The Yemeni 14th of October Revolution
September Net / Article -Brig. Gen. Mohsen Fdhl Al-Somli
14 October 1963 marked the beginning of the revolution in South Yemen, with the Battle of Radfan and the martyrdom of Laboozah serving as the declaration of armed struggle against British colonialism.
Historically, the Yemeni people’s resistance to British colonialism in the South emerged from the moment the occupier first set foot on the land. While popular uprisings erupted across the South, they were met with the brute force of the occupier and their local collaborators. The British occupier routinely dismissed this popular resistance as mere “tribal rebellions,” using agents to spread rumors and undermine these noble national movements.
The Yemeni revolution arose to replace the monarchy with a just republican system, liberating the homeland from tyranny and the remnants of colonialism. It sought to abolish class distinctions and privileges and to elevate the people economically, socially, politically, and culturally, aiming to build a united, just, and cooperative democratic society.
The concept of armed struggle in Yemen crystallized early on, inspired by liberation movements in Vietnam, Cuba, Africa, and Algeria, and strongly supported by the Egyptian revolution of July 23, 1952. By the second half of 1959, influenced by Algerian victories against French colonialism, Yemeni freedom fighters were already envisioning their own armed campaign.
The drive for freedom and the removal of the British colonial presence was rooted in our people’s historical legacy and overwhelming popular will, expressed through both political and military battles. Nationalist forces competed to mobilize the masses, who were eager to struggle for freedom, independence, and social progress.
The revolution in South Yemen was profoundly inspired by the spirit of the Nasserite Arab revolution, which carried the winds of change and the concepts of freedom, equality, and social justice from the East.
Congratulations to our Yemeni people on the 62nd anniversary of the 14th of October Revolution. It is our duty to present the positive milestones of our people’s historic struggle to the coming generations.