Many countries gained independence or major political freedom through armed revolution, guerrilla war, or military struggle.
It is important to note that most independence movements also included diplomacy, protests, negotiations, and political pressure, but weapons played a major role in these cases.
Countries That Gained Freedom Through Armed Revolution or War
| Country | Freedom From | Main Armed Struggle / Revolution | Independence / Freedom Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Great Britain | American Revolutionary War | 1776 / 1783 |
| Haiti | France | Haitian Revolution, slave uprising | 1804 |
| Argentina | Spain | Argentine War of Independence | 1816 |
| Chile | Spain | Chilean War of Independence | 1818 |
| Colombia | Spain | Latin American wars of independence | 1819 |
| Mexico | Spain | Mexican War of Independence | 1821 |
| Venezuela | Spain | Venezuelan War of Independence | 1821 |
| Peru | Spain | Peruvian War of Independence | 1821 / 1824 |
| Bolivia | Spain | Bolivian War of Independence | 1825 |
| Greece | Ottoman Empire | Greek War of Independence | 1830 |
| Belgium | Netherlands | Belgian Revolution | 1830 |
| Italy | Austrian and regional rulers | Wars of Italian unification | 1861 |
| Ireland | United Kingdom | Irish War of Independence | 1921 / 1922 |
| Turkey | Allied occupation after World War I | Turkish War of Independence | 1923 |
| Vietnam | France, later U.S.-backed South Vietnam | First Indochina War and Vietnam War | 1945 / 1975 |
| Israel | British Mandate / Arab opposition | 1948 Arab-Israeli War and prior armed groups | 1948 |
| Indonesia | Netherlands | Indonesian National Revolution | 1949 |
| Cuba | Batista dictatorship | Cuban Revolution | 1959 |
| Algeria | France | Algerian War of Independence | 1962 |
| Kenya | Britain | Mau Mau uprising and anti-colonial struggle | 1963 |
| Bangladesh | Pakistan | Bangladesh Liberation War | 1971 |
| Guinea-Bissau | Portugal | Armed liberation struggle | 1973 / 1974 |
| Angola | Portugal | Angolan War of Independence | 1975 |
| Mozambique | Portugal | Mozambican War of Independence | 1975 |
| Nicaragua | Somoza dictatorship | Sandinista Revolution | 1979 |
| Zimbabwe | White-minority Rhodesian government / Britain | Rhodesian Bush War | 1980 |
| Eritrea | Ethiopia | Eritrean War of Independence | 1993 |
| South Sudan | Sudan | Sudanese civil wars | 2011 |
Important Point
Not every country won freedom mainly through weapons.
For example, India gained independence largely through mass civil resistance, political pressure, World War II’s impact on Britain, and negotiations, though there were also armed revolutionary groups.
So the better way to say it is:
Some countries gained independence mainly through armed struggle, while others gained independence through nonviolent movements, political negotiation, or a combination of both.
