co-belligerents
Joint military combatants
Co-belligerents are nations or parties fighting against a common enemy without being formally allied.
Unlike allies, co-belligerents don't coordinate strategy or share obligations—they simply happen to oppose the same foe.
The term appears most often in discussions of World War II, where the Soviet Union and Western powers were co-belligerents before becoming formal allies: Finland switched from Axis partner to co-belligerent with the Allies in 1944.
Temporary alliance for action
- pactFormal agreement between parties
- partnershipShared business arrangement
- confederationAutonomous entities united loosely
- ententeInformal international understanding
bloc · axis · alignment · collaboration · cooperation · joint operations · mutual aid · treaty
One who initiates conflict
- invaderOne who enters aggressively
- opposing forcesCombatants facing one another
- occupierOne possessing a space
- antagonistOne who opposes another
Coordinated use of military branches
- theaterVenue for live drama
- frontForward-facing side
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- operationsPlanned systematic activities
logistics · intelligence sharing · supply lines · reinforcements · military aid · war materiel · strategic bombing · air support
coalition
Temporary alliance for action
- pactFormal agreement between parties
- partnershipShared business arrangement
- confederationAutonomous entities united loosely
entente · bloc · axis · alignment · collaboration · cooperation · joint operations · mutual aid · treaty · accord
aggressor
One who initiates conflict
- invaderOne who enters aggressively
- opposing forcesCombatants facing one another
- occupierOne possessing a space
combined arms
Coordinated use of military branches
operations · logistics · intelligence sharing · supply lines · reinforcements · military aid · war materiel · strategic bombing · air support · ground forces
co-belligerentsenemies
Hostile opposing parties
adversaries · opposing forces · enemy combatants · foes · antagonists
co-belligerentsneutrals
Those taking no side
non-belligerents · neutral states · non-combatants · peacekeepers
belligerent, belligerents, belligerence, belligerency, belligerently, bellicose, bellicosity, rebel, rebels