Guerrilla, guh RIHL uh, warfare is warfare conducted by roving bands of fighters who stage ambushes, sudden raids, and other small-scale attacks. Guerrilla tactics may also include bombings, kidnappings, and other forms of violence and terrorism. Guerrilla tactics are usually used by groups with limited resources against an enemy with vastly superior military power. The word guerrilla means little war in Spanish. The term was first used during the Peninsular War (1808-1814), in which Spanish and Portuguese forces used guerrilla tactics to resist French rule.