Silent Pool | 03 Aug 2015 7:36 a.m. PST |
Which sovereign nation last decisively defeated an invader, without the assistance of another nation? Falklands? Others? |
Heisler | 03 Aug 2015 7:39 a.m. PST |
Falklands wouldn't qualify. The Argentinians certainly pulled off a successful invasion followed by the British pulling off a successful invasion. |
Defender1 | 03 Aug 2015 7:51 a.m. PST |
Does political pressure and/or being resupplied with weapons count as assistance? If not, Israel. If so, I can't name a darn one. |
Martin Rapier | 03 Aug 2015 7:56 a.m. PST |
Without the assistance of third parties? Maybe Vietnam defeating China in 1979, otherwise, maybe Greece vs Italy in 1941, and that didn't last long. |
Dexter Ward | 03 Aug 2015 7:56 a.m. PST |
|
Rod I Robertson | 03 Aug 2015 8:09 a.m. PST |
Iran defeating Iraq's invasion of western Iran in the late 1980's? Afghanistan fighters driving out Soviet forces in 1989? |
RavenscraftCybernetics | 03 Aug 2015 8:14 a.m. PST |
|
advocate | 03 Aug 2015 8:33 a.m. PST |
Kuwait had a little help. Iran is a pretty good call. |
wminsing | 03 Aug 2015 8:45 a.m. PST |
If you're looking for minimal outside help/interference, then I agree Iran is probably the most likely candidate. -Will |
Silent Pool | 03 Aug 2015 9:23 a.m. PST |
Falklands wouldn't qualify. The Argentinians certainly pulled off a successful invasion followed by the British pulling off a successful invasion Heisler, by that you mean British launched a re conquest (?) from the UK and not from within the Falkland Islands? Iran looks good, Israel a possibility. Remind me about Kuwait? |
whitejamest | 03 Aug 2015 9:55 a.m. PST |
I don't think Afghanistan's fight against the Soviets would count as the question was posed, as the mujahedin received massive amounts of support from the US, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China and others. What about the First Chechen War, 1994-96? |
Inkpaduta | 03 Aug 2015 10:08 a.m. PST |
Back in the late 70's China invaded Vietnam and got creamed. |
cwlinsj | 03 Aug 2015 11:53 a.m. PST |
Vietnam was heavily armed by Russia and the Soviet Block, China was at a weak point and conducted a limited invasion using only light troops. I don't think there are wars without external influences anymore. |
vtsaogames | 03 Aug 2015 12:10 p.m. PST |
Vietnam was heavily armed by Russia and the Soviet Block And by US weapons captured from the ARVN. |
Glengarry5 | 03 Aug 2015 12:24 p.m. PST |
But the British had help from the Americans during the Falklands. Nations are always meddling in each others affairs. I think that this proves that nothing happens in a vacuum. |
enfant perdus | 03 Aug 2015 1:52 p.m. PST |
Vietnam was heavily armed by Russia and the Soviet Block, China was at a weak point and conducted a limited invasion using only light troops. Also, they didn't get creamed. The most significant bit of Soviet aid was the intel that prevented the VPA from engaging the PLA at a disadvantage. There was brutal fighting and the Vietnamese arguably came out looking better in those engagements, but ultimately the Chinese withdrew because the VPA wasn't redeploying its forces from Cambodia.The PLA caused tremendous damage on the way out, so they could declare their punitive mission a success, even though they failed to save the Khmer Rouge. |
HistoryPhD | 03 Aug 2015 2:51 p.m. PST |
The Vietnamese took heavy casualties, quite a lot civilians as well as the Army, but they did best the Chinese. |
Dogged | 03 Aug 2015 3:01 p.m. PST |
"Last nation to decisively defeat an invader?" England vs. Scotland by half the 17th century? Scotland vs. England in the beginning of the 14th century? Catalonia (then a partner in the Crown of Aragon) decisively crushed the invading French "crusade" in 1285 (the French king died shortly after), without outside help. |
Stryderg | 03 Aug 2015 5:44 p.m. PST |
Israel, 6 day war? Or does a preemptive strike against a planned invasion not count? Or do I have my history wrong? |
tigrifsgt | 03 Aug 2015 6:41 p.m. PST |
|
Lascaris | 03 Aug 2015 9:10 p.m. PST |
The French were the nominal aggressors in 1870. Have to say the Prussians successfully resisted. :) |
badger22 | 03 Aug 2015 11:13 p.m. PST |
As Isreal had gottne the majority of its weapons from others not sure it passes the by themselves bar. owen |
Blutarski | 04 Aug 2015 2:50 a.m. PST |
|
McWong73 | 04 Aug 2015 3:15 a.m. PST |
Kiwis beating the French at the last world cup |
Gwydion | 04 Aug 2015 4:19 a.m. PST |
? Kiwis were invading France in the RL World Cup 2013. If you mean All Blacks beating France in NZ, Union World Cup 2011 – they definitely had help from another nation! |
ChrisBBB | 04 Aug 2015 4:30 a.m. PST |
How about Croatia fending off Serbia in the Croatian War of Independence 1991-1995? (I realize this is likely to be contested because of the question of whether Croatia counted as a sovereign state – which is what the war was about.) Chris Bloody Big BATTLES! link bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk |
dBerczerk | 04 Aug 2015 6:59 a.m. PST |
Czarist Russia defeating Emperor Napoleon's invasion in 1812. |
Skarper | 04 Aug 2015 8:25 a.m. PST |
IMO the most recent one qualifying is Russia defeating Napoleon's invasion. Everything since there was considerable help from the outside or it wasn't an invasion. The UK was not 'invaded' in 1982. Some territory was seized after spirited but nonetheless futile resistance. Then the task force reoccupied the islands against some stiff [and some rather limp] resistance. It wasn't as if the Argentine Junta were planning to use the islands as a springboard to invade Cornwall. The Chinese were not planning to overrun and conquer Vietnam in 1979 either – so it doesn't qualify. |
ChrisBBB | 04 Aug 2015 9:02 a.m. PST |
Well how about this then: Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885) link Undeniably decisive defeat of an invader by a sovereign state with no outside help. And for which you can find a rather nice scenario in "Bloody Big European Battles!" Chris Bloody Big BATTLES! link bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk |
ScottS | 04 Aug 2015 9:32 a.m. PST |
IMO the most recent one qualifying is Russia defeating Napoleon's invasion. I'm not trying to be snarky or hostile, but why would Napoleon's invasion count and Hitler's invasion not count? |
Dogged | 04 Aug 2015 2:51 p.m. PST |
Also Russia did not defeat Napoleon. He himself did. |
ubercommando | 04 Aug 2015 2:52 p.m. PST |
|
Alfred Adler does the Hobby | 08 Aug 2015 11:14 a.m. PST |
|
Skarper | 22 Sep 2015 10:17 a.m. PST |
Stalin got rather a lot of help from the US/UK in the form of lend-lease. The Russians in 1812 nothing much. The Spanish Ulcer was surely a factor but not direct help. Some play this down while others exaggerate the impact. IMO it was significant but not decisive. I don't think the Soviets could have defeated the Axis alone. Fought them to a standstill? – very probably – but not defeated and driven them out. The most important factor was the huge number of trucks delivered that enabled the Red Army to exploit its breakthroughs in 1944+. |