The question of the transformation of the colonial strategies of France and Spain in relation to Morocco with the beginning of the war in the Rif Republic is considered. A comparative analysis of the colonial policy of the two European metropolises before the start of the revolt of the Rif tribes and during the Rif War is carried out. It is argued that this war, in its duration, scale and international resonance, called into question the entire colonial system and created a dangerous precedent. Disagreements within the power elites of the metropolises between supporters of flexible diplomatic methods of colonization and advocates of a direct military solution are analyzed. The novelty of this study is seen in the fact that the victory of the military lobby in France and Spain meant the radicalization of the methods of “conciliation” applied to the local population. The use of modern weapons and aircraft, which meant the mass extermination of the local population, anticipated the methods of the Second World War. The author comes to the conclusion that the war in the Rif had the most profound impact on the political development of Spain, largely predetermining the establishment of a military-nationalist dictatorship ten years later.