Ethiopia, a country of ancient origins in eastern Africa, has remained a
military powerhouse of that continent until the present day. Currently
involved in the war in neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia was also involved
in half a dozen of other armed conflicts during the last 60 years. One
of the most significant was the Eritrean War of Independence. Fought
1961-1991, this was one of the biggest armed conflicts on the African
continent, especially if measured by numbers of combatants involved. It
included a wide spectrum of operations, from 'classic'
counter-insurgency (COIN) to conventional warfare in mountains - with
the latter being one of the most complex and demanding undertakings
possible to conduct by a military force. Campaigns run during the
Eritrean War of Independence often included large formations of
relatively well-equipped forces, led by well-trained commanders,
utilizing complex plans based on homegrown doctrine. Airpower played a
crucial - although not necessarily decisive - role in many of battles.
Nevertheless, most of details about this conflict remain unknown to the
wider public. Similarly, relatively few Western observers are aware of
relations between the Eritrean liberation movements, and various
dissident and insurgent movements inside Ethiopia - although the synergy
of these eventually led the downfall of the so-called Derg government,
in 1991. Reaching back to extensive studies of Ethiopian and Eritrean
military history, this volume provides a detailed account of the first
25 years of this conflict: from the outbreak of armed insurgency in 1961
until the crucial battle of Afabet, in 1988. It is illustrated by over
100 contemporary photographs, maps and color profiles.
