List of wars involving South Africa

Last updated

This is a list of wars involving the Union of South Africa and its successor, the Republic of South Africa .

Contents

ConflictSouth Africa
and allies
OpponentsResultsPrime Minister (191294)
President (1994)
Losses
World War I
(19141918 A.D.)
Flag of France (1794-1958).svg  France
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom

Flag of Russia.svg Russia
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Italy
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
State Flag of Serbia (1882-1918).svg  Serbia
Flag of Montenegro (1905-1918).svg  Montenegro
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg  Japan
Flag of the Republic of China 1912-1928.svg  China
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Flag of Hejaz 1917.svg Hejaz
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece
Flag of the First Republic of Armenia.svg Armenia
Flag of the Second Saudi State.svg Nejd and Hasa
Naval Ensign of Thailand.svg Siam

Flag of the German Empire.svg  Germany
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Austria-Hungary
Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg  Ottoman Empire
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
Flag of Transvaal.svg Transvaal
Victory
9,726 dead [1]
Maritz Rebellion
(19141915)
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg South Africa Flag of Transvaal.svg  South African Republic Government victory
  • Rebellion suppressed
Russian Civil War [2]
(19181920)
Flag of Russia.svg White Movement
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of France.svg France
Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg  Japan
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Italy
Flag of the Republic of China 1912-1928.svg  China
Canadian Red Ensign (1868-1921).svg  Canada
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
British Raj Red Ensign.svg  India
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg South Africa
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia
Flag of Poland (1919-1928).svg  Poland
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of Yugoslavia (1918-1943).svg  Yugoslavia
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
Flag RSFSR 1918.svg  Russian SFSR
Flag of Far Eastern republic.svg  Far Eastern Republic
Flag of Latvian SSR 1919.svg Latvian SSR
Flag of the Ukrainian SSR (1923-1927).svg Ukrainian SSR
Flag of the Commune of the Working People of Estonia.svg Commune of Estonia
Flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia (1921-1924).svg Mongolian Communists
Defeat(limited involvement) [2]
  • Allied withdrawal from Russia
  • Defeat of the White Movement
Unknown
Rand Rebellion
(19211922)
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg South Africa CPSA Government victory
  • Rebellion suppressed
153 dead [3]
(both sides)
Bondelswarts Rebellion
(1922)
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg South Africa Bondelswarts Government victory
  • Rebellion suppressed
100 dead, 468 wounded (Bondelswarts)
World War II
(19391945)
Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  China
Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg France
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Poland
Yugoslav Partisans flag 1945.svg  Yugoslavia
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg  Greece
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
British Raj Red Ensign.svg  India
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
Flag of the Philippines (navy blue).svg Philippines
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg Ethiopia
Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg Brazil
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
Flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia (1940-1945).svg Mongolia
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Germany
Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg  Japan
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Italy
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of Hungary (1915-1918, 1919-1946).svg  Hungary
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
Flag of First Slovak Republic 1939-1945.svg Slovakia
Flag of Independent State of Croatia.svg  Croatia
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Flag of Iraq (1924-1959).svg  Iraq
Victory
6,840 dead
1,841 missing
14,589 prisoners
Greek Civil War
(19441945) [4]
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Cairo Government
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg South Africa
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg ELAS Victory
None
Korean War
(19501953)
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg Ethiopia
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Flag of Thailand (TIS 982 draft standard).svg Thailand
Hellenic Kingdom Flag 1935.svg Greece
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg South Africa
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Stalemate
34 dead [5]
9 prisoners
Rhodesian Bush War
(19651979)
Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg  Rhodesia
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
Flag of ZANU-PF.svg ZANU
Flag of Mozambique (1974-1975).svg FRELIMO
Zimbabwe African People's Union flag.svg ZAPU
Flag of the African National Congress.svg ANC
Stalemate
Unknown
Mozambican Civil War
(19791985) [6]
Mz renamo1.PNG RENAMO
Flag of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.svg  Zimbabwe Rhodesia
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
Flag of Mozambique (1975-1983).svg FRELIMO
Flag of the African National Congress.svg ANC
Stalemate(limited involvement)
Unknown
South African Border War
(19661989) [7]
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
Flag of UNITA.svg UNITA
Bandeira da FNLA.svg FNLA
Flag of South-West Africa People's Organisation.svg SWAPO
Flag of South West African National Union.svg SWANU
Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (bandeira).svg MPLA
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba
Flag of the African National Congress.svg ANC
Flag of Zambia (1964-1996).svg  Zambia
Stalemate
  • Withdrawal of foreign forces from Angola
  • Namibian independence from South African rule
2,038 dead [8]
Natal Civil War
(19871994) [9]
Flag of the Inkatha Freedom Party.svg IFP Flag of the African National Congress.svg ANC Stalemate [9]
Unknown
Operation Boleas
(1998)
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
Flag of Lesotho (1987-2006).svg LDF rebels Victory
  • Suspected coup d'état in Lesotho quelled
11 dead [10]
Battle of Bangui
(2013)
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Séléka Disputed [11]
  • François Bozizé successfully escorted to safety,Rebel advance towards South African base repelled
15 dead [12]
M23 Rebellion
(2013)
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi
Flag of CNDP.svg M23 Victory
  • M23 rebels surrender, disarm and demobilize
None
ADF Insurgency
(2014present)
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi
Flag of the Allied Democratic Forces.svg ADF Ongoing
1 dead
Insurgency in Cabo Delgado
(2017present)
Flag of SADC.svg  SADC
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho
Flag of Jihad.svg Ansar al-Sunna
AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Ongoing
  • involvement of South African Special forces from July 2021
1 [13]

See also

Notes

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    References

    1. Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2013–2014 Archived 2015-11-04 at the Wayback Machine , page 48. Figures include identified burials and those commemorated by name on memorials.
    2. 1 2 Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 15, Nr 4, 1985, pp. 46-48. Accessed January 24, 2016.
    3. Bendix, S. (2001) Industrial Relations in South Africa. Claremont: Juta. p. 59
    4. See Air operations during the Greek Civil War#South African Air Force
    5. "Casualties of Korean War" (in Korean). Ministry of National Defense of Republic of Korea. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
    6. South Africa agreed to withdraw its support for RENAMO in 1984. However, South Africa only withdrew from the Mozambican Civil War in 1985. For more information, see War and Society: The Militarisation of South Africa, edited by Jacklyn Cock and Laurie Nathan, pp.104-115
    7. Note: South Africa was already involved in combating SWAPO insurgents in 1966, but intervention in Angola started in 1975 with Operation Savannah.
    8. "SA Roll of Honour: List of Wars". Justdone.co.za. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
    9. 1 2 Taylor, Rupert. "Justice denied: political violence in Kwazulu‐Natal after 1994." African Affairs 101, no. 405 (2002): 473-508.
    10. "'A fractious lot': Anatomy of (another) coup in Lesotho". Daily Maverick. 3 July 2015.
    11. References:
      • Helmoed Römer Heitman.
    12. "CAR battle claims another SANDF soldier". Enca. South Africa.
    13. "Remains of SA soldier killed in Mozambique handed over to family". africanews.