Military occupation facts for kids

A German stamp from 1948, showing "Soviet Occupation Zone".

An occupied territory is a piece of land that is under the control of another country's military. This usually happens during or after a war. The army that takes control is called the "occupying power."

What is Military Occupation?

When one country's army takes over land from another country, it's called a military occupation. This control is usually temporary. It means the occupying army manages the area. They might set up checkpoints or control who comes and goes.

Sometimes, after a war, the occupied land is given back. Other times, it might stay under the control of the winning country. But it might no longer be called "militarily occupied."

Examples from History

Many areas have been occupied during and after big wars. Here are some important examples:

After World War I

• Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (OETA): After World War I (1914-1918), parts of the Middle East were controlled by British and French forces from 1917 to 1920.

After World War II

• Soviet Occupation Zone: After World War II (1939-1945), the Soviet Union controlled a part of Germany from 1945 to 1949.
• Allied-occupied Germany: Other parts of Germany were controlled by the Allied powers (like the United States, Britain, and France) during the same time.

An Israeli military checkpoint in the West Bank.

Turkish soldiers on patrol in Northern Syria, 2018.

Long-Lasting Occupations

Some military occupations have lasted for a very long time, even decades.

• Namibia by South Africa: South Africa occupied Namibia for many years.
• East Timor by Indonesia: Indonesia occupied East Timor for a long time.
• Northern Cyprus by Turkey: Parts of Cyprus have been under Turkish control since 1974.
• Western Sahara by Morocco: Morocco has controlled parts of Western Sahara since 1975.

The longest ongoing occupation in modern times is Israel's control of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This began in 1967 and continues today.

Some other areas where control is debated include:

• The Falkland Islands (also called Malvinas) by the United Kingdom since 1833. Argentina claims these islands.
• Tibet by China since 1950.
• The Kingdom of Hawaii by the United States since 1893.

Recent Occupations (21st Century)

In recent years, there have been other cases of military occupation:

• Gash-Barka Region: This area was taken over in 2000 during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War.
• Iraq: The United States occupied Iraq from 2003 to 2011 during the Iraq War.
• Somalia: Parts of Somalia were occupied during the War in Somalia (2006–09).
• Gori and Poti: These cities in Georgia were occupied by Russia during the Russo-Georgian War in 2008.
• Crimea: Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, and then took it over. This happened during unrest in Ukraine.
• Northern Syria: Turkey has occupied parts of northern Syria since 2015 to support Syrian opposition groups.
• Socotra: This island was taken over in 2018 during the Yemeni Civil War.

Images for kids

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  US tanks under Baghdad's Victory Arch in occupied Iraq.

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  Parade of the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles in Hiroshima Prefecture during the occupation of Japan after World War II.

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  German troops parade down the Champs-Élysées in Paris after their victory in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71).

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  Spanish fighters resisting the Napoleonic French occupation of Spain.

See also

In Spanish: Ocupación militar para niños