North Yemen civil war

Long ago, a war started in North Yemen.

One group wanted a king to lead. The other group wanted a republic. A leader named Sallal led the republic side. He ended slavery in the land.

Many other lands helped the two sides. Egypt sent troops to help the republic. Other lands helped the king's side.

The fighting lasted for many years. It was very hard for everyone. Finally, the two sides agreed to stop fighting.

This war changed how the people lived.

In 1962, a war began in North Yemen.

Two groups fought for control of the land. One group wanted a king. This group was called the royalists. They followed King Muhammad al-Badr. The other group wanted a republic. This group was led by Abdullah al-Sallal. His new government ended slavery in Yemen.

Many other countries joined the fight. Egypt sent up to 70,000 troops to help the republic. The Soviet Union also sent warplanes. On the other side, Saudi Arabia and Jordan gave aid to the king. Britain also helped the royalists.

The fighting was very hard. By the mid-1960s, neither side could win. This was called a stalemate. In 1967, Egypt had to pull its troops out. This happened because of another war. Later, the royalists tried to take the capital city, Sana'a. They held a siege, which is a long period of blocking a city. The republic kept control of the city. Finally, in 1970, the two sides agreed to stop. Saudi Arabia recognized the new republic, and a ceasefire began.

The North Yemen civil war was a major conflict in the Middle East. It lasted from 1962 until 1970. This war was fought in a place called North Yemen. Two main groups fought for control of the country. One group wanted to keep the Mutawakkilite Kingdom. These people were known as the royalists. The other group wanted to form the Yemen Arab Republic. These people were called the republicans.

The war began with a sudden change in power. In 1962, a group of revolutionary republicans led a coup. A man named Abdullah al-Sallal led this army movement. He removed King Muhammad al-Badr from his throne. Al-Sallal declared Yemen a republic and became its president. His new government made a big change by ending slavery.

The king escaped to the Saudi Arabian border. He gathered support from northern Zaydi tribes to fight back. This turned the local struggle into a full-scale civil war.

Many other nations decided to join the fight. This made the war much larger and more complex. Egypt supported the republicans with many people and tools. President Gamal Abdel Nasser sent as many as 70,000 troops. The Soviet Union also sent 24 MiG-19 warplanes to help.

On the other side, the royalists received help too. Jordan and Saudi Arabia provided military aid to the king. Britain also gave secret support to the royalist side.

The fighting lasted for many years without a clear winner. By the middle of the 1960s, the war reached a stalemate. A stalemate is when neither side can win.

In 1967, Egypt had to start pulling its troops out. This happened because Egypt was busy with the Six-Day War. During this time, the royalists tried to take the capital city, Sana'a. They held a siege on the city for a long time. However, the republicans managed to keep control of the capital.

Peace finally came after years of hard fighting. In 1970, a ceasefire was put into effect. Saudi Arabia officially recognized the new Yemen Arab Republic.

This helped bring the long conflict to an end. Historians sometimes compare this war to other famous wars. Some Egyptian historians call it their "Vietnam." This is because it was a very difficult and long struggle for them. The war changed the history of Yemen forever.

The North Yemen civil war was a major conflict in the Middle East. It lasted from 1962 to 1970. The war took place in North Yemen. Two main groups fought for control of the country. One group wanted to keep the Mutawakkilite Kingdom. These people were called the royalists. The other group wanted to form the Yemen Arab Republic. These people were called the republicans.

The war began with a coup d'état in 1962. A coup d'état is a sudden, often violent, change in government. Revolutionary republicans led this movement. They were under the command of Abdullah al-Sallal. Al-Sallal led the army to remove the king. The king was Muhammad al-Badr. Al-Sallal declared Yemen a republic. He became the first president of this new government. His administration made a major change by abolishing slavery in Yemen.

After the coup, the conflict escalated into a full-scale civil war. King Muhammad al-Badr escaped to the Saudi Arabian border. He gathered support from northern Zaydi tribes to fight for his throne. This created two fighting sides within the country. The royalists fought to restore the kingdom. The republicans fought to maintain the new republic. The war involved many different types of forces. Both regular armies and irregular forces participated in the fighting.

Many foreign nations joined the war to support different sides. This turned a local struggle into an international conflict. Egypt supported the republicans. President Gamal Abdel Nasser sent as many as 70,000 Egyptian troops to Yemen. The Soviet Union also provided military aid. They sent 24 MiG-19 warplanes to help the republicans.

On the other side, the royalists received help too. Jordan and Saudi Arabia supplied military aid to the king. Britain also provided covert support to the royalist side.

The fighting lasted for many years without a clear winner. By the mid-1960s, the war reached a stalemate. A stalemate happens when neither side can gain a decisive advantage. The war was very difficult for Egypt. Some historians say the war in Yemen hurt Egypt's performance in the 1967 Six-Day War. During that conflict, Egypt had to pull its forces out of Yemen. This changed the balance of power. In 1967, the royalists attempted a siege of the capital city, Sana'a.

Internal shifts also changed the republican leadership. On November 5, 1967, Yemeni dissidents removed Sallal from power. These dissidents were supported by republican tribesmen. New leaders like Abdul Rahman al-Eryani and Ahmed Noman took over. However, they soon resigned or fled the country. Prime Minister Hassan al-Amri took control of the capital. The siege of Sana'a became a turning point. The republicans held the city. By February 1968, the royalists finally lifted the siege.

Peace finally arrived in 1970. A ceasefire went into effect that year. Saudi Arabia officially recognized the Yemen Arab Republic. This recognition helped end the long period of fighting.

The war had a massive impact on the nations involved. Egyptian military historians call this war their "Vietnam." They use this term because it was a long and difficult struggle. Some historians even compared the Egyptian experience to the American experience in the Vietnam War. The conflict shaped the modern history of North Yemen.