Colonial wars
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Boer soldiers during the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War, a colonial conflict in a province of the British Empire

Colonial war is a form of conflict fought between the foreign occupiers of a colony and the colony's indigenous population, colonists, or the military forces of a rival colonial power.

The term usually refers to wars fought during the nineteenth century between European armies in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, although the term can be used more broadly to describe any war fought in an overseas territory between foreigners and the local population.

19th Century

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 Sepoys and Askaris of India and Africa respectively. This was not the case of Portugal because it had been ruling and colonizing many regions of Africa (and the world) since the 15th century in a long lasting process which included the foundation of several Portuguese towns and enculturation of native peoples of the African continent (see Portuguese Empire).

Victory against colonial power

Although colonial wars usually resulted in a Western victory, local inhabitants were sometimes – though extremely rarely – able to inflict crushing defeats on colonial forces. Perhaps the most famous colonial victory was the American War of Independence, although others include the Battle of Isandhlwana and the Battle of Adowa where native levies commanded by a small force of Europeans were defeated by traditional African soldiery though in overwhelming numbers.

Italian Troops firing on the Turks in Tripoli. 1911

Types

Between opposing colonial powers

This is usually the type of conflict referred to be the term colonial war. It was quite a common occurrence from the 15th to 19th centuries for colonial powers to fight for control of lucrative trade routes and colonies that either supplied valuable goods (precious metals, spices) or were vital to the control of these routes. Most often the colonial powers involved were Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ottoman Empire and The Netherlands.

Between colonial power and colonist

During the Algerian War of Independence at first the French Government fought with the French settlers against the indigenous people. After Charles de Gaulle agreed to Algerian independence the French government then had to fight elements of the settlers and the French army who did not wish the French government to grant Algeria independence.

Examples

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 War. The Anglo-Ashanti Wars of the late 1800s were a typical example of colonial warfare, in which small British armies, equipped with modern artillery and machine guns, repeatedly defeated much larger forces of local warriors.

See also

• Colonialism
• Insurgency and counter-insurgency
• Spice trade
• Dutch-Portuguese War
• Le Fanion de la Légion
• Zulu (film)
• Battle of Isandhlwana
• Malayan Emergency
• Portuguese Colonial War
• Italo-Turkish War
• First Italo–Ethiopian War
• Second Italo-Abyssinian War
• Battle of Adowa

Other uses

• Colony Wars was a 1997 video game.