Just what do you think is the most forgotten military campaign in the last few hundred years?

Personally, I would go with two, Burma and the landings in Southern France in summer 1944...

Well what campaign merits the title? ...Jim

Invasion of southern france, I have been interested in WW2 for the last 25 years, an has only recently learned about it.

On the other hand, I have always been facinated with the fighting in burma, mj. Wingate and all that.

Hi Jim,
I agree Burma is my forgotten campaign..........but I also agree with Southern France invasions.

The China-Burma-India theatre is the most forgotten. My father is a veteren of the jungles of Burma. I spent my childhood growing up with Engineers, Flying Tigers, Merrills Marauders, Hump pilots, Nurses, Doctors, Chaplins, and many others. I never went to a reunion of his where I wasn't asked what was the CBI theatre? Who were we at war with in CBI? That is very sad to me. I feel very honored to have grown up with so many fine men and women.

I have recently become interested in the history of the Cape of Good Hope. Particulary the British involvement since 1800. For me the forgotten campaigns are the likes of the Battle of Blouberg and the border wars in the Eastern Cape (South Africa).

Lately these days though, I have noticed an increased interest in 20th century history, for the members of this site, WW2 in particular. It is sad to note that there seems to be a waning interest in the colourful armies of the Napolionic era, the romantic and adventourous Rennaisance and the chivalrous medieval age.

In the 20th century I would have to say the WW1 African and Middle Eastern campaigns remain largely forgotten. Not to forget the Middle Eastern campaigns of WW2...

My 2 bits... hope it contributes...

Last few hundred years? Blimey!

Almost anything that took place outside Europe really, whether or not it involved European troops. As Rudi says almost anything that happened outside living memory has dropped out of popular consciousness.

How about the 1st and 2nd Sikh wars?

At the moment, the only forgotten campaigns I'm actually reading about are the East African campaigns of WW1 and French Indochina (Martin Windrow's book on Dien Bien Phu)

How about the Campaigns fought against theVichy French in Syria and the uprising in Iraq and the campaign in East Africa.
I'd also like to find out more about the British forces who were stationed in the Ivory coast as blocking forces against the Vichy French forces in Africa.

Polish - Russian war in 1920. Battle for Warsaw could really change history of Europe. For years it wasn't politcal correct topic and now very few people remembers it.
As I can see every nation has his own "most important forgotten campaign"

Piotr

Sure does resonate with me. My dad was assigned to an Engineer Aviation Battalion in Chakulia, India. He was proud to have served in the CBI and took great pleasure in telling people what the CBI was. Most people don't even realize there was a theater of operations there.

Tom

As for WWI-- I would have to agree with the British campaigns in the Middle East, I just finished a larger research paper on them for one of my classes. There are many interesting elements that came out of those events that related directly to the world today--its a shame that people forget such things and the men who struggled through them.

Sean

How about the US/Allies in Russia 1919 or the US Marines in China 1946???

Chief

How about the 'China Marines' in the 1930s? Jim

For me it would have to be the War of 1812 against the United States. We would not be a nation today had we lost.


Cheers
Keith

Boy, that's a great one! I should have remembered that one!! The local Army Reserve unit which shares my old Reserve Center, the 339th Regiment (Polar Bears) was from Detroit and fought that campaign. They have a large polar bear in the hall, and the motto on their unit insignia is actually in Russian, and translates "The Bayonet Decides".

Tom

Wow! what a huge void to fill. Speaking from US point.

1. War in Aluetian islands WW II
2.Expedition to Russia at the end of WW I
3. Banana republic wars of the 30's
4. Boxer Rebellion in China early 1900's
5. Spanish/American War
6. Mexican War 1840's
7. War of 1812
8. Barbary Coast War

Thats enough for now..............

I would say;

The 'Winter war'
The 'Continuation War'
1960-1961 Congo Wars
Rhodesian Bush war

Forgot this one....The Commonwealth in Malaya (The War of the Running Dogs) 1950s!

Now that was a REALLY interesting campaign... My grandfather was in the Royal Navy and took part in that one...

I think the problem is that depending on where you live, or where you were born, some campaigns 'resonate' more than others. My list (not in any particular order) is:

1) Burma

2) Suez 1956 (a modeller's dream incidentally )

3) Spain's campaigns in the Sahara (incredible amount of potential as well)

4) The Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945

and many others...Jim

I agree with Paul and Tom, I am privileged to tell people about the CBI theatre.
I am good friends with Gurkha officer who fought in Burma from the retreat in 1942 where he was on the wrong side of the Sittang Bridge disaster. Until he was wounded in 1944.
I have recieved part of his uniform that he used there.

I think the East Africa Campaingn in WW 1 is largely forgotten and the southeren France landings as well.

HastyP

My list would have to be as follows:

1. Burma, though not as bad know as there have been some significant academic works in the past few years.

2. Suez 1956

3. British involvement in Malaya in the 50s.

4. The Soviet-Japanese clashes in 1939.

5. East Africa in WWI.

6. The Balkan wars of 1912-13.

7. Canadian 1st Army ops in Holland 1945

The list could go on. I remember having a lecture given to me by the Canadian Historian Terry Copp and he siad that even though it seems like a lot has been written about Normandy, what he was discussing, a lot of it needs revising in the light of new documentary evidence. The same goes for a lot of other wars in the 20th century.

I find this post ironic. Looking at all the different countries that members are from and comparing it to their post. Comparing the posts to other posts and thier reasons behind it. What all this says to me is there were many conflicts, wars, and people that were forgotten. This was a good thread to be started. I learned from it as well as contributed.

I was speaking to a rare and used books seller yesterday, and interestingly for this topic, he commented that there appears to be a growing lack of interest even in WW2 now. He says he actually sells very few books on that topic to the common man. Collectors and special interest groups like us are an obvious exception.

In actual fact just between 1989-2003 there have been 117 armed conflicts. This info is taken from the Uppsala Conflict Database, Uppsala University, one of the leadin institutes in conflict resolution. Uppsala defines conflcit as:

'An armed conflict is a contested incompatibility that concerns government and/or territory where the use of armed force between two parties, of which at least one is the government of a state, results in at least 25 battle-related deaths. '

Take a look at:

Uppsala Conflict Database