Has anything ever been won purely by terrorist or guerrilla means?

Question

I don't want to start a semantic or moral argument - the two words are different, and different wars have had different moral positions.

The question is about the effectiveness of fighting methods where one combatant remains forever in the shadows. Have any such wars ever been won by that side without them eventually coming out into the open?

I thought Cuba would come up sooner or later. Didn't Castro eventually come out into the open and fight more conventional battles? I could be wrong. Afghanistan in the 80s... possibly, I guess that war was won simply by wearying the Russians.

Answer 1

History is always written by the victors in any conflict so as to whether terrorist or guerrilla means achieves any victory depends on which side of the line of conflict you´re standing.
Outstanding examples: William Wallace (Braveheart) or George Washington and more recently Nelson Mandela and Lech valenca(Polish Shipyard electrician) they created a folliowing which changed the face of history and world politics in a way nobody could have forseen !!!!

Answer 2

Vietnam? And almost the IRA in Ireland! to name but a few!
I think this brings up the age old question yet again Who is a terrorist?
If Germany had taken over the UK then the people trying to fight on would be classed as terrorists by the Germans, the Brits would have themselves classed as freedom fighters!
I can remember during IRA activity some very clever Brit army officer saying the IRA should come out in the open and fight!! How stupid can you get, fight with what, a few pea shooters against thousands of troops?
My (condensed) answer to your question is yes things have been won by guerrilla means, and it will happen again.

Answer 3

Terrorists do not perform for the interesting of it. Its continually because they have a reason behind it. military rigidity in ordinary words makes their make certain even extra lively. There has to come back a time once you should take a seat and attempt to get to the bottom of the question . I lived by using the lengthy years of the IRA "issues" and very nearly lost a son by using it. That in ordinary words changed into settled by using speaking. Israel have reported they gained't take a seat on a similar table as Hamas so this conflict will proceed till one or the different recognize that speaking is the in ordinary words answer Charcind made a competent element yet I worry that this issue has not merely lengthy previous away, its merely been sweeped less than the carpet in the mean time

Answer 4

You could arguably say that Vietnam was won using terror(the peace movement picked up on how brutal the war was and used it to the Viet Minh`s advantage spreading insecurity at home)and guerrilla warfare par-excellence.
Wars tend to be won politically and as the world is more "self-aware" through media coverage of terrorist events,this leads to a wider spread of panic and escalation of events.Saddam Hussein was minutes away from winning the 1st Gulf war when the attack on Israel with his terror weapon, Scuds almost caused them to retaliate and bring the coalition down (the Arab nations in the coalition and the area wouldn't have Israel attacking another Arab nation!).
So Terror attacks and Guerrilla warfare have always swayed the outcome in one way or another

Answer 5

Undoubtedly yes! The United States of America was won by guerilla warfare and the desire of a people to be free from an oppressive foreign regime. It's gone downhill ever since mind you, but like all things that human beings do it started out as a good idea at the time.

Answer 6

The Spanish elections:
the Madrid train bombings just before the national elections gave the socialists enough of a boost in the polls to over take the conservatives, who they were trailing up to that point.
The socialists had said they would not support the war in Iraq and the terrorists won the election.

Answer 7

The freeing of ones country when ruled by another has always started with guerilla warfare and terrorism ( Terrorism being the word used by the rulers).Eventually the rulers have always come to the table under the guise of diplomatic democracy "we have decided to give you liberation and freedom" countries in Africa come to mind. India too comes to mind, but eventually the oppressed too have always had to come out in a political form.

Answer 8

Fidel Castro was a revolutionary. In the early 80's the Taliban were revolutionaries. We helped them defeat the Russians.

Answer 9

I recently heard a (supposed) military expert claim that it has been a long time since a war has been won against an indigenous insurgency...which I take to mean that you can not expect to win against an indigenous guerrilla resistance.

Answer 10

Veitnam is a good example of guerrilla warfare winning and south africa one of terrorism work. The israelies also kicked of in 47 with terrorism.