Yusef's reign was turbulent and marked with frequent uprisings against the royal family for giving up the country's independence to France. The most serious of these was a Berber uprising in the Rif Mountains, led by Abdelkrim. Though this originally began in the Spanish-controlled area in the north of the country, it reached to the French-controlled area until a coalition of France and Spain finally defeated the rebels in 1925. To ensure his own safety, Yusef moved the court from Fez to Rabat, which has served as the capital of the country ever since.
Yusef's reign came to an abrupt end when he died suddenly of uremia in 1947. He was succeeded by his son Muhammad.