Re: [GZG] FTverse colinies

John Atkinson schrieb:
>> >> True enough but then how often do "insurgents" not have outside
help?
>> >
>> > As far as I know, once in human history.
>>
>> Where, in Haiti in the 1790s?
> 
> 
> I was actually thinking, more recently, Eritrea.
> 
> Haiti does seem to qualify, however.	There are a series of reasons
> WHY the Hatians beat their former masters solidly but foreign support
> is, unusually, not on the list.

Guess it depends on what you mean by "outside help". The Haitian slaves 
themselves did win against the French local forces, but in 1791 (2 years

after the French revolution) France was not in a position to send in 
significant reinforcements. It is not clear the Haitians would have 
prevailed against France (either Royal or Napoleonic) at full
capability.

Against the British intervention from 1794 the Haitians had already been

  able to get somewhat organised. Again, they had more pressing issues 
elsewhere.

By the way, wouldn't the French revolution qualify as a succesful 
insurgency without outside help ?

As to Eritrea, I am not really sure it qualifies as 'without outside 
help' if you define this strictly. There was a substantial Eritrean 
diaspora in Europe that supported the rebels politically, with money, 
etc. Plus, Ethiopia was "Marxist" at the time, with support from the 
Soviets, and I vaguely remember that Western clandestine help may have 
reached them through friendly (Arab?) countries.

Greetings
Karl Heinz

PS. I will have to leave this interesting discussion, because I am going

on holidays for a week.

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