The Battle of Annual was fought on 22 July 1921 at Annual, in northeastern Morocco, between the Spanish Army and Rifian Berbers during the Rif War. The Spanish suffered a major military defeat, which is almost always referred to by the Spanish as the Disaster of Annual () which is widely considered to be the worst defeat suffered by the modern Spanish Army. It led to major political crises, the fall of several governments, a military dictatorship, the abdication of King Alfonso XIII and a complete redefinition of Spanish colonial policy toward the Rif as the entire Spanish colonial enterprise was at one point threatened. Background In early 1921, Spanish forces commanded by General Manuel Fernández Silvestre started an offensive into northeastern Morocco from the coastal regions that they already held. The advance took place without extended lines of communication being adequately established or the complete subjugation of the areas occupied. In the course of the Spanish offensive, the Spanish had penetrated almost into the enemy lines, but during the hasty advances, neither defensible forts nor accessible water supply points had been put in place. The territory newly occupied by the Spanish was garrisoned only by small makeshift blockhouses (blocaos), each manned by a handful of soldiers (typically 12-20). The outposts were widely spread, typically located in high places, distant from water sources and lacking good communications with the main positions. The ultimate goal of the campaign was to establish a permanent military presence at Al Hoceima bay, a strategic point between the western and the eastern Moroccan coast. The Rifian irregular forces were commanded by Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi (usually known as Abd el Krim), a former civil servant and translator in the Spanish Office of Indigenous Affairs in Melilla and one of the leaders of the tribe of the Aith Ouriaghel. Annual On 15 January 1921 the Spanish forces under Silvestre occupied the small village of Annual in the valley of Beni Ulicheck, and established their main forward base for completing the occupation of eastern Morocco. Silvestre was considered an impetuous and aggressive personality, who was known to be a favourite of King Alfonso XIII. During his year in military command of the Melilla headquarters, Silvestre had doubled the amount of territory held by the Spanish in the central Rif. Annual was situated about to the south-west of Melilla. Surviving photographs show the Annual encampment itself to