Military history of New Zealand

The early 19th century saw the outbreak of the Musket Wars, where the introduction of firearms intensified Māori conflicts and led to significant shifts in tribal dynamics and territorial boundaries.

[1] Wars eventually broke out between tribal groups for practical reasons like population pressures, competition for land and natural resources, and the need to protect food supplies.

The continuous peace was established after a series of conflicts, when a local chief, Nunuku-whenua, declared an end to war, and a permanent restriction on murder and cannibalism.

[21] As imperial forces scaled back their involvement, the burden of fighting on the Crown side increasingly fell on colonial troops and the kūpapa, many of whom were Māori who were committed to traditional Christianity and resisted the Kīngitangapā movement.

[27] Upon hearing that a taua was approaching Wellington, Grey extended martial law to Whanganui, and urged Te Āti Awa to intercept them, which they agreed to do.

Tensions were further exacerbated after Whanganui rangatira Hapurona Ngārangi was shot, and followers of Te Mamaku attacked an isolated farm in Matarawa valley and killed four residents.

The British subsequently attacked Te Āti Awa forces at Puketakauere pā in June 1860, although later withdrew to Waitara after sustaining heavy losses.

In September, Pratt organised several raids against Te Āti Awa strongholds along the upper Waitara River and defeated a Ngāti Hāua war party in November.

Realising that his force could only take the fortifications with high casualties, the British commander, Lieutenant-General Duncan Cameron, opted instead to move around the southern flank of defences to reach food-producing villages like Rangiaowhia.

From December to February, Chute's force conducted a route march aimed at destroying Taranaki Māori capacity for war by burning villages and livestock.

[32] In July 1868, Te Kooti, the Ringatū founder, and 297 of his followers seized a schooner and forced its crew to sail them south of Poverty Bay, prompting colonial authorities to seek his capture.

On 28 September 1899, two weeks before the start of the conflict, the New Zealand House of Representatives approved the formation of a 200-man mounted rifle contingent for service in South Africa, in a show of colonial solidarity aimed at deterring the Boers from fighting.

[45] As they were in the region, the NZEF and AIF were drawn into Allied plans to capture the Dardanelles Strait so naval forces could directly attack the Ottoman capital, Constantinople.

[53] By 1916, NZEF efforts were reoriented to the Western Front, with the New Zealand Division landing in France in April 1916, and its expeditionary headquarters established at Sling Camp in the Salisbury Plain Training Area.

[67] In October 1943, the 2nd New Zealand Division was deployed to Italy and took part in several engagements during the Italian campaign, including the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, and the Operation Grapeshot in 1945.

The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) dispatched the cruisers HMNZS Leander and Achilles successively to the Solomon Islands, although both were damaged by enemy action.

41 Squadron RNZAF was based in the colony of Singapore, and was attached to the RAF Far East Air Force, a unit that flew regular sorties to British Hong Kong.

[77] In April 1951, during the Battle of Kapyong, the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade fought a successful defence against a Chinese division, with New Zealand gunners providing vital artillery support to Allied forces.

A New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) squadron was deployed near the Perak and Kelantan border in 1956 and Negri Sembilan in 1957, eliminating local MNLA groups in those areas.

[81] In February 1965, the New Zealand government approved the deployment of a Special Air Service detachment to Borneo, and two additional RNZN minesweepers to join HMNZS Taranaki in patrolling the Malacca Strait.

After the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation ended, New Zealand faced renewed pressure from the US to expand its commitment, resulting in the dispatch of two additional infantry companies in 1967 and an NZSAS unit the next year.

[93] The NZDF confirmed that it planned to end its 20-year deployment in May 2021, with the withdrawal of six personnel from the Afghan National Army's Officer Academy and NATO's Resolute Support Mission Headquarters.

[103] New Zealand's commitment to the Balkan states commenced in 1992 with the deployment of five soldiers as UN Military Observers serving with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR).

New Zealand's contribution in East Timor included SAS special forces, infantry battalion and helicopters, backed by RNZN warships and RNZAF transport.

In addition to their operations against militia, the New Zealand troops were also involved in construction of roads and schools, water supplies, training the nascent Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) and other infrastructural assistance.

Troops supervised the concentration of the guerrilla forces into sixteen Assembly Places during the period in which the cease fire was implemented and national elections held.

New Zealand increased its commitment to this Mission, which is now tri-service in nature, with a group of about two platoons of specialist servicemen and women serving a six-month Tour of Duty with the MFO.

RAMSI acted as an interim police force and has been successful in improving the country's overall security conditions, including brokering the surrender of a notorious warlord, Harold Keke.

[116][117] In accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 New Zealand also contributed a small engineering and support force to assist in post-war reconstruction and provision of humanitarian aid.

5 Squadron has operated in the airspace over and near Scott Base to provide search and rescue standby and to drop mail and medical supplies to the people wintering over.

An assortment of stone patus on display, short clubbed weapons used by the Māori
Hongi Hika , a Ngāpuhi rangatira who led the Ngāpuhi during the early periods of the Musket Wars .
An 1838 depiction of two rangatira , one holding a musket and the other holding a taiaha . By the 1830s, most Māori tribes had muskets in their arsenals.
Te Rangihaeata , a Ngāti Toa , the Ngāti Toa chief involved in the Wairau Affray
A memorial to the belligerents of the New Zealand Wars at the Auckland War Memorial Museum
A print of the Battle of Puketutu in 1845. Hōne Heke 's pā is in the left background, with British assault parties in the foreground.
British troops advancing to attack Te Rangihaeata 's men during the Battle of Battle Hill
British troops defending their positions during the Battle of Waireka
Depiction of Kīngitanga forces repulsing a Royal Navy advance during the Battle of Rangiriri
A sketch-diagram of Ōrākau pā during the Battle of Ōrākau . The shaded areas represent trenches used as shelter from artillery fire.
The death of Gustavus von Tempsky of the Armed Constabulary at Te Ngutu o Te Manu by Tītokowaru's forces in September 1868
Fight between Te Kooti and Crown forces at Paparatu, upstream of Ruakituri in August 1869
The first contingent of New Zealand soldiers embarking for South Africa, October 1899
The Sixth New Zealand Contingent mustering in Auckland shortly before they leave for South Africa in February 1901.
New Zealand troops and nurses based in German Samoa , after its capture by New Zealand forces in 1914
The Union Jack being raised on 30 August 1914, following the New Zealand occupation of German Samoa
Members of the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment after the Battle of Hill 60 , 1915
Members of the New Zealand Division after the Battle of Flers-Courcelette , September 1916
New Zealand troops with 4.5-inch howitzers outside of Le Quesnoy on 29 October 1918, days before the town's capture .
Aboard HMS Achilles during the Battle of the River Plate , December 1939
Troops of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Cairo , 1940
The New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment M3 Stuarts lined up at the end of a patrol at El Alamein, July 1942
US troops resting during a route march in Wellington, 1943
New Zealand soldiers land at Vella Lavella during the Solomon Islands campaign , September 1943
HMNZS Taranaki taking part a SEATO naval exercise in May 1964
New Zealand gunners providing artillery support for Australian forces across the Imjin River, April 1951
New Zealand artillery provide artillery support from Fire Support Base "Thrust", January 1969
Entrance sign for the New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot in Singapore, a depot for New Zealand Force South East Asia , c. 1976 .
Members of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan Province , July 2009
A memorial service for Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell at Bagram Airfield , August 2010
UN military observers from the NZDF and Danish Defence and a IDF liaison officer during a UNTSO inspection in the Golan Heights
New Zealand Special Air Service escorting a port survey team in East Timor, 1999.
New Zealand Army M113A1s at Gate Pā base in East Timor, 2002
A New Zealander serving with the Commonwealth Monitoring Force at a ZIPRA assembly in Rhodesia , 1980.
New Zealanders a part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands on patrol, 2009.
Royal New Zealand Engineers in Iraq, in 2004, after the US-led invasion in 2003.
An RNZAF Boeing at Pegasus Field on the Ross Ice Shelf in 2009.