The Dervish movement, led by Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sought to expel British and other foreign forces. The Dervish state waged a prolonged campaign, employing mobile warfare strategies rooted in pastoral traditions. Though eventually defeated in 1920, the movement became a symbol of anti-colonial resistance and Somali nationalism.
After World War II, the question of Somali self-determination gained prominence. In 1960, British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland united to form the independent Somali Republic. The new nation aspired to unite all Somali-inhabited territories under a single flag, an ambition encapsulated in the five-pointed star on its flag. Early years were marked by democratic governance and optimism, though political challenges soon emerged.
In 1969, a military coup brought Major General Mohamed Siad Barre to power. Barre established a socialist-oriented regime aligned initially with the Soviet Union. His government promoted literacy campaigns and sought to modernize the country. In 1972, a standardized Latin script for the Somali language was officially adopted, greatly expanding literacy and written communication.
However, authoritarian governance, economic mismanagement, and clan favoritism eroded public support. The Ogaden War of 1977–1978, fought against Ethiopia over Somali-inhabited territory, weakened the regime and shifted geopolitical alliances. By the late 1980s, armed opposition movements had formed along clan lines. In 1991, Siad Barre was overthrown, and the central government collapsed. shutdown123