When was the last time an invading and occupying army defeated an insurgency?

Question

For purposes of relevance, I would appreciate examples in the last 100 years. Is this a common occurrence? Who usually wins? occupiars or the people from that land or culture fighting to expel them? Why does one side tend to win these fights...can you elaborate what problems cause the loser to lose?

thank you.

Answer 1

North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam and even with the aid of the US, South Vietnam still lost.

But then again the South Vietnamese were not really fighting for themselves, so I guess you couldn't really call that an insurgency.

Insurgencies usually win because of a number of reasons:
1. They know the land and it's natural defenses. Some lands are naturally inhospitable to an invading force, the insurgents have overcome the difficulties of the inhospitable area and can use it to their own advantage.

2. They are fighting for their land and homes. No one fights with more heart and selflessness as he who is defending his own.

3. The invading force cannot tell an insurgent from a friendly until they are getting shot at.

Answer 2

It doesn't happen often, and the only examples that jump quickly to mind are both just over a century old, the Philippine Insurrection and the Boer Wars.
In most cases, the governmental power, whether local or external, was already present at the beginning of the insurgency.
Winning and losing when you're talking insurgencies is usually not about winning or losing in the classical sense, but rather a matter of who gives up first, and often there's some kind of political accomodation that allows something less than a total capitulation.

Answer 3

the last time an invading/ occupying army defeated an insurgency?? HMMMM well Germany invaded Poland, France, Belgium, and a few other countries and when those countries fought back they didn't win until the formal armies of the Allieds came in. Russia invaded all of those countries and turned in it into the USSR and even though it was publicly known those countries tried rebelling and lost. It wasn't until the fall of the USSR that they won back their freedom. the side with the most logistics doesn't always win, look at the USSR invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviets were well equipped but the locals knew the area and strong holds. If the Occupied side has enough willpower and logistics (either internally or from outside sources) they can hold off an invading force. But most of the time it is the bigger of the two who wins...

Answer 4

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Palestinian Liberation Organization have both been classified as insurgencies that lost. Although in both cases, I don't think you could say an outside invader came in and occupied to win. It's more like they became insurgent amongst the population. Abimael Guzman's Sendero Luminoso in Peru was also the leader of an insurgent group, and his forces collapsed following his capture.

The Sierra Leone insurgency was also defeated by a small and very mobile group of mercenaries.

This is actually a very interesting article concerning modern warfare vs. insurgencies, and why insurgencies like Iraq's can't win unless we withdraw (that's not the specific point of the article, but rather you could determine that by reading it): http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj96/sum96/barnett.html

Answer 5

enable's turn it round; what the grand finished of three insurgencies contained in the twentieth century that easily succeeded? attempt this record on for length, Binky: 1922 - eire, 1960 - Cuba (too undesirable for the Cubanos, no?), and 1964 - Algeria.

Answer 6

The War of Northern Aggression! 1861-1865

Answer 7

Judging by the learned answers above, an invading army that tries to operate according to rules of civilsed behaviour operates under a massive disadvantage.

Answer 8

The latest I can think of is the Malayan Emergency in 1948-1960.

You have to win the "hearts and minds" in order to win. This takes time and money.

Answer 9

Does the white European invasion of Continental America (North, South and the bit in the middle) count?

The white European Invasion of the Australian Continent?

The white European Invasion of New Zealand?

The white European Invasion of Tasmania.

Sorry I had to sneak outside of your time-line.

Last time I checked the occupiers were still there.

Answer 10

In Iraq 2007 when the insurgency is teror rather than resistance