Battle of el-Hri

Overview

The Battle of El Herri was fought between France and the Berber Zaian Confederation on 13 November 1914. It took place at the small settlement of El Herri, near Khénifra in the French protectorate in Morocco. The battle was part of the Zaian War, in which the confederation of tribes sought to oppose continued French expansion into the interior of Morocco. Having captured the strategic town of Khénifra earlier in the year, the French, under General Hubert Lyautey, entered negotiations with Mouha ou Hammou Zayani, who led the Zaian. Lyautey thought that peace could be achieved and ordered Lieutenant-Colonel René Laverdure, who commanded the garrison in Khénifra, not to launch any offensives.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of El Herri occurred during the opening months of the Zaian War, fought while France simultaneously managed its commitments in the First World War in Europe. French forces under General Hubert Lyautey had captured Khénifra earlier in 1914 and entered negotiations with Zaian leader Mouha ou Hammou Zayani in the hope of reaching a peaceful settlement. Lyautey explicitly ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Laverdure not to launch offensives during these negotiations. The engagement nonetheless took place, pitting a French garrison of roughly 1,187 against an estimated 5,000 Zaian fighters. French casualties ranged as high as 613 against 182 Zaian dead, a disparity that reflected the scale of resistance the confederation could mount. The battle demonstrated the limits of French political-military coordination in the Moroccan interior and the continued capacity of the Zaian Confederation to contest French expansion despite the loss of Khénifra, setting the terms of a conflict that would persist until 1921.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)