| abstract | - The Alabama War is an ongoing multi-sided armed ethnic conflict involving the Black Wings, the White Coalition, the Alabama National Guard and the United States federal government that began in early 2016 with the Huntsville assault that broke several years of racial tension in the Southern United States. The war has its origins in the formation of the Black Lives Matter movement, which was created to protest police brutality and racial inequality in the U.S. justice system. Militarized factions within the BLM movement converged to form the Black Wings with a stated mission to "create a independent state for all Black Americans." A white nationalist group, the White Coalition, formed to counter the Black Wings, and armed conflict between the two groups began shortly after, beginning with targeted killings and gradually evolving into full-scale warfare. The Alabama National Guard entered the conflict in late-2016 in an attempt to restore order but found itself stretched thin. President Barack Obama opted not to send in federal troops despite pleas from Alabama governor Robert J. Bentley. In November 2016, Donald Trump was elected President in a landslide victory over Democratic contender Hilary Clinton. Trump's election invigorated the White Coalition, who perceived him as a potential ally. However, after taking office in 2017, he took a hard stance against the unrest and authorized military force to end the insurrection, bringing the U.S. federal government into the conflict. In March 2017, the Black Wings staged a coup in Montgomery and removed governor Bentley from office, declaring the Republic of African-America. The conflict has caused an estimated 3,000 militant and civilian deaths since it began and it is the first open warfare to occur within the contiguous United States since the American Civil War, with racial issues playing a significant role in both conflicts.
|
