Temporary-Crew1026 — 3 days ago

A Man Claimed to Be Jesus’ Younger Brother. It Led to One of History’s Deadliest Wars.

One of the strangest and bloodiest wars of the 19th century:

It began with a man who believed, as he claimed, that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, and ended with the deaths of around 30 million people.

The Taiping Rebellion in China broke out between 1850 and 1864. It is widely regarded as one of the bloodiest civil wars in history, with the most commonly cited estimates suggesting that around 30 million people died.

But the story behind the rebellion itself is even stranger than the staggering death toll.

Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全) was an ambitious man who repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, which were the main pathway to government positions in China.

After suffering a serious illness and experiencing visions, he later encountered Protestant Christian missionary literature. He interpreted his visions as evidence that he was the younger son of God (Allah is far above what they attribute to Him) and the younger brother of Jesus Christ, and that his mission was to save China from “demons.”

From there, his religious movement gradually transformed into an armed rebellion against the Qing Dynasty.

His followers attracted huge numbers of impoverished peasants. In 1853, they captured the city of Nanjing (南京), made it their capital, and renamed it Tianjing (天京), meaning “Heavenly Capital.”

Hong declared the establishment of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace (太平天国). His followers introduced a radical religious and social system that included communal land distribution, the prohibition of drugs, opposition to certain traditional customs, and strict separation between men and women.

However, the war eventually became one of the greatest catastrophes in Chinese history.

Battles, massacres, famine, and disease devastated vast areas of the country. Qing forces fought a long and extremely bloody campaign to reclaim the territories controlled by the Taiping.

At various stages of the conflict, Qing forces also received military support from Western powers.

In 1864, Qing forces besieged Nanjing, bringing the Taiping regime to an end with the fall of the city.

According to commonly cited estimates, around 30 million people died during the conflict and its aftermath, although the exact number cannot be determined because population records from that period were incomplete.

For comparison, this death toll makes the Taiping Rebellion deadlier than World War I in terms of total deaths, even though World War I was a much broader international conflict.

Note: The exact figures may vary between historical sources, especially regarding the total number of deaths, because reliable records from that period are incomplete. The numbers mentioned here are therefore estimates. However, the main point of the post remains the same.

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u/Temporary-Crew1026 — 3 days ago

Germany in 1939

A photo from Germany in 1939:

“Two women from the cleaning staff, while washing their Lord with a water hose lying on the stairs of a church in Leipzig…!!!!”

u/Temporary-Crew1026 — 4 days ago
▲ 23 r/casio

My first Casio

Got it from fb market place in $40; is it worth?!

It just need a lil buff on screen.

u/Temporary-Crew1026 — 6 days ago

Need advice: Best camera phone under 60K (Non-PTA)

​

Hey everyone,

I'm a bit confused about which phone to get under PKR 60,000. I'm currently using a Galaxy A32, and I plan to keep it as my main phone since it still handles all my daily tasks perfectly.

The only reason I'm upgrading is for a flagship-level camera, so I'm looking for a non-PTA device with the best possible camera performance.

These are the phones I'm considering:

- Galaxy S21 Ultra

- Galaxy S22+

- Galaxy S23

- Pixel 7

I can stretch my budget a little if it's worth it.

My main priority is camera quality (photos and videos), but I wouldn't mind better battery life and overall performance too.

Which one would you recommend, or is there any better option in this price range?

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u/Temporary-Crew1026 — 1 month ago