Portal:War

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The War Portal

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Introduction

The Battle of Austerlitzby François Gerard.

War is a state of conflict between relatively large groups of people (such as nations, states, organizations, social groups), which is characterized by the use of armed lethal violence between combatants or upon civilians. Other terms for war, which often serve as euphemisms, include armed conflict, hostilities, and police action.

A common perception of war is a series of military campaigns between at least two or more opposing sides involving a dispute over sovereignty, territory, resources, religion or a host of other issues. A war to liberate an occupied country is sometimes characterised as a "war of liberation", while a war between internal elements of the same state may constitute a civil war.

Two ant colonies in pitched battle.

Aside from humans, ants are the only other species known to exhibit such behavior on a large scale.[1]

A battle is an instance of combat in warfare between two or more parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others. Battles are most often fought during wars or military campaigns and can usually be well defined in time, space and action. Wars and campaigns are guided by strategy whereas battles are the stage on which tactics are employed. German strategist Carl von Clausewitz stated that "the employment of battles to gain the end of war" was the essence of strategy.

Military history is the recording, in writing or otherwise, of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. This may range from a melee between two tribes to conflicts between proper militaries to a world war affecting the majority of the human population.

^ LeShan, Lawrence (Autumn 1992). "Noetic Sciences Review: The Psychology of War, Comprehending its Mystique and its Madness, Issue 23". Institute of Noetic Sciences.

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The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost over 100,000 lives. The conflict has effectively ended with a government victory, following the surrender of the Islamic Salvation Army and the defeat of the Armed Islamic Group. The conflict began in December 1991, when the government cancelled elections after the first round results had shown that the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) party would win, citing fears that the FIS would end democracy. Islamist guerrillas rapidly emerged and began an armed campaign against the government and its supporters. They formed themselves into several armed groups, principally the Islamic Armed Movement (MIA), based in the mountains, and the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), based in the towns. The guerrillas initially targeted the army and police, but some groups soon started attacking civilians. The MIA and its allies, under attack from both sides, opted for a unilateral ceasefire with the government in 1997, while the GIA was torn apart by splits as various subdivisions objected to its new massacre policy. In 1999, following the election of a new president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, a new law gave amnesty to most guerrillas, motivating large numbers to "repent" (as it was termed) and return to normal life. The violence declined substantially, with effective victory for the government.

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Did you know...

... that the French stormed the Bagration flèches (pictured) eight times during the Battle of Borodino in 1812?
... that troops of Tadayoshi Sano, a lieutenant general for the Imperial Japanese Army, were reported to have committed atrocities against civilians in Hong Kong and British prisoners of war?
... that besides training its own officers, the Pakistan Naval Academy has trained over 2000 officers of allied navies including the Chief of Naval Staff of the Qatar Emiri Navy?
... that in 1847 French Admiral Jean-Baptiste Cécille sent a captain to attack Vietnam to obtain the release of a bishop, not knowing the bishop had already been freed?

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Featured picture

Photo taken by a Lockheed U-2 spy plane of the San Cristobal MRBM launch site in Cuba, November 1962, after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although this image was taken days after the crisis had ended (October 28), this image has become iconic of the crisis to the point where it is often cited incorrectly as having been taken during the crisis.

Photo credit: United States Air Force

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Selected anniversaries

1653 - First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of the Gabbard – lasted until June 13.
1758 - French and Indian War: Siege of Louisbourg – James Wolfe's attack at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia commences.
1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Cold Harbor – General Ulysses S. Grant pulls his troops from their positions at Cold Harbor, Virginia and moves south.
1922 - In Windsor Castle, King George V receives the colours of the six Irish regiments that are to be disbanded - the Royal Irish Regiment, the Connaught Rangers, the South Irish Horse, the Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment, the Royal Munster Fusiliers and the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
1940 - World War II: 13,000 British and French troops surrender to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel at Saint-Valery-en-Caux.

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