It came rather as a byproduct of the establishment of standing armies during the eighteenth century. Partisan warfare was not a new phenomenon of the twentieth century. Some historians distinguish between partisans as a more organized form of armed resistance with clear political goals, and guerrillas as predominantly individual fighters in small groups.
In southern Europe and overseas the term guerrilla is preferably applied, derived from 'small war' in the Spanish language. The term is derived from the word party or party follower, and is used predominantly in central and eastern Europe. Partisan warfare refers to organized military activities of groups not incorporated in regular armies it is also called irregular warfare.
