ew people know it, but the Prussians tried to take possession of the Moroccan Rif in 1856. This operation, provocative but unknown, followed a major scandal that emerged during the middle of the 19th century between this region and the Prussian Reich, which subsequently influenced Prusso-Charifian relations.
The Rif during the 19th century
During this period, northern Morocco was administered by the descendants of Jaysh al-Rifi, an influential army during the 17th and 18th centuries, created by Sultan Moulay Ismail from tribes in the Eastern Rif. This army corps will maintain its autonomy and will be the de facto rule over the Pashaliks in the north until 1912, the year upon which the French and Spanish protectorates came into effect.
The Rif as a territory has been, historically, quite impenetrable due to its mountain range, its steep coasts and the overprotection of locals. As a result, the few ships that came close to the coast of this country were plundered. Thus, the northern tribes were at that time recognized as being the last Barbary pirates still active in the western Mediterranean. This is evidenced by the Cape Three Forks, 25 kilometers off of the city Nador, which was a shipwreck cemetery feared by sailors.
Involvement of powers
Prussia, with its honor now tainted, asked the Sultan of Morocco once again for compensation regarding the incidents in the Rif. He declined the offer, arguing that he had no authority over the tribes of the Rif. An appeal to the powers was therefore necessary, with Berlin asking for the intervention of Paris, London and Madrid.
It'll therefore be on the 29th of August 1856 that Napoleon III, supported by England and Spain, promised to do what was necessary to prevent similar events, since it was not the first time that European fleets were plundered near the Moroccan Rif region. In the end, no action was taken and the promised measures were abandoned.
Aftermath
Despite a humiliating defeat that was overhyped in German-speaking newspapers, Prince Adalbert's prestige grew. Several newspapers praised his heroic act and the people praised the prince for trying to avenge his nation. Following these significant events, few European ships approached the shores of the Rif. These events would however encourage, 40 years later, Kaiser William II to take an interest in Morocco and to try to compete with Franco-Spanish ambitions on these lands.
However, these incidents have only been recounted from a European perspective as even today, the real motivating reasons behind these fearsome pirates of the Rif remain somewhat of a mystery. Hypotheses explain that because of their isolation from the rest of the world, the inhabitants of northern Morocco feared seeing other peoples dominate their own, thus preferring to keep their shores inaccessible.
