ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 analyses the perceived cultural factors that the Spanish Army saw as determinant in shaping the tactical employment of Moroccan troops in combat. Religious background and the effect of particular geographical factors played a role in that determination. The Moroccans were seen as a warlike people with a natural proclivity to war. The Moroccans were considered to be agile walkers with strong night vision and sharp hearing and well trained in adapting to the terrain. They were deemed best employed in the role of infantrymen in the offensive, and well suited to conduct surprise attacks, night raids and mountain operations. The fearsome reputation Moroccans developed during the colonial wars, as well as during the suppression of the 1934 Asturian uprising, gave them a psychological edge, which the Nationalist commanders used in order to spread panic among the Republican opponents and the pro-Republican civilians, especially during the early months of the war. While Moroccan veterans acknowledge the fear that was felt towards them, they dispute accounts of violence against the population on their part. This psychological dimension was, however, a factor in the continued use of Moroccan soldiers, after the war, in hunting down anti-Francoist guerrillas.
