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The Soccer War of 1969

Fought between Honduras and El Salvador it was the end of an era in combat

Aug 18, 2006 Christopher Eger

Sparked by one countries effort to curb illegal immigrants from the other, the brief four day war was an interesting footnote in military history.

In July 1969 a smoldering ember erupted into armed conflict between the Central American countries of El Salvador and Honduras. The so called "Soccer War" between was a unique conflict in the annuals of combat between two more or less equally matched third world opponents.

The causes of the war are much more complex than a soccer match as portrayed in the western media at the time. Honduras instituted an agrarian reform measure in June that forcibly expelled an estimated 60,000 Salvadoran peasant workers that had illegally immigrated to Honduras. This led to a tense situation along the border and even shots being exchanged. After soccer game tournament for the 1970 world cup between the two national teams in San Salvador ended in street brawls and riots resulting in protests from the Salvadoran government. Finally, on 27 June 1969, diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed. Shortly after, both countries began the mobilization of troops towards their common border

The Salvadoran military struck force with a coordinated air attack on every town of any size in Honduras as well as a ground invasion by their Army and National Guard along the highways over the border on July 15th. The day after the fighting had begun, the Organization of American States (OAS) met and called for an immediate cease-fire and a withdrawal of El Salvador's forces from Honduras. El Salvador refused and demanded that Honduras apologize, pay reparations for the attacks on Salvadoran citizens, grant safety to Salvadoran migrants still in Honduras. A cease-fire was finally agreed to on the night of July 18 to take full effect two days later. El Salvadoran troops remained in occupation of Honduran border regions until a withdrawal under the eyes of OAS observers took place in the first part of August. The actual shooting war only lasted 100 hours but a state of war existed between the two countries for ten years until a peace settlement was reached in 1979.

The war is believed to been a major contributor to El Salvador's later 1980's civil war. Trade with its neighbor was disrupted completely for ten years and displaced Salvadoran peasants from Honduras created increased land based pressures. Military expenditures by the government to rebuild the Salvadoran forces only exacerbated the economic crisis.

The copyright of the article The Soccer War of 1969 in Military History is owned by Christopher Eger. Permission to republish The Soccer War of 1969 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.