Information AboutColonial War |
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The term usually refers to wars fought during the Nineteenth Century between European armies in Africa , Asia , and the Carribean , although the term can be used more broadly to describe any war fought in an overseas territory between foreigners and the local population. Colonialism in the nineteenth century, in particular the Scramble For Africa , saw many conflicts between native peoples and small, professional European armies which were often equipped with cutting-edge military technology such as Rifled Guns and Artillery , compensating for their small numbers. Colonial military operations in this context were generally split into two phases; firstly, a small European army would invade a territory in order to eliminate local forces and secure the area as an official colony. Once the colony was secured, a smaller European force would remain as a Garrison , maintaining order and quelling any uprisings, and often organising local inhabitants into European-style military units, such as the Sepoy s and Askari s of India and Africa respectively. Although colonial wars usually resulted in a Western victory, local inhabitants were somtimes, though rarely able to inflict crushing defeats on colonial invaders. Examples include the Battle Of Khartoum , the Battle Of Isandhlwana , and the Battle Of Adowa , all of which saw traditional African armies decisively defeat European forces. Often, this was due to European commanders' perception of native forces as posing little threat to a Western army, and subsequently refusing to treat their enemies with the same degree of caution. Examples of ''colonial wars'' include the Java War , the American War Of Independence , the Indian Rebellion , and various conflicts waged during the Scramble For Africa , such as the Anglo-Zulu War and the Mahdist conflict. The Anglo-Ashanti Wars of the late 1800's were a typical example of colonial warfare, in which small British armies, equipped with modern Artillery and Machine Gun s, repeatedly defeated much larger forces of local warriors. The opposing forces of a colonial war can be arranged in several permutations. Although colonial wars are generally a contest between foreign colonists and local populations, colonial conflicts can also involve fighting between civilian colonists, opposing indigenous peoples, and the military forces of a rival colonial power. During the Boer Wars , for example, the forces of Great Britain (the colonial power) fought white colonists ( Boers ) as well as the indigenous peoples of South Africa. An example of rival colonial powers contesting a particular region was seen in the Fashoda Incident , although the colonial powers involved did not actually resort to military action. Colonial powers often squabbled with one another over colonies, but very rarely resorted to military action for fear of provoking a major war between the colonial powers themselves. OTHER USES
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