Wars of national liberation 910236 219521087 2008-06-15T16:58:22Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other [[Image:Flag of Mozambique.svg|thumb|right|250px|Flag of [[Mozambique]] &mdash; independent since 1975, with the [[AK-47|Kalashnikov]] as [[symbol]] of the [[armed struggle]] against the [[Portuguese empire]], the [[book]] as symbol of [[instruction]] and a farm instrument as symbol of [[economic growth]]]] '''Wars of national liberation''' are conflicts fought by [[Indigenous peoples|indigenous]] military groups against an [[empire|imperial]] power in the name of [[self-determination]], thus attempting to remove that power's influence, in particular during the [[decolonization]] period. They are often founded in [[guerrilla warfare]] or [[asymmetric warfare]], sometimes with intervention from other states.<ref>See for example [[Gérard Chaliand]] various books; [http://www.cyberscopie.info/pages/art_entre/art43_entre.html French interview here].</ref> The opponents of the "[[freedom fighters]]" often consider them [[terrorist]]s. According to political scientist [[Gérard Chaliand]], guerrilla wars against [[colonialism|European colonial powers]] were always a political success, although they may have been in some cases a [[military]] defeat. However, according to [[Gwynne Dyer]], the tactics and strategies used against colonial powers were almost invariably failures when used against indigenous regimes. [[Bangladesh]], which became independent in 1971 due to [[India]]'s [[Bangladesh Liberation War|intervention]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|war against Pakistan]] could be considered an exception to this rule. == Strategies and tactics == Wars of national liberation are usually fought using guerrilla warfare. The main purpose of these tactics is to increase the cost of occupation of the colonial power past the point where the colonial power is willing to bear. Wars of national liberation generally depend a large amounts of public support, with ordinary civilians providing crucial support. Finally, wars of national liberation are often embedded in a larger context of great power politics and are often [[proxy war]]s. These strategies explain why they are quite successful against [[colonial]] regimes and quite unsuccessful against indigenous regimes. Colonial regimes usually have a threshold beyond which they would prefer to go home rather than to fight the war. By contrast an indigenous regime has no place to go to, and will fight much harder because of the lack of alternatives. Moreover, colonial regimes usually have relatively few active supporters, who can often be easily identified, making it possible for guerrilla armies to operate. By contrast, indigenous regimes often have much more popular support, and their supporters are not as easily recognized, making it much harder to conduct guerrilla operations. == Decolonization of the Americas == {{main|Decolonization of the Americas|South American Wars of Independence}} Following the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]] (1775-1783), the [[Haitian Revolution]] (1791-1804), which led to the proclamation of [[Haiti]] as the first independent black republic in 1804, and the [[South American]] wars of independence from [[Spain]] led in the 1810-1820s by famous ''[[Libertadores]]'' such as [[Simón Bolívar]] in North and [[José de San Martín]] in the South, led to the decolonization of most of the Americas. [[Brazil]]'s independence was declared in 1822 by [[Dom Pedro I of Brazil|Dom Pedro I]]. == National liberation wars of the decolonization period == {{See|Decolonization |Colonialism}} The first [[separatist]] rebellion within the former [[British Empire]] not to end in defeat since the [[American Revolutionary War]] was the [[Irish War of Independence]] of 1919-1921 which led to the renewed independence of most of [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] (26 counties out of 32). This was the first of many later successful anti-colonial rebellions during the 20th century. The [[First Indochina War]] (1946-54), the [[Algerian War of Independence]] (1954-62) and the [[Vietnam War]] (1959-75) were some of the most famous national liberation wars. The [[African National Congress]] (ANC)'s struggle against the [[apartheid]] regime is also part of these wars. These wars were in part supported by the [[Soviet Union]], which claimed to be an [[anti-imperialist]] power. In fact, since the 1917 [[October Revolution]], the [[revolution]]ary objectives of [[communism]] were shared by many anticolonialist leaders, thus explaining the objective alliance between anticolonialist forces and [[Marxism]]. The concept of "[[imperialism]]" itself had been which had theorized in [[Lenin]]'s famous 1916 book, [http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/index.htm ''Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism'']. For example, [[Ho Chi Minh]] &mdash; who founded the [[Viet-Minh]] in 1941 and declared the independence of [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam|Vietnam]] on [[September 2]], [[1945]], following the 1945 [[August Revolution]] &mdash; was a founding member of the [[French Communist Party]] (PCF) in 1921. In January 1961, over three years before the [[Gulf of Tonkin incident]] which would mark the [[History of the United States|United States]]' increased involvement in the Vietnamese conflict, Soviet premier [[Nikita Khrushchev]] would pledge support for "wars of national liberation" throughout the world. In the same decade, [[History of Cuba|Cuba]], led by [[Fidel Castro]], would support national liberation movements in [[History of Angola|Angola]] and [[History of Mozambique|Mozambique]]. The [[Portuguese colonial wars]] finally led to the recognition of Angola, Mozambique and [[Guinea-Bissau]] as independent states in 1975, following the April [[Carnation Revolution]]. == On-going national liberation conflicts== {{pov-section|date=December 2007}} The following current conflicts have sometimes been characterized as wars or struggles of national liberation (such a designation is often subject to controversy): * Many [[Chechens]] consider the [[First Chechen War|First]] and [[Second Chechen War]]s to be wars of national liberation against [[Russia]]. * Some Iraqi insurgent groups, and certain political groups believe that the [[Iraq War]] is a war of national liberation against the US-led [[Multinational force in Iraq|coalition]]. * The [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO), the official representative of the [[Palestinian people]], was recognized as a national liberation movement by the [[United Nations]] when it was granted observer status in the [[United Nations General Assembly]] in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|title=Security Council|publisher=WorldMUN2007 - [[United Nations Security Council]]|date=26 March - 30 March 2007|accessdate=07.31.2007|url=http://www.worldmun.org/MUNBase2007/files/downloads/guides/SCGuideA.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sovereignty Is No Longer Sacrosanct:Codifying Humanitarian Intervention|author=Jarat Chopra et al.|publisher=Humanitarianism and War Project|accessdate=2007-08-21|url=http://hwproject.tufts.edu/publications/electronic/e_sinls.html}}</ref> * The [[Polisario Front]] has sought the independence of [[Western Sahara]] since 1975 and considered its guerilla war against Morocco as national liberation war, while Morocco considered it a [[secessionist]] movement. The hostilities are frozen since the 1991 cease-fire following the settlement plan agreement. * As a result of the [[Yugoslav wars|politics of the former Yugoslavia]], a group of ethnic-Albanian politicians in [[Kosovo]] declared (on [[2 July]] [[1990]]) an independent "Republic of Kosovo" from the [[Republic of Serbia]]'s [[Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija]]. After the dissolution of SFRY, an unofficial referendum was held for independence in 1992 that passed and began a conflict between the Albanian separatists led by the [[Kosovo Liberation Army]] and the Yugoslav military and paramilitary armed forces. This lasted until 1999 when a peace was brokered and the province came under [[UNMIK|UN administration]] under the terms of UNSCR 1244. International negotiations between [[Pristina]] and [[Belgrade]] are in progress on the future status of Kosovo. The conflict would only count as a war of national liberation if you exclude the fact that an Albanian state already exists, and that ethnic-Albanians in Kosovo seek their own separate nationhood. == Conflicts == Conflicts which have been described as national liberation struggles: *The [[American Revolution]] *The [[Haitian Revolution]] *The [[Bolivar's War|Latin American Wars of Independence]] led by [[Simón Bolívar]]. *The [[Peninsular War]] against Napoleon's occupation of Spain during the [[Napoleonic Wars]] *Explicit wars of [[decolonization]]: **The [[Philippine Revolution]] **In [[Vietnam]], by the [[Viet Minh]] against [[France]] (also, during [[World War II]], against [[Japan]]) and later against the [[United States]] in the [[Vietnam War]]. ** The [[Indonesian National Revolution]] ** The Palestinian [[Second intifada|resistance]] to [[Israel]]i occupation in the [[Palestinian territories]]. ** The [[Israeli War of Independence]], against the invading Arab nations.<ref>[http://www.zionism-israel.com/ Zionism & Israel<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ** The [[Madagascar revolt]] against the French in 1947 ** The [[Algerian war of independence]] against [[France]] (1954-1962). ** In [[Angola]] ([[MPLA]], [[FNLA]], [[UNITA]]), [[Mozambique]] ([[FRELIMO]]), [[Guinea-Bissau]] ([[PAIGC]], [[FLING]]), and [[Cape Verde]] (PAIGC) against [[Portugal]] ** In [[Cameroon]], by the [[Union of the Peoples of Cameroon|UPC]] against [[France]] ** In [[South Yemen]] by various nationalist organizations against Britain ** the [[Mau Mau]] revolt in British-ruled [[Kenya]] ** the [[Second Chimurenga]] (a/k/a [[Rhodesian Bush War]]) in [[Rhodesia]] (later [[Zimbabwe]]), led by [[ZANU]] and [[ZAPU]] ** In [[Western Sahara]], by the [[Ifni War|Saharan Liberation Army]] against [[Spain]] and by the [[Polisario Front]] against [[Morocco]] ** In [[Namibia]], by [[SWAPO]] and [[SWANU]] against [[apartheid South Africa]] ** The [[Dhofar Rebellion]] in [[Muscat and Oman]] ** The [[Brunei Revolt]] *In [[Afghanistan]], against the occupying [[Soviet Army]]. *In [[Ireland]], the [[Irish War of Independence]] and [[The Troubles]] in [[Northern Ireland]], the [[Provisional IRA]] [[insurgency]] against Britain aimed at a united Ireland from 1969 until 1998. *In [[Cambodia]], against the occupying [[Vietnam People's Army|Vietnamese Army]]. *In [[Nicaragua]], by [[Augusto Sandino]]'s forces against the occupying [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]]. *In [[Chad]], by [[FROLINAT]] against the [[François Tombalbaye|Tombalbaye]] dictatorship *In [[South Africa]], against [[apartheid]] by [[Umkhonto we Sizwe]] and [[Poqo]]. *In [[China]], the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] against Japanese subjugation of China. *the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] *the [[Eritrean War of Independence]] against [[Ethiopia]] *In [[West Papua]], by the [[Organisasi Papua Merdeka]] *In [[Bougainville Province|Bougainville]], by the [[Bougainville Revolutionary Army]] *In [[Canada]] during 1837 and in subsequent years [[English Canadian]] and [[French Canadian]] reformers of [[William Lyon Mackenzie]] and the [[Les Patriotes|patriotes]] of [[Louis Joseph Papineau]] fought the British Empire for the independence of Canada. See [[Rebellions of 1837]] *In [[Tibet]], by the forces led by the [[Dalai Lama]] against the [[Chinese Communists]] in the 1950s. == References == <references/> == See also == * [[List of historical autonomist and secessionist movements]] * [[List of active autonomist and secessionist movements]] * [[List of unrecognized countries]] * [[Decolonization#Charts_of_the_independences| List of decolonized nations]] * [[War of Independence]] * [[Independence]] * [[Colonialism]] & [[chronology of colonialism]] * [[Civil war]] * [[Guerrilla warfare]] * [[Insurgency]] and [[counter-insurgency]] * [[Hukbalahap]] * [[Peninsular War]] * [[Clausewitz]]'s ''[[On War]]'' (1832) ("war is the continuation of politics by other means") [[Category:Colonialism]] [[Category:National liberation movements| ]] [[Category:European colonisation in Africa]] [[de:Unabhängigkeitskrieg]] [[nl:Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog]] [[ja:独立戦争]] [[ru:Национально-освободительное движение]] [[sv:Självständighetskrig]]