A war of independence is a conflict occurring over a territory that has declared independence. Once the state that previously held the territory sends in military forces to assert its sovereignty or the native population clashes with the former occupier, a separatist rebellion has begun. If a new state is successfully established, the conflict is subsequently known as a war of independence.
Use of the term largely originates from the American War of Independence but prior conflicts sometimes got the name retroactively - such as the Dutch War of Independence, originally known as the "Eighty Years' War" and still often called by that name in the Netherlands themselves. Examples include:
See also
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