Guerrilla Warriors Who Overthrew History
Guerrilla warfare is a particular type of combat that is generally fought by trained civilians fighting for freedom from oppression and independence, rather than an official military unit. History is peppered with famous guerrilla warriors or guerrillas who rebelled against the organized militaries of existing governments and rival insurgent forces with the support of local populations. Guerrillas in history were all very familiar with terrains, and because they were usually fighting against larger military units they attacked quickly by way of ambushes and raids, or by sabotaging vulnerable targets, and then retreated immediately after, leaving the enemy in a chaotic spin.
The word “guerrilla” is used today by news media to describe rebels and insurgents fighting oppressive governments, but it has Spanish origins meaning "little war." The word was first used during the Napoleonic Peninsular War of 1808-1814 after the British enlisted Spanish and Portuguese guerrillas to fight the French army stationed on the Iberian Peninsula.
Guerrilla warfare during the Peninsular War, by Roque Gameiro, depicting a Portuguese guerrilla ambush against French forces (1917) (Public Domain)
