The Nigerian Civil War, often called the Biafran War, was fought from 6 July 1967 to 15 January 1970 after the south-eastern region of Nigeria, dominated by the Igbo people and led by Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared independence as the Republic of Biafra following a wave of ethnic massacres of Igbo civilians in the north. Nigeria's federal government under General Yakubu Gowon fought to keep the country united, and Britain and the Soviet Union both backed the federal side while France and a handful of African states gave Biafra limited support. The federal military campaign, combined with a blockade that cut off food to the secessionist enclave, produced a famine that killed far more people than combat did, and Biafra surrendered in January 1970, ending the secession and restoring Nigeria's territorial unity at immense human cost. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Disputed
Death Toll, Low EstimateCivilian deaths, overwhelmingly from starvation caused by the wartime blockade, are estimated at 500,000 to 2 million; military casualties on both sides combined are estimated separately at roughly 45,000 to 100,000. LocationSouth-eastern Nigeria (the former Republic of Biafra) 1 Connections
Associated With
Additional Source Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil WarLead section (parties)
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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject took place.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil War
WikipediaLead section
During the 2+1⁄2 years of the war, there were approximately 100,000 overall military casualties, while between 500,000 to 2 million Biafran civilians died of starvation.
Lead section (dates)
6 July 1967 - 15 January 1970
Lead section (year)
6 July 1967 - 15 January 1970
Lead section (location)
South-eastern Nigeria
Lead section (civilian death toll, low estimate)
between 500,000 to 2 million Biafran civilians died of starvation
Lead section (civilian death toll, high estimate)
between 500,000 to 2 million Biafran civilians died of starvation
Nigerian Civil War: Event Type
The Nigerian Civil War, often called the Biafran War, was fought from 6 July 1967 to 15 January 1970 after the south-eastern region of Nigeria, dominated by the Igbo people and led by Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared independence as the Republic of Biafra following a wave of ethnic massacres of Igbo civilians in the north.
Associated With: Nigeria, Lead section (parties)
Nigeria (Federal Military Government under General Yakubu Gowon)
In Group: Events of the Early Cold War and Decolonization, 1945 to 1969, Lead
The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967-15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was an armed conflict fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state that had declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967.
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