Key Conflicts: Gulf War, Apartheid, Prague Spring & China War
The Gulf War (1990-1991)
The Persian Gulf War, also known as the Gulf War, took place from 1990 to 1991 between Iraq and an international coalition of 34 nations led by the United States. This conflict was a direct response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait. The US-led campaign to liberate Kuwait was called Operation Desert Storm. In Iraq, the war is often referred to as “Um M’a?rak” – “The Mother of all battles.”
The war began with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The United Nations immediately imposed economic sanctions on Iraq. Hostilities commenced in January 1991, resulting in a victory for the coalition forces.
The conflict remained largely within the Iraq-Kuwait-Saudi Arabia region, although some Iraqi missiles targeted cities in Israel. The causes and even the name of the war remain subjects of debate.
Apartheid in South Africa
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation implemented in South Africa by British colonialists in the 20th century. It represented a series of political, economic, social, and racial discriminations. The term “apartheid” means “separateness” in Afrikaans. The system divided different racial groups to promote unequal development, led by the white minority, who enacted laws covering various social aspects.
Racial classification was based on appearance, social acceptance, or descent. This system led to revolutions and resistance from black citizens.
Nelson Mandela, before becoming president, was a prominent anti-apartheid activist, imprisoned for 27 years. During his imprisonment, Mandela became a key figure in the peaceful transition to representative democracy in South Africa and an internationally recognized statesman.
The Prague Spring (1968)
During the Cold War, the Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia, lasting from January 5, 1968, until August 20, 1968, when the country was invaded by the USSR and its Warsaw Pact allies.
This movement aimed to progressively change the totalitarian and bureaucratic aspects of the communist regime, moving towards a non-totalitarian communism. It sought to legalize multiple political parties and trade unions, promote freedom of the press and speech, and establish the right to strike. However, the Prague Spring ended in the spring of 1968 when Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia, halting the political opening.
The Chinese Civil War (1927-1950)
The Chinese Civil War, lasting from April 1927 to May 1950, was a conflict between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CCP).
It began in 1927 after the Northern Expedition, when the right-wing faction of the KMT, led by Chiang Kai-shek, purged the Communists from their alliance. The war concluded in 1950 with an unofficial cessation of hostilities. The Communists controlled mainland China (including Hainan Island), establishing the People’s Republic of China. Nationalists maintained control over Taiwan, the Pescadores, and several offshore islands in Fujian province, where the Republic of China regime remains.
The 1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, known by Israelis as the War of Independence, was the first in a series of armed conflicts between the State of Israel and its Arab neighbors, part of the broader Arab-Israeli conflict. For Palestinian Arabs, this war marked the beginning of what they call the Nakba (catastrophe).
The United Nations agreed to partition the British Mandate of Palestine into two states: one Arab and one Jewish, a resolution accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by the Arabs.
The British Mandate expired on May 15, 1948. Six hours before, on the afternoon of May 14, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the independence of Israel in Tel Aviv, quickly recognized by the United States, the Soviet Union, and many other countries. On the day of the British withdrawal, Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian, and Transjordanian troops, supported by Libyan, Saudi, and Yemeni volunteers, began the invasion of the newly proclaimed Jewish state.