Army of Africa ( Spain ) The Army of Africa ( or " Cuerpo de Ejército Marroquí " , " Moroccan Army Corps " " Al - Jaish Al - Isbaniy fi Afriqa " ) was a Spanish field army that garrisoned Spanish Morocco from the early 20th century until Morocco ' s independence in 1956 . At the start of the 20th century , Spain ' s colonial possessions in Africa comprised Spanish Morocco , Western Sahara , Ifni , Cabo Juby and Equatorial Guinea . Origins and early years . Spain maintained garrisons in its two Moroccan coastal enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta from the fifteenth century . At different times these were made up of sailors , disciplinary companies , marine infantry , free companies and detachments from metropolitan units . The Spanish Army of Africa can be said to have originated as a permanent institution with the establishment in 1893 of the " Regimiento de Africa No 1 " ( 1st African Infantry Regiment ) . Following the Melilla Campaign of 1908 - 09 Spain began expanding inland from its established coastal holdings and a force of " Policia Indigena " ( Native Police ) was created with Moroccan personnel . By the 1920s the Army of Africa was composed of Spanish troops as well as the Spanish Foreign Legion ( created in 1921 ) and locally recruited Moroccan infantry and cavalry units called Regulares ( created in 1911 ) . In total , the Army of Africa numbered 30 , 000 soldiers and was the most professional and effective fighting force in the 100 , 000 - man Spanish Army during the 1920s and 30s . Infantry recruited in the enclave of Ifni ( " Tiradores de Ifni " ) were also considered part of the Army of Africa . Spanish Morocco was the closest Spanish colonial territory to mainland Spain and the most difficult to control . A major Moroccan revolt against both Spanish and French colonial rule began in 1921 , with the destruction of a Spanish army at Annual . The Rif tribes were finally subdued only with difficulty by substantial Franco - Spanish forces after several years fighting . The Spanish Army of Africa played a major part in these campaigns , spearheading operations while the role of the less effective Metropolitan conscripts was , after Annual , generally restricted to the provision of support and garrison units . Role in the Spanish Civil War . The Army of Africa was to play a key part during the Spanish Civil War of 1936 – 39 . Along with other units in the Spanish Army , the Army of Africa rose against the Republican Government and took part in the " Nacional " military rebellion of July 1936 . On July 18 , 1936 , General Francisco Franco assumed the supreme command over this force . Spanish Morocco fell to the rebels without significant opposition . The initial intention was to transport the Army of Africa to mainland Spain by sea . However the crews of Spanish warships whose officers had joined the revolt remained loyal to the Republican government in Madrid . Significant numbers of the Army of Africa were accordingly transported to mainland Spain in a bold airlift led by Junkers and Savoia - Marchetti transport planes supplied by Germany and Italy . After landing in Spain , the Army of Africa was split into two columns , one commanded by General Juan Yagüe and the other commanded by Colonel José Varela . Yagüe ' s force advanced north , making remarkably rapid gains , and then turned north - eastwards towards Madrid and Toledo . Varela ' s force entered Andalusia and took control of the key cities of Seville , Granada , and Cordova . Thanks mostly to the Army of Africa ' s advances , almost all of western Spain was in Francoist " Nacionales " hands by the end of September 1936 . By early 1937 the Army of Africa ' s strength had been increased to 60 , 000 men . The Legion and Regulares spearheaded the " Nacionales " ' s operations for the remainder of the war and played a central role in the " Nacional " victory . Post Moroccan independence . Following Moroccan independence in 1956 the bulk of the locally recruited Regulares were transferred to the new Royal Moroccan Army . The cities of Melilla and Ceuta and the lesser plazas de soberanía as well remained Spanish and are still garrisoned by Legion and Regulares units .