English: On this day, September 1, 1971 the Southern Armed Forces was founded. South Yemen was the only Communist-Socialist state in the Arab world. The Southern Army was involved in three wars. There were two wars with North Yemen before unification. The South Yemeni military was victorious in these Yemenite Wars.

After the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990 there was the First Yemeni Civil War in 1994. Many of the units of the Southern army had repositioned to North Yemen after unification. The war started after the Northern forces attacked and blockaded a South Yemeni brigade positioned in Northern Yemen. On the lead up to this event the tribal and religious forces united to stop the southern Yemeni Socialist Party expansion into their areas. There was systematic assassinations against southern cadres. 158 politicians from southern Yemen were assassinated between 1991 and 1993. Northern leaders were working to gradually remove southerners and seize power.

The First Yemeni Civil War resulted in the defeat of the Southern Army. It resulted in reunification under the northern government. A purge campaign against separatists, Yemeni socialism and the left. An unknown number of socialist and separatist civilians were executed. There was a forced retirement of a large portion of Southern military personnel. It lead to the increased tensions which eventually led to the current Yemeni crisis and civil war.

Image transcription: This is a photo from a military parade.

At the forefront officers in full dress uniform march.

In the background there is a building with a billboard. The socialist emblem with a wreath, a five-pointed red star and hammer and sickle is prominent. To the right the year 1971 is written in both Arabic and Arabic–Hindu numerals. Beneath the numbers is an illustration of workers raising there weapons and tools. The flag of South Yemen is also raised. The flag consists of a tricolour consisting of the three equal horizontal red, white, and black bands of the Arab Liberation flag with the sky-blue chevron and a red star on the left side of the hoist. This flag is still used today in South Yemen.

In front of the building there is a platform with spectators and other military personnel overlooking the marching parade.