Djibouti is still controlled by the French. If they were independent, they would probably already be part of the AADP in order to prevent Somali expansionism.
Sand and Steel: The Story of the Modern Middle East (TL)
- Thread starter JSilvy
- Start date
Wait is Israel independent? I may have got tl confused with another but i thought isreal had autonomy under arab state.
If its independent then whats happened to Jerusalem and Palestinians?
If its independent then whats happened to Jerusalem and Palestinians?
Yes, Israel is independent. After WW1 it became a Hashemite Mandate that got independence one day before the Turkish invasion in WW2.
Jerusalem is the capital, the Arabs are still there since they never left. Palestinian is not a national identity in this Timeline. It's kinda a binational state.
Basically "Israel" is a binational state created from the mandate during WWII. The term "Palestinian" is still used, but at this point is more of an ethnic identifier used to refer to Levantine Arabs in the country.
New Israeli Flag
That reminds me, in the 1960s I meant to include something about how part of the changing social attitudes resulted in Israel changing its old flag from World War II (the OTL Israeli flag) but I forgot to put that in so here's that.
Basically if anyone decides to make a wikibox or anything this is the flag to use.
Basically if anyone decides to make a wikibox or anything this is the flag to use.
I am still confused on how Israel got established without managing to piss of the Arabs. I still believe a bi-ethnic state would be more plausible than "Israel".
This TL's Israel is more of a multi-ethnic state than OTL, with the two ethnic groups forging into one national identity partially through cultural diffusion under the Mandate, although more so with World War II. And of course there's the fact that most remaining Arab nationalists fled after the war during the Naarist Scare (keep in mind that there's a small diaspora of Naarists from the UAS and Israel primarily in Egypt).
Most Arabs still kept a distinct identity from the Jews though. In this scenario I definitely see more positive relationships between the two groups but I highly doubt it be under the name “Israel”. Probably “Palestine”. Or “Israel-Palestine”.
What's causing earlier oil production in Saudi?
Who are they selling it to?
In whose tankers?
The Start of the Great African War
The Start of the Great African War
A decision to build a dam had led to a coup. That coup led to the Ethiopian Civil War. That conflict led to the Second Ogaden War. And then the Second Ogaden War expanded into a massive multi-regional conflict with nuclear powers on both sides. At the onset of the war, two major factions stood: the North African League and the Afro-Asiatic Defense Pact, and each faction had their own plan to deal with the conflict.
As soon as the coup had taken place, the AADP rushed to the UN, demanding a resolution be passed against Egypt for their actions, a request that was stalled past the point that war was declared, resulting in an even bigger crisis in the UN. President Kennedy spoke before the assembly, accusing Egypt, Somalia, and the other NAL nations supporting them of their illegitimate actions in Ethiopia as well as Egypt's removal of UN Peacekeepers from the Sinai. He spoke of the danger of conflict between nuclear powers and called for a UN intervention. While virtually every American ally voted in favor, it was vetoed by the Soviets. While Brezhnev himself was opposed to the war just as much as Kennedy, he recognized the Middle East and Africa as key to Soviet international policy and refused to condemn the NAL or its member nations. No conflict nor resolution would compromise the Soviet position. Who was to blame, after all? Regardless of who backed the coup, the overthrow of the monarchy was the will of the people. The Somali invasion of the Ogaden was a just defense of the oppressed Somali people. To blame the conflict on Egypt or Somalia would be ludicrous when it was Selassie's own actions that led to this being the case.
Important to understanding the conflict is understanding the four faction that existed in Ethiopia at the onset of the war. Of course, Addis Ababa and the south were controlled by Mengistu’s People’s Republic of Ethiopia. To the north, based out of Mekele, the Ethiopian Empire remained in control. The 76-year-old Haile Selassie, after escaping to the northern city with his family, then fled to Arabia for safety, where he took up refuge in the Sultan’s palace in Damascus. His son, Asfaw Wossen Tafari, stayed behind to correspond with forces on the ground and lead the fight against the communists. Further to the north along the coast was the Eritrean region. Following the first Ogaden War, Emperor Selassie had begun settling the rapidly growing coastal cities with people from all over Ethiopia. However, the native Eritrean population resented these policies and still desired independence from Ethiopia. As a result, once the war broke out, fighting also began on the streets between Eritrean separatists and loyalists. In the east, similar fighting broke out between ethnic Somalis and Ethiopian settlers.
Between those living under the two main factions of the civil war, the population was rather divided. The northern part of the country had more of a historic connection to the Empire than did the south, and the north, which had seen greater economic development over the past decades due to collaboration with AADP nations than did the south, was full of individuals loyal to the empire. The south, by contrast, was more eager to throw off imperial chains and establish a communist state. However, opposing factions existed on both sides. The Second Solomon Society (SS2) would operate in the south against the communists, while in the north, the Iti-Komi would operate their own gorilla war against the Empire.
Anticipating a potential larger conflict following the coup and the AADP response, the leaders of the NAL and their commanders met in Cairo to discuss war strategy on 25 May 1969. The leaders of the NAL had previously drafted war plans. However, with the changes in the geopolitical situation as well as the new Civil War, new plans had to be drafted. While Ethiopia was the focal point of the war, most of the NAL nations recognized that it would be difficult to quickly march armies into the nation and declare victory, fearing that it may end up like the infamous Vietnam War across the globe. Therefore, it was seen as a much more productive mission to knock out the military capabilities of other AADP nations to force them to either capitulate or simply withdraw.
Morocco exited on the western fringes of the NAL’s domain, and it post perhaps the most serious threat of a direct invasion of allied territory. With neither Morocco nor Algeria possessing nuclear weapons, there was little to deter a direct invasion across the wide front. Morocco was isolated from its allies, but it would be easy for the US to supply the kingdom as the war continued, so it was best to deal with the nation quickly. Mauritania would push into the southern territory and then move north. Algeria, with support from Tunisian and Libyan troops, would push into the Moroccan heartland, first taking Oujda, then moving west into Fez before marching to the sea to take Rabat.
In the south, another joint attack would be mounted on Kenya. In the northeast was a large population of ethnic Somalis, still bitter from their losses during the Shifta War earlier in the decade. Somalia would invade the province, collaborating with local rebel groups in the process to make the burden easier. Somalia would continue pushing into Kenya, advancing down the coast towards Mombasa. Uganda would push all along the Kenyan border, with the largest attack agains the densely populated regions along Lake Victoria, pushing through the Western Province and attacking the cities of Kitale, Eldoret, and Kisumu. This would then be followed by a push southeast, taking Nakuru before advancing on Nairobi. A small number of Sudanese troops in the northwest would provide some support to the Ugandans in the region west of Lake Turkana. Hopefully, squeezing Kenya from the east and the west would allow Mengistu’s forces to hold their line quite easily on Ethiopia’s southern border.
The Sinai Front was an entirely different story. While an invasion of Israel would mean a quick ending to the war, Nasser knew that a direct threat against the core of the small country could mean a nuclear strike on the Nile Delta, which could be a crippling blow to the nation. In turn, it was assumed that Israel would take the same precautions for the same reasons. For that reason, the main focus on the Sinai front would be to maintain a defensive position, maintained by Egyptian forces. Egypt hoped that the nuclear deterrent would keep the Sinai front safe, although just in case, plans were drafted for both an invasion of Israel as well as what to do in case the Israelis breached the Egyptian defense. The planned invasion of Israel, titled Operation Mamluk, would involve two separate offenses. A smaller force would be sent from Taba to capture Eilat, cutting Israel off from the Gulf of Aqaba. This force would then quickly advance to the bordering Arabian port of Aqaba, crippling AADP access to the Gulf of Aqaba. From there, Egyptian forces would continue south to the small non-port city of Haql as another victory. If such an invasion were to occur, they would be joined by more NAL troops, primarily from Sudan, in pushing down the Arabian coast. The other larger army would push northeast along the Mediterranean coast from Egyptian to Israeli Rafah, pushing up the coast towards Gaza, and then onward to Tel Aviv. If the coast was secured, then a push would be made toward Jerusalem, although hopefully Israel would surrender by that point. In case of an Israeli invasion of the Sinai, Nasser had drafted his own plans outside of the conference for Operation Glass.
In Ethiopia, the plan was for Somalia to support the Somali rebels in the east and move to occupy the territory (which ended up being the final straw in the start of the Great African War in the first place). Sudanese, Egyptian, and Chadian forces would do most of the work on the Ethiopian front. Most of these troops would be used to aid the already existing People’s Republic in pushing north against the Empire. There would also be a smaller push east from Sudan, and the NAL would aid factions such as the Iti-Komi and the Eritrean rebels (although aid to the latter would only be a temporary measure as Mengistu had no intentions of allowing Eritrea to go free).
On top of everything else, Egyptian naval power, with the massive fleet of Ghawwasat, would be used to keep the AADP at bay. Egypt would secure the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, closing the Strait of Tiran, cutting off the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea, trapping Israel’s southern fleet in Eilat. Th Ghawwasat would patrol the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with some vessels strategically placed to block off major ports in Arabia and on the Eritrea coast in order to cut of the Empire from its allies and cut off the Red Sea from the Arabian Sea. Egyptian vessels would also be used to harass the Levantine coast, with a particularly strong blockade on Dortyol in order to convince the Kurds, who had less of a stake in the conflict than either Israel or Arabia, to withdraw from the war. The Egyptian navy would also be joined by the combined naval forces of other AADP members, with the most significant being Algeria, Tunisia, and Sudan.
The AADP had their own strategy for the war. The AADP also recognized that fighting in Ethiopia would be difficult, and so the best way to win in the horn of Africa would be to cut off the NAL from the PRE, which meant concentrated efforts to deal with Somalia and Sudan. Naval forces would blockade various Somali ports to prevent aid and shell coastal cities in order to cause enough destruction for Somalia to sue for peace. If Somalia did not surrender, then a force comprised of mainly Arabian and Iranian forces would land on the weakened Somali coast. AADP forces in both the Empire and on the Somali coast would then ideally strangle the nation, forcing it to capitulate. To deal with Sudan, AADP forces would also enact a harsh blockade of Port Sudan, shelling the port. Forces stationed in Ethiopia would then also push west into Sudan towards Khartoum. In the south, the AADP would send aid to southern separatists in Sudan, hoping to revive the dormant ILA. Recognizing that it may be difficult to control the corridor from Kenya into Sudan, much of this aid would be sent through the loosely-aligned but still neutral DRC.
To deal with southern Ethiopia, AADP forces would launch strategic bombing campaigns against key southern targets, and special forces would be used to take out key rebel leaders in Eritrea, where marshal law would go into affect, in order to protect access to the coast. Forces would also be stationed in Kenya in order to more easily strike at targets further to the south. Kenya itself, however, would also have to deal with Uganda and Somalia. Despite Kenya’s larger population than both nations, it was not heavily militarized to the same extent, with Somalia and Uganda boasting perhaps the most impressive militaries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya would therefore primarily focus on defense, using guerrilla tactics on both fronts and attempting to keep the Somalis from breaching past the Northern Frontier District. In the meantime, Kenya would continue to wear down the enemy while building up its own forces to strike back on both fronts.
In the west, Hassan II knew that he was isolated from the rest of the alliance. His strategy, therefore, was to receive aid from the US and advance as quickly as possible into Algeria, hoping to take Algiers and force the nation to surrender, providing a buffer between Morocco and the rest of the NAL, allowing Moroccan forces to then be used elsewhere. Moroccan naval forces would be used to join up with other forces in the Mediterranean, primarily the Israelis, Kurds, and Arabians in order to combat Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. In a controversial move, South Turkish forces would also be rearmed to maintain their own border so that the AADP forces there could be used elsewhere, and some Turkish forces would also be used for combat in the Mediterranean and Africa.
On the Sinai front, Israel had similar views as Egypt– protect the border and avoid nuclear exchange. In case of an invasion, Israeli forces would fall back behind the Dayan line, a defensive line of bunkers and other defenses created by Chief of General Staff Moshe Dayan. Israel also planned in case of its own invasion of the Sinai to send forces down two routes, one in the north along the coast and another into the middle of the peninsula.
In general, both sides hoped the conflict would be resolved in a matter of months. Hopefully, the nations of the opposing alliance would capitulate quickly, leaving the civil war in Ethiopia quick to resolve.
Upon the end of the conference, Nasser would call for remaining UN Peacekeepers to withdraw from the Sinai peninsula in order to station Egyptian troops closer to the border, and had successfully cleared them all out by the time the war was declared on June 6. In turn, Israel had heavily militarized its own border. Nasser’s declaration of war on 6 June 1969 would be his last act as President of Egypt. That evening, he would suffer a fatal heart attack and be rushed to the hospital. Upon his death, shockwaves were sent throughout the NAL, but Egypt and its allies agreed to go forward with their plans. Nasser would be succeeded by his Vice President Anwar Sadat. Sadat, while still a Naarist revolutionary, and one who had even taken part in the Revolution of 1948, was no Nasser. In comparison to his predecessor, Sadat was more liberal. Unlike Nasser, who ruled with an iron fist, Sadat sought to liberalize the government, making the system more democratic and delegating more power to the parliament.
His first notable progressive action came on 11 June 1969. In 1950, following Nasser’s rise to the Presidency, mandatory military service had been instituted. However, this bill also excluded the Coptic population, which many feared to be disloyal to the Naarist system. Copts who did serve were typically placed into separate units. Now, with Egyptian troops being sent off to war, Egyptians saw it as unfair that Copts didn’t have to serve, and Copts increasingly came to be the victims of hate crimes. Sadat passed a bill de-segregating the armed forces, and declaring that Copts would be subject to the same laws as Arabs. While some were glad that Copts now had to serve, there were many individuals who felt that Copts should be excluded from the army altogether, breeding further controversy. Sadat was quickly painted by his opponents as a Coptic sympathizer (which he to some extent was, but that was beside the point). However, he also instituted a draft bringing those who had completed service under the age of thirty back into the military, which affected Arabs more than Copts, again creating resentment.
Israel had its own political changes. Following the declaration of war, Golda Meir surprised the nation by announcing that she would not run for re-election (in reality, this was because she had recently been diagnosed with cancer and did not believe herself to fit to run the country through a war if her condition got worse. This left her with two potential successors within her own party. Seif el-Din el-Zoubi had become a major figure in Mapai since the Arab list was merged with the rest of the party in the 1950s, and was at the time the Minister of Defense. The other major figure was Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli ambassador to the United States. El-Zoubi was a well known figure within Israel, with virtually the support of the entire Arab population as well as large Jewish support, something that Rabin could not hope to match. After a brief primary, El-Zoubi became the new leader of Mapai, and after an election on October 22 that year, El-Zoubi would become the new Prime Minister of Israel, as well as the country’s first Arab Prime Minister. His inauguration was protested by several far-right Jewish groups, but Prime Minister Zoabi stood firm and reaffirmed his commitment to “swiftly crush the Egyptian upstarts.”
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Reminds of me of the start of Great War.
I'll be home for Christmas.
You can count on me.
We'll kick their ass.
And Egypt'll be
Regretting Everything....
I'll be home for Christmas.
You can count on me.
We'll kick their ass.
And Egypt'll be
Regretting Everything....
The Great African War: 5 May 1969 – 4 November 1969
4 November 1969, 5:00 pm – Kampala Uganda
“Friends, Ugandans, countrymen. November 4, 1969 is a date which shall live in infamy. On this day, the Republic of Zaire, a puppet of the Asians and of the west, carried out a bombing of our motherland, a bombing which involved the use of poison gas and other chemical weapons, killing tens of thousands in the shining city of Kampala alone. On this day, the inferior savages to the west have caused our people unprecedented harm. Therefore, let us, the purest and greatest of African peoples, now march off to war in the west, where we will avenge our fallen and make Mobutu and his people witness Ugandan superiority! Nothing will stand in our way as we destroy our enemy! Our people and our allies are winning on all fronts, and so too, inshallah, God willing, will we be victorious in our conquest of Zaire!”
Idi Amin had finished speaking, finished addressing his nation. The crowd went wild with cheer.
“Hail Amin!” they shouted. “Hail Uganda! Hail Victory!”
1969
May 5: Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie announces Ethiopia’s intention to build a Blue Nile dam.
May 6: Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Sudanese President Ismail al-Azhari issue an ultimatum towards Ethiopia to go back on their plan or face conflict. Haile Selassie refuses.
May 20: The communist Derg militia, led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, shocks the world by overthrowing the seemingly stable Ethiopian government in Addis Ababa. The Emperor, his family, and many elements of his government survive and flee to Mekele. Mengistu immediately announces the new People’s Republic of Ethiopia and declares Ethiopia’s withdrawal from the AADP. At the time, it was not yet known that Egyptian agents had assisted in the coup. The nations of the Warsaw Pact and the NAL recognize the new Ethiopian government. The entirety of the AADP recognizes the old government as legitimate, and Israeli PM Golda Meir and Arabian PM Bahjat Talhouni demand Egypt and the rest of the NAL countries renounce their recognition of the new government.
May 22: The first foreign AADP troops arrive in the Eritrea region in northern Ethiopia at the port of Massawa. The largest portion of the troops are Arabian, with a small portion of Israeli troops arriving as well. Kurdish and Iranian troops begin to arrive the following day.
May 25: A series of Eritrean nationalist bombings in Massawa are carried out on the same day, including a bombing against the city hall, a bombing by the port, and a bombing against the Emperor Selassie Seaside hotel, which at the time was hosting a number of Arabian soldiers. Approximately 154 combined soldiers and civilians were killed in the attack.
May 26: As Mengistu continues to secure cities in the south. AADP and imperial troops begin to secure northern cities including Gondar, Dessie, Bahir Dar, and Dembecha. Settlers in the Ogaden to the east declare loyalty to the Emperor.
May 27: The AADP begins to carry out bombings against Addis Ababa and other southern cities.
May 29: The ethnic-Somali Ogaden Liberation Organization (OLO) conducts a bombing against an Ethiopian government building in the town of Degehabur, marking the start of the Second Naxdin. Ethnic Somalis throughout the Ogaden would begin to rise up, attacking Ethiopian settlers, who were now mostly reliant on their own militias to fight back.
June 5: Defending ethnic Somalis in the region, Somalia invades the Ogaden, securing it for themselves.
June 6: Haile Selassie officially declares war on Somalia. Egypt, Sudan, and Somalia declare war on Selassie’s government. Israel and the UAS declare war on Somalia, Egypt, Sudan, and the PRE. Later on, these declarations of war are followed by declarations from the remaining AADP and NAL countries. This marks the official start of the Great African War.
June 9: Egyptian and Sudanese forces begin arriving on the front in Ethiopia, placing troops along the Sudanese border and sending more forces to Addis Ababa.
June 10: Egypt deploys its naval fleet, including its massive fleet of Ghawwasat, which are placed throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, near Arabian Red Sea ports such as Jeddah, and along chokepoints such as the Straits of Tiran and Djibouti, with the Strait of Tiran immediately being effectively closed off to Israeli shipping. They are also deployed along the Eritrean coast in an attempt to stop the AADP aiding their ally.
June 14: A Egyptian, Sudanese, and Chadian forces begin to push eastward into northern Ethiopia, although they are quickly slowed in their advance by the mountainous terrain, only making it a few miles across the border. Egyptian Ghawwasat sink the UAS Asada about ten nautical miles from the port of Massawa, carrying hundreds of Arabian troops as well as large quantities of supplies. Over the course of the war, Egyptian dominance on the Red Sea would prove to be an issue for the AADP forces.
June 15: Operation Hyena, the planned joint invasion of Kenya begins. Somalia advances southwest relatively unhindered for the next two days, being treated as liberators by the local Somalis before being held off at the Tana River as well as further to the north. The Somalis decide to secure their holdings before attempting to advance further. By contrast, fighting in the west is much more bloody. The Ugandan Airforce, having been built up by Egyptian and Soviet aid in the years prior to the war, bombarded various Kenyan cities and towns in the west in the early morning, including Eldoret, Kisumu, Bungoma, and Kitale. The Ugandan military would quickly sweep in from the west, capturing Bungama and Kitale later that day. Idi Amin would hail the victory as an example of Ugandan national might, declaring it as evidence of Uganda’s superiority over “the colonizers and the other nations of [Sub-Saharan] Africa”. Idi Amin would also declare that, in the name of making occupation easier, the Ugandan military would “depopulate” any Kenyan villages that “appear to be putting up a fight”. The Kenyan refugee crisis would cause heavy outcry from Uganda’s enemies, but it would be a mere shadow of Uganda’s atrocities to occur later in the war.
June 16: The Iranian government begins its policy of re-arming South Turks to defend their country and help fight in Africa to much controversy.
June 18: The Battle of the Rosinga Channel begins in northeastern Lake Victoria as Ugandan naval forces attempt to break through into Winam Gulf. With a larger fleet on Lake Victoria, they succeed in breaching past Kenyan defenses and enter the gulf.
June 19: As Tunisian and Libyan forces continue to make their way to Algeria, Moroccan forces begin their push into Algerian with a blitzkrieg-style attack, sending waves of bombers before sending a large number of tanks and troops. They quickly occupy the city of Maghnia after pushing past Algerian defenses and were soon met by a larger force at Tlemcen.
June 20: Ugandan forces capture Kisumu, landing troops all around the Winam Gulf. The North Ethiopians secure Debre Markos from the south.
June 21: Mauritanian forces begin a trek through the desert towards Laayoune, hoping to take the city from Morocco. AADP forces in Ethiopia attempt to push back the NAL force in western Ethiopia and manage to successfully push them back to about a mile from the border.
June 22: Tlemcen falls to Moroccan forces. Ugandan forces reach the Kenyan city of Eldoret.
June 23: The AADP begin to push towards Addis Ababa.
June 25: The Moroccans launch an arial bombardment against the Mauritanian force in the Western Sahara territory. The attack successfully scatters Mauritanian forces, sending them retreating back towards Mauritania. The AADP offensive to Addis Ababa is thwarted by guerrilla fighters about 60 miles north of the city.
June 27: After fierce fighting, the Kenyan forces retreat from Eldoret, allowing the Ugandan forces, who had taken relatively fewer casualties, to capture the city.
June 29: Ugandan forces attempt another advance east once more, only to find that not far past Eldoret in the north and Kenya’s Nyanza province in the south, the Kenyans had formed a series of trenches, forts, and other defensive measures designed to keep the Ugandan force at bay in a line extending all the way up toward Lake Turkana, making use of the Rift Valley. These defenses would be vulnerable to air assaults, but were useful in preventing the Ugandan advance. Additionally, the arrival of freshly-drafted reinforcements would help to keep the Ugandan force at bay. At the same time, large numbers of internally displaced individuals from the western portion of the country would flee east towards the capital, further putting strain on the Kenyan government.
June 30: At a secret meeting at the palace in Gdabolite, Israeli Defense Minister Self el-Din el-Zoubi meets with Zairean President Mobutu to form the Gbadolite Agreement. Under the secret agreement, Mobutu agreed to allow aid to be sent through his country to the ILA in southern Sudan. This agreement would pave the way for Zaire’s eventual entry into the war. Meanwhile, in Kenya, the Somalis successfully secured Kenya’s northeastern province with the Kenyan’s opting to maintain their defensive position beyond the Somali-occupied land.
July 1: Moroccan forces reach the Algerian city of Sidi Bel Abbes on the way to Oran. They begin to bombard the city while laying siege to it. Meanwhile, reinforcements begin to arrive in Oran. Egyptian forces establish themselves on the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, two deserted islands disputed between Egypt and the UAS that Egypt uses to establish a military base. Another major Eritrean nationalist bombing takes place in Asmara, attacking an Ethiopian government building.
July 2: Emperor Selassie declares marshal law in major Eritrean cities, especially Asmara and Massawa.
July 3: The Battle of Sidi Bel Abbes ends with a Moroccan victory. Moroccan forces are immediately ordered north to march on Oran. Moroccan forces hope that victory in Algeria’s second largest city could cause the country to potentially pull out of the war early. The siege of Oran begins that evening. They are met by a surprisingly large force of Algerian, Tunisian, and Libyan soldiers. Meanwhile, Morocco sends another force south from the Western Sahara territory to capture Nouadhibou, Mauritania and occupy the city, preventing the Mauritanians from attempting to advance from the south along the road into the territory.
July 7: The Somalis attempt to push south towards the northeastern portion of Kenya’s coast. They successfully reach the coast at Mambore and Kiunga and near Kiwayu Island, but are held back further down on the coast.
July 8: The battle for Debre Birhan ends with a North Ethiopian victory.
July 10: AADP forces retake Dire Dawa in the Ogaden from the Somalis. Another attempt at an NAL offensive eastward into northern Ethiopia fails once again.
July 13: Ugandan forces attempt an offensive deeper into Kenya through the Mau Forest, but are halted in their advance, taking heavy losses, causing them to return to their positions. The victory would be marked as Kenya’s first of the war, although fighting would continue in the Mau and along the Rift Valley throughout the war.
July 14: The ILA, having gone into hiding since the end of their previous uprising, begins to rise again, attacking Sudanese authorities primarily in the Imatong Mountains, as well as along the Zairean and Ugandan northern borders, with resistance taking place as far north as Juba.
July 15: After the bloodiest battle of the war so far, the NAL forces successfully lifts the Moroccan siege of Oran after more reinforcements from outside the city break through the invading army. The result is a heavy loss of life for Moroccan soldiers.
July 16: Another Somali push into Kenya successfully brings more of the coastal region under Somali control with an area including Kiangwe, Mankish, and Agumba. The Somalis also begin to blockade the Lamu Archipelago with the help of the Egyptian navy.
July 18: Iti-Komi militants begin to attack Northern forces in Debre Markos and Debre Birhan, shaking the Northern control.
July 19: NAL forces liberate Sidi Bel Abbes from Moroccan control, pushing the Moroccan forces back west towards Morocco.
June 20: The AADP’s plans to move east through the Ogaden into Somalia are put on hold due to the need to pacify the Somali rebels at Dire Dawa.
July 21: As Algerian forces near Tlemcen, they are surprised to find the Moroccans pulled out to return west to defend their border. The Algerian force is also surprised to find that mines and explosives had been laid around the city in attempt to harass the NAL forces. The Moroccans, however, had been equally surprised, as Algeria had specifically bombed all of the roads leading into Morocco, making retreat difficult. Algerian planes were sent to bomb the fleeing Moroccan force, leading to another heavy loss of life. Meanwhile, in Sudan, Sudanese tanks begin to arrive in Juba, where the revolutionary activity has consumed the entire city.
July 22: With some Egyptian support, Somali forces land on the Lamu archipelago on the islands of Pate, Manda, and Lamu. Eritrean nationalists form the ENLF (Eritrean National Liberation Front).
July 23: Somali forces capture Nginda, Jipe, Mokowe, and Hidio in Kenya. The Arabians unsuccessfully attempt to land on Sanafir Island.
July 24: A monarchist rebellion lead by SS2 breaks out in the southern Ethiopian city of Awassa, leading to fighting in the city between various factions.
July 25: Attempting to retake territory from the Ugandans, the Kenyans launch an offensive near Kericho, a large town just across the front occupied by Uganda in an attempt to take back the town. The offensive results in heavy Kenyan losses compared to the relatively unscathed Ugandan force. NAL forces attempt another westward offensive into North Ethiopia but are beaten back by AADP forces.
July 26: South Ethiopian forces arrive in Awassa, facing heavy resistance.
July 27: NAL forces manage to breach the AADP line and begin to advance east into Ethiopia.
July 28: Somali forces capture Mpeketoni, Kenya. Maganan, Ethiopia falls to NAL forces.
July 29: The Awassa rebellion is mostly put down. ENLF militants continue to carry out numerous bombings throughout northern port cities and Asmara, causing the AADP to divert resources in order to put down the rebellion.
August 1: NAL forces cross the Algerian border into Morocco, with a massive force pushing towards Oujda. Many Moroccan Naarists run over to join the invading force, viewing them as liberators. Moroccan forces dig in to defend the city. Meanwhile, more NAL divisions further north move to take Berkane.
August 4: The Kenyans push back the Somalis’ coastal advance at Kau. The Kenyans also attempt to push north into Ethiopia, capturing the border towns of Moyale and Tuk’a.
August 5: The Kenyan ports of Malindi and Mombasa come under blockade. Kenyan forces reach the Ethiopian towns of El Leh and Mega before being pushed back.
August 6: The AADP begins to conduct regular bombing raids against southern cities, especially Addis Ababa, as well as using weapons such as napalm against southern villages and expected Iti-Komi cells.
August 7: ENLF forces in the town of Nakfa, with Sudanese support, declare the town as independent from Ethiopia and part of the new Eritrean People’s Republic. This results in fighting in the town between Eritrean nationalists and Ethiopian settlers.
August 8: The battle for Gondar begins as Egyptian, Sudanese, and Chadian forces begin to surround and shell the city, also conducting massive bombing raids on the nearby country side, including the use of napalm.
August 10: The Defense of Oujda in Morocco is breached following a successful pincer move by NAL forces. AADP force arrive in Nakfa, only to find that much of the town has, in a matter of days, been reduced to chaos and rubble due to infighting within the town. The occupation remains difficult, as ENLF rebels come to the town from the nearby countryside in order to aid in the fight against the AADP occupiers.
August 11: The Somalis attempt to cross the Tana River in Kenya near the towns of Garissa and Bura. The river crossing fails miserably and the Somalis are forced to fall back after taking heavy casualties. NAL forces in Morocco capture the city of Berkane. Several Moroccan divisions attempt a counter-attack to retake Oujda, but fail. Algerian President Houari Boumediene announces that Moroccan volunteers will be eligible to be incorporated into the Algerian Army.
August 12: Taking inspiration from their brothers in the northeast, ENLF forces in Assab storm the Ethiopian government buildings and declare their town independent.
August 13: In a surprise attack, Moroccan forces invade and capture Bechar, Algeria.
August 14: Algerian naval forces blockade Nador, gathering just outside the passage between the Sebkha Bou Areg lagoon and the Alboran Sea. Moroccan artillery placed around the mouth of the lagoon successfully prevents an Algerian attempt to enter, resulting in the sinking of two Algerian destroyers and heavy casualties.
August 15: The Moroccan navy fires upon the ESPS Repúblicana near Melilla, believing it to be an Algerian ship attempting to advance further west. Upon realizing the mistake, Hassan II profusely apologizes to the Spanish government and promises eventual reparations once the Algerians are defeated. AADP forces in the Ogaden meanwhile capture Jijiga and prepare to push east into Somalia. The Eritrean uprising in the southern part of the region spreads from Assab to the nearby towns of Abo, Kiloma, Rahayta, Mai-ti, and Adarte, declaring itself part of the Eritrean People’s Republic. The AADP attempts to land forces in the area directly from Yemen across the Strait of Djibouti, although after much of the fleet is damaged by Egyptian Ghawwasat, the landing is called off.
August 16: NAL forces successfully capture El Aioun Sidi Mellock in Morocco. The Somalis again attempt to take Kau and but are effectively locked in a stalemate. In Ethiopia, the defense of Gondar continues as NAL forces attempt to storm into the city but are held back by the defending AADP force.
August 17: In Morocco, an all-out NAL assault is carried out on Nador. As submarines are used to breach the Moroccan defense of the lagoon, land forces arrive from the southeast and paratroopers land in the city from above. The city is quickly occupied, and the Moroccan naval forces trapped in the lagoon are forced to surrender, leading to a massive blow for the Moroccan navy. Meanwhile, the South Ethiopians retake Debre Birhan, but are prevented from recapturing Debre Markos. AADP forces begin to arrive in the ENLF-controlled zone in southeast Eritrea, once again being met by heavy guerrilla resistance and witnessing fighting between native separatist and loyalist settler factions.
August 18: AADP forces retake Adarte from the ENLF.
August 19: The AADP force in the Ogaden begins to suffer supply issues due to supply lines being attacked by guerrilla OLO militants.
August 20: ILA activity has spread all across the region around Sudan’s southern border, causing Sudan to declare marshal law throughout the entire southern half of the country.
August 21: NAL forces begin attacking Taourirt but are pushed back by the Moroccan force.
August 23: The Ugandans attempt an offensive to break the Kenyan line and advance towards Bomet. The offensive begins with a gas attack and heavy bombings, resulting in international condemnation. The Ugandans successfully begin to march east, but the Kenyan force regroups and regains control of the line and keeps the Ugandans back. In the end, the Ugandan forces were pushed back close to their original position, although they had taken significantly fewer casualties than the Kenyans. Throughout the next several months, small and unsuccessful advances would continue to take place on both sides, with the Kenyans taking larger amounts of casualties due to the greater Ugandan use of chemical weapons.
August 25: AADP forces capture Beylul and Mai-ti in Eritrea.
August 26: Moroccan defenses are overrun at Taourirt. A group of ILA militants are found attempting to sneak into Khartoum with a large number of explosives.
August 27: The Somalis push the battered AADP forces out of Jijiga, resulting in heavy AADP losses.
August 29: Guercif falls to Algerian forces. Assab falls to AADP forces, although resistance remains strong.
September 1: AADP forces capture Abo in Eritrea.
September 4: Moroccan forces manage to push back the Algerian coastal advance near the coastal town of Al Hoceima.
September 5: Algerian forces successfully capture Taza and prepare to advance towards the major city of Fez. North Ethiopian and AADP forces capture Nekemte, causing massive amounts of destruction in their attempt to take out suspected communist cells. AADP forces in Eritrea capture Kiloma.
September 6: A large shipment of weapons from the US arrive in Rabat.
September 7: In another breakthrough at Gondar, AADP forces begin to push back the NAL force. A group of SS2 militants attempt to assassinate Mengistu in Addis Ababa through a car bombing but fail. In Eritrea, AADP forces capture Rahayta.
September 8: A second attack on Al Hoceima proves successful at pushing the Moroccan forces back. Meanwhile the AADP push west from Gondar begins to slow to another stalemate.
September 9: AADP forces in Eritrea capture the islands of Halib and Fatma, the two remaining holdouts of the Eritrean People’s Republic.
September 10: Algerian forces begin to reach the outskirts of Fez. King Hassan demands that all men in the area capable of holding a firearm be conscripted and armed to fight the Algerians, which proves to be extremely unpopular with the people of Fez, a city with strong Naarist support. This ultimately helps further bolsters the numbers of the Naarist rebels. A major shipment of Soviet-made tanks arrive in Oran and are immediately directed towards the Moroccan front. Meanwhile, the Somalis once again attempt to cross the Tana River at various points and once again fail.
September 11: Moroccan forces bomb all infrastructure leading into Fez, including the bridges across the Sebou River, and use poison gas on the NAL forces, also deciding to use poison gas to prevent the northern advance. Hassan II’s government is met with international condemnation, but he states that he is “only doing what is necessary to defend the major civilian centers of Morocco. Nonetheless, the gas attack is completely successful in haltering the Algerian advance.
September 12: Moroccan forces push east against the weakened NAL force several miles from Fez. In Operation Seagull, Arabian forces attempt a landing in northern Somalia, but their attempts are thwarted largely by the Egyptian Ghawwasat. A successfully ENLF car bombing in Assab kills several Iranian officers.
September 13: Algerian divisions successfully maneuver around the Moroccan force that crossed east of the Sebou River, trapping them and effectively eliminating the small force
September 15: After ILA militants successfully force Sudanese authorities out of Yei, the Sudanese government decides to launch an investigation to figure out where the ILA are receiving their arms.
September 16: The Algerian forces once again cross the Sebou River and begin to advance towards Fez. The Algerian air force attempts an arial bombing, but Moroccan anti-aircraft weaponry result in heavy Algerian losses.
September 17: Moroccan tank divisions are defeated outside of Fez by Algerian tanks. However, as the Algerian tanks near the city, they come under increasing artillery fire, resulting in heavy losses on both sides and forcing the Algerian tanks to retreat.
September 21: Algerian tanks enter Fez. Guerrilla fighting takes place between various factions within the city as Moroccan troops and Naarist rebels station throughout the city are found to be doing battle. NAL forces declare the city to be “liberated” from King Hassan’s rule, but fighting within the city continues. Fighting also continues on the outskirts to the west of the city. Somali forces finally have success in capturing Kau from the Kenyans.
September 22: Moroccan forces are pushed out of Bechar.
September 24: The Somalis attempt to retake Dire Dawa but are successfully fought off by the AADP forces.
September 25: Algerian forces, having steadily advanced along the coast, are thwarted about 50 km southeast of Tetouan.
September 27: Algerian forces in western Algeria attempt to cross the Draa River into Morocco but are ultimately unsuccessful.
September 30: Another Moroccan offensive takes place with the intent of taking Fez back from NAL rule. Moroccan troops successfully re-enter the city, but still fight with the Algerians to attempt to reclaim the entire city.
October 1: With Moroccan forces slowly being removed from the south to defend Morocco’s northern heartland, the Mauritanians launch an offensive to retake Nouadhibou.
October 2: The Battle of Dortyol begins as Egyptian Ghawwasat begin their blockade of the Gulf of Alexandretta in an attempt to knock the Kurds out of the war by blockading their one major port and second largest city.
October 4: Moroccan forces are once again pushed out of Fez. Meanwhile, AADP and North Ethiopian forces, with the help of multiple SS2 militants, begin to attack Addis Ababa. Mengistu and his government move south to the nearby town of Bishoftu for safety.
October 5: Nouadhibou falls to the Mauritanians. They also successfully cut of Moroccan forces in the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula from the mainland, causing the Moroccans to attempt a hastily-planned evacuation from the beachhead. Much to the surprise of the Egyptian fleet, the Kurds, with an advanced fleet of their own, are able to significantly damage several Ghawwasat and run through the blockade.
October 9: Somali forces attempt another grand offensive across the Tana River in Kenya. Several divisions successfully make it to the other side, only to find themselves cut off and encircled by the Kenyans, resulting in a Somali defeat.
October 13: The Egyptians send more of their fleet to blockade Dortyol.
October 15: The Mauritanians reach Laayoune where they are held at bay by a superior Moroccan force. The southern front was not a major concern for the Moroccans, although they desired to keep the Mauritanians south of the city. The Somalis meanwhile attempt a landing at Malindi, Kenya but fail.
October 16: The battle of Meknes begins as Algerian artillery bombard the city. King Hasan declares a policy of “not one step back”, demanding that all Moroccan forces must stand their ground and not give a single inch of land to the invaders.
October 17: King Hasan declares that “every Moroccan citizen capable of holding a gun” would be drafted for the defense of Rabat, leading to outcry from the local populace, resulting in demonstrations outside the palace. Mass arrests take place and those participating are convicted of treason.
October 18: Dire Dawa is recaptured by Somali forces.
October 19: With extra supplies coming in from the Soviet Union, NAL forces along the Mediterranean coast of Morocco push once more for Tetouan and are brought the the outskirts of the city. At the same time, increasing amounts of American weaponry begin to arrive in Rabat for a defense of the city.
October 21: After taking heavy losses, the Moroccan forces successfully push back the Algerians at Meknes. Additionally, another gas attack outside Tetouan causes significant harm to the Algerian forces, despite also killing many Moroccan civilians, receiving international outcry and under-the-table lambasting from other AADP members. King Hasan openly declares that the victory is a “turning point in the war against the Naarists”. Despite this, many of the heavily battered Moroccan troops begin to defect.
October 27: The Algerians once again push towards Meknes and are surprised by how easily they are able to break through the weakened Moroccan forces outside the city. Hasan uses another gas attack, causing even more military and civilian casualties.
October 28: The Egyptians decide to abandon their largely unsuccessful blockade of Dortyol, leading to Egypt’s first major naval defeat of the war. This victory would largely boost Kurdish national pride and support for the war.
October 29: As word spreads throughout Morocco of the harm to the Moroccan people caused by the gas attacks, more demonstrations begin taking place outside the Dar al-Makhzen Palace in Rabat as well as other points throughout the city. Additionally, Naarist street militias begin to arrive in order to protect the demonstrators against mass arrests. After a long series of failed attempts at breakthroughs on North Ethiopia’s western front, AADP forces break through the the NAL line and begin to push towards the Sudanese border.
October 30: With more than 10,000 demonstrators assembled in front of the palace in Rabat, at 11:49 PM, King Hasan ordered the royal guard to open fire on the protesters and orders more forces to arrive to deal with the situation. The newly assembled force largely consisted of unwilling draftees who had no desire to fire upon their fellow citizens, and so the arriving troops began to turn their weapons towards the palace. The troops, militias, and demonstrators storm the palace, only to find the king had escaped. King Hasan would be found two hours later attempting to get through the Rabat-Salé Airport in order to flee the country and would be detained by security who had been empathetic to the revolutionaries. He would be brought back to the palace and executed by firing squad later that day.
October 31: Algerian forces regroup and easily take Meknes and Tetouan in Morocco. Meanwhile, Sudanese authorities investigating the rebellions finally confirm that supplies for the ILA had been entering southern Sudan via Zaire. He also finds that Zaire had been moving their own troops to the border, likely for some sort of defense. Sudanese President Ismail al-Azhari immediately contacted Ugandan President Idi Amin to formalize an invasion plan for Zaire.
November 1: As Morocco begins its descent into anarchy, the remainder of the old government is purged and a new Naarist revolutionary government headed by Mehdi ben Barka, an activist who had gone into hiding following Hasan’s ascent to the throne, assumes the Presidency of the new provisional government, officially surrendering to Algeria and Mauritania.
November 2: The Somalis attempt to push from their position of Kau further south crossing the Tana River close to the mouth. The Kenyans successfully hold the Somalis back. Meanwhile, the Northerners and AADP are pushed out of the Addis Ababa area.
November 3: In the Treaty of Rabat, Moroccan, Algerian, and Mauritanian leaders meet. Morocco agrees to give up the Western Sahara territory to Mauritania. Algeria and Morocco would abolish visa requirements between the two countries. Algeria would receive any territory disputed between the two nations, and Morocco would join the NAL, although would be permitted to sit out the remainder of the war.
November 4: Sudan, announcing their findings to the world, would declare war on Zaire. In response, Mobutu, who had moved some troops to the border, began to bomb Sudanese military bases in the southern part of the country, although also hitting many ILA bases in the attack. Operation Strangled Rooster would see a similar attack on Uganda, bombing infrastructure and even using poison gas in order to causes as much damage to the Ugandans as possible. Under Operation Leopard, Ugandan President Idi Amin officially declares war on Zaire, and so the Zairean front of the war would be opened up. This was much to the surprise of the AADP and even fellow NAL nations. These plans had only been discussed between the Sudanese and Ugandans. The AADP was not expecting to have to support Zaire, despite Zaire’s own preparations for war. Mobutu had built up a modestly sized military that he viewed as capable of combatting the invading forces. Amin, however, was prepared to launch an absolutely brutal campaign, declaring the Zairean people to be “savages” to the entire Ugandan population and stating that they would “witness Ugandan superiority”. True to his warnings, the Zairean front would be one of the bloodiest of the war, featuring the worst of atrocities that would haunt the continent for decades to come.
Ugandan President Idi Amin declares war on Mobutu's Zaire (11/4/1969).
“Friends, Ugandans, countrymen. November 4, 1969 is a date which shall live in infamy. On this day, the Republic of Zaire, a puppet of the Asians and of the west, carried out a bombing of our motherland, a bombing which involved the use of poison gas and other chemical weapons, killing tens of thousands in the shining city of Kampala alone. On this day, the inferior savages to the west have caused our people unprecedented harm. Therefore, let us, the purest and greatest of African peoples, now march off to war in the west, where we will avenge our fallen and make Mobutu and his people witness Ugandan superiority! Nothing will stand in our way as we destroy our enemy! Our people and our allies are winning on all fronts, and so too, inshallah, God willing, will we be victorious in our conquest of Zaire!”
Idi Amin had finished speaking, finished addressing his nation. The crowd went wild with cheer.
“Hail Amin!” they shouted. “Hail Uganda! Hail Victory!”
1969
May 5: Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie announces Ethiopia’s intention to build a Blue Nile dam.
May 6: Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Sudanese President Ismail al-Azhari issue an ultimatum towards Ethiopia to go back on their plan or face conflict. Haile Selassie refuses.
May 20: The communist Derg militia, led by Mengistu Haile Mariam, shocks the world by overthrowing the seemingly stable Ethiopian government in Addis Ababa. The Emperor, his family, and many elements of his government survive and flee to Mekele. Mengistu immediately announces the new People’s Republic of Ethiopia and declares Ethiopia’s withdrawal from the AADP. At the time, it was not yet known that Egyptian agents had assisted in the coup. The nations of the Warsaw Pact and the NAL recognize the new Ethiopian government. The entirety of the AADP recognizes the old government as legitimate, and Israeli PM Golda Meir and Arabian PM Bahjat Talhouni demand Egypt and the rest of the NAL countries renounce their recognition of the new government.
May 22: The first foreign AADP troops arrive in the Eritrea region in northern Ethiopia at the port of Massawa. The largest portion of the troops are Arabian, with a small portion of Israeli troops arriving as well. Kurdish and Iranian troops begin to arrive the following day.
May 25: A series of Eritrean nationalist bombings in Massawa are carried out on the same day, including a bombing against the city hall, a bombing by the port, and a bombing against the Emperor Selassie Seaside hotel, which at the time was hosting a number of Arabian soldiers. Approximately 154 combined soldiers and civilians were killed in the attack.
May 26: As Mengistu continues to secure cities in the south. AADP and imperial troops begin to secure northern cities including Gondar, Dessie, Bahir Dar, and Dembecha. Settlers in the Ogaden to the east declare loyalty to the Emperor.
May 27: The AADP begins to carry out bombings against Addis Ababa and other southern cities.
May 29: The ethnic-Somali Ogaden Liberation Organization (OLO) conducts a bombing against an Ethiopian government building in the town of Degehabur, marking the start of the Second Naxdin. Ethnic Somalis throughout the Ogaden would begin to rise up, attacking Ethiopian settlers, who were now mostly reliant on their own militias to fight back.
June 5: Defending ethnic Somalis in the region, Somalia invades the Ogaden, securing it for themselves.
June 6: Haile Selassie officially declares war on Somalia. Egypt, Sudan, and Somalia declare war on Selassie’s government. Israel and the UAS declare war on Somalia, Egypt, Sudan, and the PRE. Later on, these declarations of war are followed by declarations from the remaining AADP and NAL countries. This marks the official start of the Great African War.
June 9: Egyptian and Sudanese forces begin arriving on the front in Ethiopia, placing troops along the Sudanese border and sending more forces to Addis Ababa.
June 10: Egypt deploys its naval fleet, including its massive fleet of Ghawwasat, which are placed throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, near Arabian Red Sea ports such as Jeddah, and along chokepoints such as the Straits of Tiran and Djibouti, with the Strait of Tiran immediately being effectively closed off to Israeli shipping. They are also deployed along the Eritrean coast in an attempt to stop the AADP aiding their ally.
June 14: A Egyptian, Sudanese, and Chadian forces begin to push eastward into northern Ethiopia, although they are quickly slowed in their advance by the mountainous terrain, only making it a few miles across the border. Egyptian Ghawwasat sink the UAS Asada about ten nautical miles from the port of Massawa, carrying hundreds of Arabian troops as well as large quantities of supplies. Over the course of the war, Egyptian dominance on the Red Sea would prove to be an issue for the AADP forces.
June 15: Operation Hyena, the planned joint invasion of Kenya begins. Somalia advances southwest relatively unhindered for the next two days, being treated as liberators by the local Somalis before being held off at the Tana River as well as further to the north. The Somalis decide to secure their holdings before attempting to advance further. By contrast, fighting in the west is much more bloody. The Ugandan Airforce, having been built up by Egyptian and Soviet aid in the years prior to the war, bombarded various Kenyan cities and towns in the west in the early morning, including Eldoret, Kisumu, Bungoma, and Kitale. The Ugandan military would quickly sweep in from the west, capturing Bungama and Kitale later that day. Idi Amin would hail the victory as an example of Ugandan national might, declaring it as evidence of Uganda’s superiority over “the colonizers and the other nations of [Sub-Saharan] Africa”. Idi Amin would also declare that, in the name of making occupation easier, the Ugandan military would “depopulate” any Kenyan villages that “appear to be putting up a fight”. The Kenyan refugee crisis would cause heavy outcry from Uganda’s enemies, but it would be a mere shadow of Uganda’s atrocities to occur later in the war.
June 16: The Iranian government begins its policy of re-arming South Turks to defend their country and help fight in Africa to much controversy.
June 18: The Battle of the Rosinga Channel begins in northeastern Lake Victoria as Ugandan naval forces attempt to break through into Winam Gulf. With a larger fleet on Lake Victoria, they succeed in breaching past Kenyan defenses and enter the gulf.
June 19: As Tunisian and Libyan forces continue to make their way to Algeria, Moroccan forces begin their push into Algerian with a blitzkrieg-style attack, sending waves of bombers before sending a large number of tanks and troops. They quickly occupy the city of Maghnia after pushing past Algerian defenses and were soon met by a larger force at Tlemcen.
June 20: Ugandan forces capture Kisumu, landing troops all around the Winam Gulf. The North Ethiopians secure Debre Markos from the south.
June 21: Mauritanian forces begin a trek through the desert towards Laayoune, hoping to take the city from Morocco. AADP forces in Ethiopia attempt to push back the NAL force in western Ethiopia and manage to successfully push them back to about a mile from the border.
June 22: Tlemcen falls to Moroccan forces. Ugandan forces reach the Kenyan city of Eldoret.
June 23: The AADP begin to push towards Addis Ababa.
June 25: The Moroccans launch an arial bombardment against the Mauritanian force in the Western Sahara territory. The attack successfully scatters Mauritanian forces, sending them retreating back towards Mauritania. The AADP offensive to Addis Ababa is thwarted by guerrilla fighters about 60 miles north of the city.
June 27: After fierce fighting, the Kenyan forces retreat from Eldoret, allowing the Ugandan forces, who had taken relatively fewer casualties, to capture the city.
June 29: Ugandan forces attempt another advance east once more, only to find that not far past Eldoret in the north and Kenya’s Nyanza province in the south, the Kenyans had formed a series of trenches, forts, and other defensive measures designed to keep the Ugandan force at bay in a line extending all the way up toward Lake Turkana, making use of the Rift Valley. These defenses would be vulnerable to air assaults, but were useful in preventing the Ugandan advance. Additionally, the arrival of freshly-drafted reinforcements would help to keep the Ugandan force at bay. At the same time, large numbers of internally displaced individuals from the western portion of the country would flee east towards the capital, further putting strain on the Kenyan government.
June 30: At a secret meeting at the palace in Gdabolite, Israeli Defense Minister Self el-Din el-Zoubi meets with Zairean President Mobutu to form the Gbadolite Agreement. Under the secret agreement, Mobutu agreed to allow aid to be sent through his country to the ILA in southern Sudan. This agreement would pave the way for Zaire’s eventual entry into the war. Meanwhile, in Kenya, the Somalis successfully secured Kenya’s northeastern province with the Kenyan’s opting to maintain their defensive position beyond the Somali-occupied land.
July 1: Moroccan forces reach the Algerian city of Sidi Bel Abbes on the way to Oran. They begin to bombard the city while laying siege to it. Meanwhile, reinforcements begin to arrive in Oran. Egyptian forces establish themselves on the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, two deserted islands disputed between Egypt and the UAS that Egypt uses to establish a military base. Another major Eritrean nationalist bombing takes place in Asmara, attacking an Ethiopian government building.
July 2: Emperor Selassie declares marshal law in major Eritrean cities, especially Asmara and Massawa.
July 3: The Battle of Sidi Bel Abbes ends with a Moroccan victory. Moroccan forces are immediately ordered north to march on Oran. Moroccan forces hope that victory in Algeria’s second largest city could cause the country to potentially pull out of the war early. The siege of Oran begins that evening. They are met by a surprisingly large force of Algerian, Tunisian, and Libyan soldiers. Meanwhile, Morocco sends another force south from the Western Sahara territory to capture Nouadhibou, Mauritania and occupy the city, preventing the Mauritanians from attempting to advance from the south along the road into the territory.
July 7: The Somalis attempt to push south towards the northeastern portion of Kenya’s coast. They successfully reach the coast at Mambore and Kiunga and near Kiwayu Island, but are held back further down on the coast.
July 8: The battle for Debre Birhan ends with a North Ethiopian victory.
July 10: AADP forces retake Dire Dawa in the Ogaden from the Somalis. Another attempt at an NAL offensive eastward into northern Ethiopia fails once again.
July 13: Ugandan forces attempt an offensive deeper into Kenya through the Mau Forest, but are halted in their advance, taking heavy losses, causing them to return to their positions. The victory would be marked as Kenya’s first of the war, although fighting would continue in the Mau and along the Rift Valley throughout the war.
July 14: The ILA, having gone into hiding since the end of their previous uprising, begins to rise again, attacking Sudanese authorities primarily in the Imatong Mountains, as well as along the Zairean and Ugandan northern borders, with resistance taking place as far north as Juba.
July 15: After the bloodiest battle of the war so far, the NAL forces successfully lifts the Moroccan siege of Oran after more reinforcements from outside the city break through the invading army. The result is a heavy loss of life for Moroccan soldiers.
July 16: Another Somali push into Kenya successfully brings more of the coastal region under Somali control with an area including Kiangwe, Mankish, and Agumba. The Somalis also begin to blockade the Lamu Archipelago with the help of the Egyptian navy.
July 18: Iti-Komi militants begin to attack Northern forces in Debre Markos and Debre Birhan, shaking the Northern control.
July 19: NAL forces liberate Sidi Bel Abbes from Moroccan control, pushing the Moroccan forces back west towards Morocco.
June 20: The AADP’s plans to move east through the Ogaden into Somalia are put on hold due to the need to pacify the Somali rebels at Dire Dawa.
July 21: As Algerian forces near Tlemcen, they are surprised to find the Moroccans pulled out to return west to defend their border. The Algerian force is also surprised to find that mines and explosives had been laid around the city in attempt to harass the NAL forces. The Moroccans, however, had been equally surprised, as Algeria had specifically bombed all of the roads leading into Morocco, making retreat difficult. Algerian planes were sent to bomb the fleeing Moroccan force, leading to another heavy loss of life. Meanwhile, in Sudan, Sudanese tanks begin to arrive in Juba, where the revolutionary activity has consumed the entire city.
July 22: With some Egyptian support, Somali forces land on the Lamu archipelago on the islands of Pate, Manda, and Lamu. Eritrean nationalists form the ENLF (Eritrean National Liberation Front).
July 23: Somali forces capture Nginda, Jipe, Mokowe, and Hidio in Kenya. The Arabians unsuccessfully attempt to land on Sanafir Island.
July 24: A monarchist rebellion lead by SS2 breaks out in the southern Ethiopian city of Awassa, leading to fighting in the city between various factions.
July 25: Attempting to retake territory from the Ugandans, the Kenyans launch an offensive near Kericho, a large town just across the front occupied by Uganda in an attempt to take back the town. The offensive results in heavy Kenyan losses compared to the relatively unscathed Ugandan force. NAL forces attempt another westward offensive into North Ethiopia but are beaten back by AADP forces.
July 26: South Ethiopian forces arrive in Awassa, facing heavy resistance.
July 27: NAL forces manage to breach the AADP line and begin to advance east into Ethiopia.
July 28: Somali forces capture Mpeketoni, Kenya. Maganan, Ethiopia falls to NAL forces.
July 29: The Awassa rebellion is mostly put down. ENLF militants continue to carry out numerous bombings throughout northern port cities and Asmara, causing the AADP to divert resources in order to put down the rebellion.
August 1: NAL forces cross the Algerian border into Morocco, with a massive force pushing towards Oujda. Many Moroccan Naarists run over to join the invading force, viewing them as liberators. Moroccan forces dig in to defend the city. Meanwhile, more NAL divisions further north move to take Berkane.
August 4: The Kenyans push back the Somalis’ coastal advance at Kau. The Kenyans also attempt to push north into Ethiopia, capturing the border towns of Moyale and Tuk’a.
August 5: The Kenyan ports of Malindi and Mombasa come under blockade. Kenyan forces reach the Ethiopian towns of El Leh and Mega before being pushed back.
August 6: The AADP begins to conduct regular bombing raids against southern cities, especially Addis Ababa, as well as using weapons such as napalm against southern villages and expected Iti-Komi cells.
August 7: ENLF forces in the town of Nakfa, with Sudanese support, declare the town as independent from Ethiopia and part of the new Eritrean People’s Republic. This results in fighting in the town between Eritrean nationalists and Ethiopian settlers.
August 8: The battle for Gondar begins as Egyptian, Sudanese, and Chadian forces begin to surround and shell the city, also conducting massive bombing raids on the nearby country side, including the use of napalm.
August 10: The Defense of Oujda in Morocco is breached following a successful pincer move by NAL forces. AADP force arrive in Nakfa, only to find that much of the town has, in a matter of days, been reduced to chaos and rubble due to infighting within the town. The occupation remains difficult, as ENLF rebels come to the town from the nearby countryside in order to aid in the fight against the AADP occupiers.
August 11: The Somalis attempt to cross the Tana River in Kenya near the towns of Garissa and Bura. The river crossing fails miserably and the Somalis are forced to fall back after taking heavy casualties. NAL forces in Morocco capture the city of Berkane. Several Moroccan divisions attempt a counter-attack to retake Oujda, but fail. Algerian President Houari Boumediene announces that Moroccan volunteers will be eligible to be incorporated into the Algerian Army.
August 12: Taking inspiration from their brothers in the northeast, ENLF forces in Assab storm the Ethiopian government buildings and declare their town independent.
August 13: In a surprise attack, Moroccan forces invade and capture Bechar, Algeria.
August 14: Algerian naval forces blockade Nador, gathering just outside the passage between the Sebkha Bou Areg lagoon and the Alboran Sea. Moroccan artillery placed around the mouth of the lagoon successfully prevents an Algerian attempt to enter, resulting in the sinking of two Algerian destroyers and heavy casualties.
August 15: The Moroccan navy fires upon the ESPS Repúblicana near Melilla, believing it to be an Algerian ship attempting to advance further west. Upon realizing the mistake, Hassan II profusely apologizes to the Spanish government and promises eventual reparations once the Algerians are defeated. AADP forces in the Ogaden meanwhile capture Jijiga and prepare to push east into Somalia. The Eritrean uprising in the southern part of the region spreads from Assab to the nearby towns of Abo, Kiloma, Rahayta, Mai-ti, and Adarte, declaring itself part of the Eritrean People’s Republic. The AADP attempts to land forces in the area directly from Yemen across the Strait of Djibouti, although after much of the fleet is damaged by Egyptian Ghawwasat, the landing is called off.
August 16: NAL forces successfully capture El Aioun Sidi Mellock in Morocco. The Somalis again attempt to take Kau and but are effectively locked in a stalemate. In Ethiopia, the defense of Gondar continues as NAL forces attempt to storm into the city but are held back by the defending AADP force.
August 17: In Morocco, an all-out NAL assault is carried out on Nador. As submarines are used to breach the Moroccan defense of the lagoon, land forces arrive from the southeast and paratroopers land in the city from above. The city is quickly occupied, and the Moroccan naval forces trapped in the lagoon are forced to surrender, leading to a massive blow for the Moroccan navy. Meanwhile, the South Ethiopians retake Debre Birhan, but are prevented from recapturing Debre Markos. AADP forces begin to arrive in the ENLF-controlled zone in southeast Eritrea, once again being met by heavy guerrilla resistance and witnessing fighting between native separatist and loyalist settler factions.
August 18: AADP forces retake Adarte from the ENLF.
August 19: The AADP force in the Ogaden begins to suffer supply issues due to supply lines being attacked by guerrilla OLO militants.
August 20: ILA activity has spread all across the region around Sudan’s southern border, causing Sudan to declare marshal law throughout the entire southern half of the country.
August 21: NAL forces begin attacking Taourirt but are pushed back by the Moroccan force.
August 23: The Ugandans attempt an offensive to break the Kenyan line and advance towards Bomet. The offensive begins with a gas attack and heavy bombings, resulting in international condemnation. The Ugandans successfully begin to march east, but the Kenyan force regroups and regains control of the line and keeps the Ugandans back. In the end, the Ugandan forces were pushed back close to their original position, although they had taken significantly fewer casualties than the Kenyans. Throughout the next several months, small and unsuccessful advances would continue to take place on both sides, with the Kenyans taking larger amounts of casualties due to the greater Ugandan use of chemical weapons.
August 25: AADP forces capture Beylul and Mai-ti in Eritrea.
August 26: Moroccan defenses are overrun at Taourirt. A group of ILA militants are found attempting to sneak into Khartoum with a large number of explosives.
August 27: The Somalis push the battered AADP forces out of Jijiga, resulting in heavy AADP losses.
August 29: Guercif falls to Algerian forces. Assab falls to AADP forces, although resistance remains strong.
September 1: AADP forces capture Abo in Eritrea.
September 4: Moroccan forces manage to push back the Algerian coastal advance near the coastal town of Al Hoceima.
September 5: Algerian forces successfully capture Taza and prepare to advance towards the major city of Fez. North Ethiopian and AADP forces capture Nekemte, causing massive amounts of destruction in their attempt to take out suspected communist cells. AADP forces in Eritrea capture Kiloma.
September 6: A large shipment of weapons from the US arrive in Rabat.
September 7: In another breakthrough at Gondar, AADP forces begin to push back the NAL force. A group of SS2 militants attempt to assassinate Mengistu in Addis Ababa through a car bombing but fail. In Eritrea, AADP forces capture Rahayta.
September 8: A second attack on Al Hoceima proves successful at pushing the Moroccan forces back. Meanwhile the AADP push west from Gondar begins to slow to another stalemate.
September 9: AADP forces in Eritrea capture the islands of Halib and Fatma, the two remaining holdouts of the Eritrean People’s Republic.
September 10: Algerian forces begin to reach the outskirts of Fez. King Hassan demands that all men in the area capable of holding a firearm be conscripted and armed to fight the Algerians, which proves to be extremely unpopular with the people of Fez, a city with strong Naarist support. This ultimately helps further bolsters the numbers of the Naarist rebels. A major shipment of Soviet-made tanks arrive in Oran and are immediately directed towards the Moroccan front. Meanwhile, the Somalis once again attempt to cross the Tana River at various points and once again fail.
September 11: Moroccan forces bomb all infrastructure leading into Fez, including the bridges across the Sebou River, and use poison gas on the NAL forces, also deciding to use poison gas to prevent the northern advance. Hassan II’s government is met with international condemnation, but he states that he is “only doing what is necessary to defend the major civilian centers of Morocco. Nonetheless, the gas attack is completely successful in haltering the Algerian advance.
September 12: Moroccan forces push east against the weakened NAL force several miles from Fez. In Operation Seagull, Arabian forces attempt a landing in northern Somalia, but their attempts are thwarted largely by the Egyptian Ghawwasat. A successfully ENLF car bombing in Assab kills several Iranian officers.
September 13: Algerian divisions successfully maneuver around the Moroccan force that crossed east of the Sebou River, trapping them and effectively eliminating the small force
September 15: After ILA militants successfully force Sudanese authorities out of Yei, the Sudanese government decides to launch an investigation to figure out where the ILA are receiving their arms.
September 16: The Algerian forces once again cross the Sebou River and begin to advance towards Fez. The Algerian air force attempts an arial bombing, but Moroccan anti-aircraft weaponry result in heavy Algerian losses.
September 17: Moroccan tank divisions are defeated outside of Fez by Algerian tanks. However, as the Algerian tanks near the city, they come under increasing artillery fire, resulting in heavy losses on both sides and forcing the Algerian tanks to retreat.
September 21: Algerian tanks enter Fez. Guerrilla fighting takes place between various factions within the city as Moroccan troops and Naarist rebels station throughout the city are found to be doing battle. NAL forces declare the city to be “liberated” from King Hassan’s rule, but fighting within the city continues. Fighting also continues on the outskirts to the west of the city. Somali forces finally have success in capturing Kau from the Kenyans.
September 22: Moroccan forces are pushed out of Bechar.
September 24: The Somalis attempt to retake Dire Dawa but are successfully fought off by the AADP forces.
September 25: Algerian forces, having steadily advanced along the coast, are thwarted about 50 km southeast of Tetouan.
September 27: Algerian forces in western Algeria attempt to cross the Draa River into Morocco but are ultimately unsuccessful.
September 30: Another Moroccan offensive takes place with the intent of taking Fez back from NAL rule. Moroccan troops successfully re-enter the city, but still fight with the Algerians to attempt to reclaim the entire city.
October 1: With Moroccan forces slowly being removed from the south to defend Morocco’s northern heartland, the Mauritanians launch an offensive to retake Nouadhibou.
October 2: The Battle of Dortyol begins as Egyptian Ghawwasat begin their blockade of the Gulf of Alexandretta in an attempt to knock the Kurds out of the war by blockading their one major port and second largest city.
October 4: Moroccan forces are once again pushed out of Fez. Meanwhile, AADP and North Ethiopian forces, with the help of multiple SS2 militants, begin to attack Addis Ababa. Mengistu and his government move south to the nearby town of Bishoftu for safety.
October 5: Nouadhibou falls to the Mauritanians. They also successfully cut of Moroccan forces in the Ras Nouadhibou peninsula from the mainland, causing the Moroccans to attempt a hastily-planned evacuation from the beachhead. Much to the surprise of the Egyptian fleet, the Kurds, with an advanced fleet of their own, are able to significantly damage several Ghawwasat and run through the blockade.
October 9: Somali forces attempt another grand offensive across the Tana River in Kenya. Several divisions successfully make it to the other side, only to find themselves cut off and encircled by the Kenyans, resulting in a Somali defeat.
October 13: The Egyptians send more of their fleet to blockade Dortyol.
October 15: The Mauritanians reach Laayoune where they are held at bay by a superior Moroccan force. The southern front was not a major concern for the Moroccans, although they desired to keep the Mauritanians south of the city. The Somalis meanwhile attempt a landing at Malindi, Kenya but fail.
October 16: The battle of Meknes begins as Algerian artillery bombard the city. King Hasan declares a policy of “not one step back”, demanding that all Moroccan forces must stand their ground and not give a single inch of land to the invaders.
October 17: King Hasan declares that “every Moroccan citizen capable of holding a gun” would be drafted for the defense of Rabat, leading to outcry from the local populace, resulting in demonstrations outside the palace. Mass arrests take place and those participating are convicted of treason.
October 18: Dire Dawa is recaptured by Somali forces.
October 19: With extra supplies coming in from the Soviet Union, NAL forces along the Mediterranean coast of Morocco push once more for Tetouan and are brought the the outskirts of the city. At the same time, increasing amounts of American weaponry begin to arrive in Rabat for a defense of the city.
October 21: After taking heavy losses, the Moroccan forces successfully push back the Algerians at Meknes. Additionally, another gas attack outside Tetouan causes significant harm to the Algerian forces, despite also killing many Moroccan civilians, receiving international outcry and under-the-table lambasting from other AADP members. King Hasan openly declares that the victory is a “turning point in the war against the Naarists”. Despite this, many of the heavily battered Moroccan troops begin to defect.
October 27: The Algerians once again push towards Meknes and are surprised by how easily they are able to break through the weakened Moroccan forces outside the city. Hasan uses another gas attack, causing even more military and civilian casualties.
October 28: The Egyptians decide to abandon their largely unsuccessful blockade of Dortyol, leading to Egypt’s first major naval defeat of the war. This victory would largely boost Kurdish national pride and support for the war.
October 29: As word spreads throughout Morocco of the harm to the Moroccan people caused by the gas attacks, more demonstrations begin taking place outside the Dar al-Makhzen Palace in Rabat as well as other points throughout the city. Additionally, Naarist street militias begin to arrive in order to protect the demonstrators against mass arrests. After a long series of failed attempts at breakthroughs on North Ethiopia’s western front, AADP forces break through the the NAL line and begin to push towards the Sudanese border.
October 30: With more than 10,000 demonstrators assembled in front of the palace in Rabat, at 11:49 PM, King Hasan ordered the royal guard to open fire on the protesters and orders more forces to arrive to deal with the situation. The newly assembled force largely consisted of unwilling draftees who had no desire to fire upon their fellow citizens, and so the arriving troops began to turn their weapons towards the palace. The troops, militias, and demonstrators storm the palace, only to find the king had escaped. King Hasan would be found two hours later attempting to get through the Rabat-Salé Airport in order to flee the country and would be detained by security who had been empathetic to the revolutionaries. He would be brought back to the palace and executed by firing squad later that day.
October 31: Algerian forces regroup and easily take Meknes and Tetouan in Morocco. Meanwhile, Sudanese authorities investigating the rebellions finally confirm that supplies for the ILA had been entering southern Sudan via Zaire. He also finds that Zaire had been moving their own troops to the border, likely for some sort of defense. Sudanese President Ismail al-Azhari immediately contacted Ugandan President Idi Amin to formalize an invasion plan for Zaire.
November 1: As Morocco begins its descent into anarchy, the remainder of the old government is purged and a new Naarist revolutionary government headed by Mehdi ben Barka, an activist who had gone into hiding following Hasan’s ascent to the throne, assumes the Presidency of the new provisional government, officially surrendering to Algeria and Mauritania.
November 2: The Somalis attempt to push from their position of Kau further south crossing the Tana River close to the mouth. The Kenyans successfully hold the Somalis back. Meanwhile, the Northerners and AADP are pushed out of the Addis Ababa area.
November 3: In the Treaty of Rabat, Moroccan, Algerian, and Mauritanian leaders meet. Morocco agrees to give up the Western Sahara territory to Mauritania. Algeria and Morocco would abolish visa requirements between the two countries. Algeria would receive any territory disputed between the two nations, and Morocco would join the NAL, although would be permitted to sit out the remainder of the war.
November 4: Sudan, announcing their findings to the world, would declare war on Zaire. In response, Mobutu, who had moved some troops to the border, began to bomb Sudanese military bases in the southern part of the country, although also hitting many ILA bases in the attack. Operation Strangled Rooster would see a similar attack on Uganda, bombing infrastructure and even using poison gas in order to causes as much damage to the Ugandans as possible. Under Operation Leopard, Ugandan President Idi Amin officially declares war on Zaire, and so the Zairean front of the war would be opened up. This was much to the surprise of the AADP and even fellow NAL nations. These plans had only been discussed between the Sudanese and Ugandans. The AADP was not expecting to have to support Zaire, despite Zaire’s own preparations for war. Mobutu had built up a modestly sized military that he viewed as capable of combatting the invading forces. Amin, however, was prepared to launch an absolutely brutal campaign, declaring the Zairean people to be “savages” to the entire Ugandan population and stating that they would “witness Ugandan superiority”. True to his warnings, the Zairean front would be one of the bloodiest of the war, featuring the worst of atrocities that would haunt the continent for decades to come.
Ugandan President Idi Amin declares war on Mobutu's Zaire (11/4/1969).
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