List of wars involving the United Kingdom
This is a list of wars involving the United Kingdom and its predecessor states (such as the Kingdom of Great Britain, and generally the British Isles). Notable militarized interstate disputes are included.
Historically, the UK relied most heavily on the Royal Navy and maintained relatively small land forces. Most of the episodes listed here deal with insurgencies and revolts in the various colonies of the British Empire.
During its history, the UK's forces (or forces with a British mandate) have invaded, had some control over or fought conflicts in 171 of the world's 193 countries that are currently UN member states, or nine out of ten of all countries.[1]
- British victory
- British defeat
- Another result (e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, result of civil or internal conflict, result unknown or indecisive)
- Ongoing conflict
England, Scotland and Wales to 1707
Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801)
Conflict | Britain & allies | Belligerents opposing Britain | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) |
Coalition victory:
| ||
The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) including |
Victory
| ||
Civil war: (1715–1716) Jacobite rising of 1715 including |
Government forces | Jacobites | Victory
Jacobite restoration attempt defeated |
The War of the Quadruple Alliance
including
|
Jacobites (against the British Crown and government only) |
Quadruple Alliance Victory:
| |
Dummer's War (1721–1725) |
Mohawk |
Wabanaki Confederacy |
Victory
|
The War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1748) Location: New Granada, Caribbean, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pacific and Atlantic |
Status quo ante bellum
| ||
The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) including |
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle: | ||
Civil War:
Jacobite rising of 1745 |
Government forces | Jacobites | Victory
Jacobite restoration attempt defeated |
The Second Carnatic War (1749–1754) |
Forces of Mohamed Ali Khan Walajan |
Forces of Muhyi ad-Din Muzaffar Jang Hidayat |
Victory
|
Seven Years' War (1756–1763) |
Victory
| ||
The Third Carnatic War (1757–1763) |
Victory
| ||
Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761) |
Cherokee | Victory
Pro-British Attakullakulla becomes Cherokee leader | |
Tacky's War (1760) |
Ashanti Slaves | Victory
| |
Pontiac's Rebellion (1763–1766) |
Confederation of First Nation Tribes | Stalemate
| |
First Anglo-Mysore War (1766–1769) |
British defeat, Hyderabad cedes territory to Mysore | ||
First Anglo-Maratha War (1774–1783) |
Indecisive
Pre-war status quo remained.[2][3] Treaty of Salbai:
| ||
|
Defeat
| ||
2nd Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784) |
Treaty of Mangalore: | ||
Northwest Indian War (1785–1795) |
Western Confederacy | Defeat
| |
3rd Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792) |
Victory
| ||
War of the French Revolution (1793–1802) |
Defeat
| ||
Ibn Ufaisan's Invasion (1793) |
Victory
| ||
Second Maroon War (1795–1796) |
British Jamaica |
Jamaican Maroons | Victory
|
Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars (1795–1816) |
Burrberongal Tribe from 1801: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Dharug Eora Tharawal Gandangara |
Victory
Displacement of Aborigines from their land |
Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808) Location: Newfoundland, English Channel, Straits of Gibraltar, Balearic Islands, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata |
Indecisive | ||
Kandyan Wars (1796–1818) |
from 1801: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Victory
| |
Irish Rebellion of 1798 (1798) |
Victory
Rebellion defeated
1801 Act of Union | ||
4th Anglo-Mysore War (1798–1799) |
Victory
Complete annexation of Mysore by Britain and allies | ||
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922)
Conflict | Britain & Her Allies | Belligerents Opposing Britain | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Temne War (1801–1807) |
Susu tribes | Kingdom of Koya | Victory
Northern shore of Sierra Leone ceded by Koya |
Tunisian-Sicilian War (1801–1804) |
Albanian, German, and Greek mercenaries |
Victory
| |
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1802–1805) |
Victory
Extensive territory in India ceded by the Maratha Empire | ||
First Kandyan War (1803–1805) |
Victory
Territory captured from Kandy | ||
Civil War: Emmet's Insurrection |
Victory
Rebellion defeated | ||
British Expedition to Ceylon (1803) |
Chiefdom of Vanni |
Victory
| |
War of the Third Coalition (1803–1805) |
??
| ||
War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807) |
Treaties of Tilsit:
| ||
Ashanti-Fante War (1806–1807) |
Fante Confederacy | ||
Anglo-Turkish War (1807–1809) |
Treaty of the Dardanelles:
| ||
Gunboat War (1807–1814) |
Victory
| ||
Anglo-Russian War (1807–1812) |
Treaty of Örebro:
| ||
Peninsular War (1807–1814) |
Victory
| ||
Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 (1809) |
Victory | ||
War of the Fifth Coalition (1809) |
??
| ||
Merina Conquest of Madagascar (1810–1817) |
Merina Kingdom | Victory
Merina control of Madagascar Merina pro-British policies | |
Punjab War (1810–1820) |
Defeat
| ||
4th Xhosa War (1811–1812) |
Xhosa tribes | Victory
Xhosa tribes pushed beyond the Fish River, reversing their gains in the previous Xhosa wars | |
Ga-Fante War (1811) |
Fante Confederacy
Akwapim tribes
Akim tribes |
Tantamkweri ceded to Akwapim tribes | |
War of 1812 (1812–1815) |
Victory
Treaty of Ghent; Status quo ante bellum with no boundary changes
| ||
War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814) |
Original Coalition After Battle of Leipzig |
Until January 1814
|
Victory
|
Second Kandyan War (1815) |
Victory
| ||
Hundred Days (1815) War of the Seventh Coalition |
Victory
| ||
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) |
Victory
Virtually all territory south of the Sutlej River controlled by Britain | ||
5th Xhosa War (1818–1819) |
Khoikhoi Forces | Forces of Xhosa Chief Maqana Nxele | Victory
Xhosa pushed beyond Keiskama River |
Greek War of Independence (1820–1830) |
Victory
Establishment of the Kingdom of Greece | ||
First Ashanti War (1823–1831) |
Stalemate with a truce | ||
First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826) |
Native tribes |
Victory
| |
Revolt of the Mercenaries (1828) |
Victory
| ||
Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) |
Victory
| ||
Baptist War (1831–1832) |
Rebel Slaves | Victory
| |
First Carlist War (1833–1840) |
Carlists:
|
British withdrawal before war's conclusion British mediated Convention of Vergara | |
The 6th Xhosa War (1834–1836) |
Xhosa tribes | Victory
Extensive territorial gains from Xhosa | |
Rebellions of 1837 (1837–1838) |
Hunters' Lodges Reform Movement |
Victory
| |
First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842) |
Defeat
| ||
First Opium War (1839–1842) |
Victory
| ||
Second Egyptian-Ottoman War (1839–1841) |
Victory
| ||
Uruguayan Civil War (1839–1851) |
British and French withdrawal before war's conclusion Peace treaty with the Argentine Confederation[5][6] Eventual Colorados victory | ||
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846) |
Victory
| ||
Flagstaff War (1845–1846) |
Stalemate | ||
Hutt Valley Campaign (1846) |
Victory
Ngāti Toa Iwi retreat | ||
The 7th Xhosa War (1846–1847) The War of the Axe |
Xhosa tribes | Victory
Territory ceded from Xhosa | |
Wanganui Campaign (1847) |
Stalemate
12 year peace and trade | ||
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) |
Victory
Complete annexation of the Punjab by the East India Company | ||
Battle of Tysami (1849) |
Chui A-poo's pirates | Victory | |
The 8th Xhosa War (1850–1853) Mlanjeni's War |
Xhosa tribes Khoikhoi tribes | Victory
Xhosa-Khoi attacks defeated Status quo ante bellum | |
Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) |
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom | Victory
| |
Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852–1853) |
Victory
Burmese revolution ended fighting Lower Burma annexed | ||
Crimean War (1853–1856) |
Victory | ||
The National War in Nicaragua (1856–1857) |
Victory
Sonora/Nicaraguan government defeat. | ||
Second Opium War (1856–1860) Arrow War |
Victory
| ||
Anglo-Persian War (1856–1857) |
Victory
Persian withdrawal from Herat | ||
Indian Mutiny (1857–1858) |
Victory
Act for the Better Government of India:
| ||
First Taranaki War (1860–1861) Second Māori War |
Stalemate | ||
Bombardment of Kagoshima (1863) |
Victory
| ||
Second Ashanti War (1863–1864) |
Stalemate | ||
Invasion of Waikato (1863–1866) Third Māori War |
Victory
Māori King Movement defeated, confined to King Country | ||
Bhutan War (1864–1865) |
Bhutan | Victory
Treaty of Sinchula:
| |
British Expedition to Abyssinia (1867–1868) |
Victory | ||
Klang War (1867–1874) Selangor Civil War |
Forces of Raja Abdullah of Klang
|
Forces of Raja Mahadi | Victory |
Titokowaru's War (1868–1869) Part of the New Zealand land wars |
Victory
Ngāti Ruanui Iwi withdrawal | ||
1868 Expedition to Abyssinia (1868) |
Victory
British hostages freed War of the Abyssinian Succession begins | ||
Te Kooti's War
Part of the New Zealand land wars |
Victory
End of New Zealand land wars Territory ceded by Māori Iwis | ||
Red River Rebellion (1869–1869) |
Victory
Defeat of rebellion Manitoba Act:
| ||
Third Ashanti War (1873–1874) |
Victory
Treaty of Fomena:
| ||
The 9th Xhosa War (1877–1879) |
Xhosa Gcaleka Tribe | Victory
All Xhosa territory annexed to the Cape Colony | |
Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) |
Some goals achieved
British control over Afghan foreign affairs | ||
Anglo-Zulu War (1879) |
Zulu Kingdom | Victory
Zululand annexed to Natal | |
‘Urabi Revolt (1879–1882) |
Victory
| ||
First Boer War (1880–1881) |
Defeat
| ||
Mahdist War (1884–1889) |
Mahdist Sudan | Victory | |
Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885) |
Victory
Upper Burma annexed to British Raj | ||
Sikkim Expedition (1888) |
Victory
Tibet recognizes British suzerainty over Sikkim | ||
Anglo-Manipur War (1891) |
Victory | ||
Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896) |
Victory
Pro-British Sultan installed | ||
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) |
Righteous Harmony Society | Victory
| |
Second Boer War (1899–1902) |
Victory
| ||
Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902) |
Victory
Aro Confederacy destroyed | ||
British expedition to Tibet (1903–1904) |
Victory | ||
Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) |
Supported by: |
Victory (limited involvement) | |
First World War (1914–1918) |
Victory
Treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Trianon:
Russia pulls out in 1917
Creation of League of Nations:
| ||
Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920) |
Victory
| ||
Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920) |
Victory
| ||
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1920) |
Defeat
| ||
Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923) |
|
Supported by: |
Defeat
|
Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919–1919) |
Afghan diplomatic victory [9][10]
| ||
Kuwait-Najd War (1919-1920) |
Victory | ||
Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) |
Anglo-Irish Treaty:
| ||
Somaliland campaign (1920) (1920) |
Victory
Demise of the Dervish State | ||
Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920 (1920) |
Victory
|
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present)
Conflict | Britain & Her Allies | Belligerent Opposing Britain | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Adwan Rebellion (1923) |
|
Victory
Sultan al-Adwan's defeat and exile | |
Ikhwan Revolt (1927–1930) |
Victory
| ||
Great Arab Revolt in Palestine (1936–1939) |
Victory
Revolt suppressed | ||
Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine (1939–1948) |
Defeat[13]
| ||
S-Plan 16 January 1939 – March 1940 |
Victory
| ||
Second World War (1939–1945) |
The Allies | Axis Powers | Victory
Nazi Germany formally surrenders 8 May 1945, ending the Second World War in Europe. British (and Commonwealth), French, American, and Soviet troops occupy Germany until 1955, Italy and Japan lose their colonies, Europe is divided into 'Soviet' and 'Western' spheres of interest. |
Northern Campaign 2 September 1942 – December 1944 |
Victory
| ||
Greek Civil War (1944–1948) |
D.S.E. (Δ.Σ.Ε.)
|
VictoryCommunist forces defeated, many D.S.E. soldiers exiled in Eastern Europe.Battalion of UK troops still in Greece till 1948 | |
Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949) |
Hand over to Dutch in 1946
| ||
Operation Masterdom (1945–1946) |
Hand over to French
First Indochina War begins | ||
Corfu Channel incident (1946–1948) |
Victory
| ||
Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) |
Victory
| ||
Korean War (1950–1953) |
Ceasefire
| ||
1951 Anglo-Egyptian War[14] (1951–1952) |
Victory
| ||
Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) |
Mau Mau | Victory
| |
Jebel Akhdar War (1954–1959) |
|
Victory
| |
Cyprus Emergency (1955–1959) |
EOKA
|
| |
Suez Crisis (1956–1957) |
Coalition military victory[15][16][17] Egyptian political victory[15]
| ||
Border Campaign (1956–1962) |
Victory
IRA campaign fails | ||
First Cod War (1958–1961) |
Defeat Iceland expands its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles | ||
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1962–1966) |
Victory
Indonesia recognises Malaysian rule over former North Borneo | ||
Dhofar Rebellion (1962–1975) |
Victory Insurgency defeatedModernisation of Oman | ||
Aden Emergency (1963–1967) |
FLOSY |
Defeat People's Republic of South Yemen established | |
Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) |
Victory
| ||
The Troubles (1968–1998) |
Irish National Liberation Army |
Stalemate Good Friday Agreement:
| |
Second Cod War (1972–1973) |
Defeat UK accept Iceland's 50 nautical mile exclusive fishery zone | ||
Third Cod War (1975–1976) |
Defeat Iceland expands its exclusive fishery zone to 200 nautical miles | ||
Falklands War (1982) |
Victory
British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands re-established. | ||
Multinational Force in Lebanon (1982–1984) |
Islamic Jihad Organization |
Defeat Lebanese Army collapsed following Multinational Force withdrawal.[19] Civil War continued until 1990. Britain provides smaller contribution than other 3 powers from Feb 1983, while the 3 others had intervened in Aug 1982, Britain, US, and Italy left in Feb 1984, with the French leaving by March 31, 1984. | |
Gulf War (1991) |
Victory Kuwait regains its independence | ||
Bosnian War (1992–1995) |
Victory | ||
Operation Desert Fox (1998) |
Victory
Objectives largely achieved | ||
Kosovo War (1998–1999) |
Victory Kosovo occupied by Nato forces Kosovo administered by UNMIK | ||
Sierra Leone Civil War (2000–2002) |
Victory
Rebels defeated | ||
War in Afghanistan Fourth Anglo-Afghan War[20] (2001–2014) |
Ongoing Fall of Taliban régime and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Osama bin Laden killed Taliban insurgency | ||
Iraq War (2003–2009) |
Victory Overthrow of Ba'ath Party government Occupation of southern Iraq Iraqi insurgency, emergence of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and Sectarian Violence[21] Rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the successor of al-Qaeda in Iraq[22][23] British withdrawal in 2009, US withdrawal in 2011 | ||
Libyan Civil War (2011) |
Many NATO |
Victory
| |
Operation Shader (2014–present) |
Ongoing
| ||
See also
References
- ↑ Laycock, S. (2012). All the Countries We've Ever Invaded – And the Few We Never Got Round To. The History Press.
- ↑ M. R. Kantak, The First Anglo-Maratha War, 1774–1783: A Military Study of Major Battles, quote: "Inspite of British superiority in the military science, the British troops could not force a decisive win over the Maratha troops in the First Anglo-Maratha War. The ultimate result of the War showed that the two sides remained evenly balanced.", p. 226
- ↑ John Bowman, Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture, quote: "First Anglo-Maratha War...The war ends inconclusively.", Columbia University Press, p. 290
- ↑ "British Slaves on the Barbary Coast".
- ↑ Rosa, José María (1974) [1970]. Historia Argentina [History of Argentina] (in Spanish). V. Buenos Aires: Editorial Oriente S.A. pp. 279–288.
- ↑ Abad de Santillán, Diego. Historia Argentina (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: TEA (Tipográfica Editora Argentina). p. 383.
- ↑ "British Assistance to the Japanese Navy during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–5". The Great Circle. Australian Association for Maritime History. 2 (1): 44. April 1980. JSTOR 41562319. (Registration required (help)).
- ↑ Jelavich, Barbara (1983). History of the Balkans: Twentieth century. Cambridge University Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-521-27459-3.
- ↑ Lansford 2017, p. 47.
- ↑ Sidebotham, Herbert (1919). "The Third Afghan War". New Statesman, 16 August 1919. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ↑ Cavanna 2015, p. xviii.
- ↑ Reeva S. Simon; Philip Mattar; Richard W. Bulliet (1996). Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East – Volume 1. p. 119.
Fighting between Kuwait's forces and Wahhabi supporters of Ibn Sa'ud broke out in May 1920, and the former were soundly defeated. Within a few weeks, the citizens of Kuwait constructed a new wall to protect Kuwait City.
- ↑ Charters, David A. The British army and Jewish insurgency in Palestine, 1945-47. Springer, 1989, p. X
- ↑ Egypt 1951 War with Britain, Globalsecurity.org
- 1 2 Tal (2001) p 203
- ↑ Mart, Michelle. Eye on Israel: How America Came to View the Jewish State as an Ally. p. 159. ISBN 0791466876.
- ↑ Stewart (2013) p 133
- ↑ Kunz, Diane B. The Economic Diplomacy of the Suez Crisis. p. 187. ISBN 0-8078-1967-0.
- ↑ "The Collapse of Lebanon's Army: U.S. Said to Ignore Factionalism". March 11, 1984.
- ↑ The Fourth Afghan War is lost The Daily Telegraph, 4 September 2009
- ↑ "Sectarian divisions change Baghdad's image". MSNBC. 3 July 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2007.
- ↑ "The JRTN Movement and Iraq's Next Insurgency | Combating Terrorism Center at West Point". Ctc.usma.edu. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
- ↑ "Al-Qaeda's Resurgence in Iraq: A Threat to U.S. Interests". U.S Department of State. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- ↑ "British air strikes killed 3,000 ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria in three years."
- ↑ UK troops training Kurdish forces in Iraq, says MoD
- ↑ British trained Iraqi soldiers gear up to back Baghdad surge
- ↑ Ahmed Aboulenein (10 December 2017). "Iraq holds victory parade after defeating Islamic State". Reuters. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
Notes
- ↑ Duchy of Warsaw as a state was in effect fully occupied by Russian and Prussian forces by May 1813, though most Poles remained loyal to Napoleon
Further reading
- Barnett, Correlli. Britain and her army, 1509–1970: a military, political and social survey (1970).
- Black, Jeremy. A military history of Britain: from 1775 to the present (2008).
- Bradford, James C. ed. International Encyclopedia of Military History (2 vol. 2006).
- Brownstone, David and Irene Franck. Timelines of War: A Chronology of Warfare from 100,000 BC to the Present (1996), Global coverage.
- Cannon, John, ed. The Oxford Companion to British History (2003)
- Carlton, Charles. This Seat of Mars: War and the British Isles, 1485–1746 (Yale UP; 2011) 332 pages; studies the impact of near unceasing war from the individual to the national levels.
- Chandler, David G., and Ian Frederick William Beckett, eds. The Oxford history of the British army (Oxford UP, 2003).
- Cole, D. H and E. C Priestley. An outline of British military history, 1660–1936 (1936). online
- Dupuy, R. Ernest and Trevor N. Dupuy. The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History: From 3500 B.C. to the Present (1993).
- Fortescue, John William. History of the British Army from the Norman Conquest to the First World War (1899–1930), in 13 volumes with six separate map volumes. Available online for downloading; online volumes; The standard highly detailed full coverage of operations.
- Haswell, Jock, and John Lewis-Stempel. A Brief History of the British Army (2017).
- Higham, John, ed. A Guide to the Sources of British Military History (1971) 654 pages excerpt; Highly detailed bibliography and discussion up to 1970; includes local and naval forces.
- James, Lawrence. Warrior race: a history of the British at war (Hachette UK, 2010). excerpt
- Johnson, Douglas, et al. Britain and France: Ten Centuries (1980)
- Mulligan, William, and Brendan Simms, eds. The Primacy of Foreign Policy in British History, 1660–2000 (Palgrave Macmillan; 2011) 345 pages
- Neville, Peter (2013). Historical Dictionary of British Foreign Policy. Scarecrow Press. pp. xix–xxxi. timeline pp xix to xxxi
- Otte, T.G. The Makers of British Foreign Policy: From Pitt to Thatcher (2002)
- Ranft, Bryan. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy (Oxford UP, 2002).
- Rodger, N. A.M. The safeguard of the sea: A naval history of Britain, 660–1649 (Vol. 1. 1998). excerpt
- Rodger, N.A.M.The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649–1815 (vol 2 2006) excerpt
- Sheppard, Eric William. A short history of the British army (1950). online
- Ward, A.W. and G.P. Gooch, eds. The Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy, 1783–1919 (3 vol, 1921–23), old detailed classic; vol 1, 1783–1815 ; vol 2, 1815–1866; vol 3. 1866–1919
Historiography
- Messenger, Charles, ed. Reader's Guide to Military History (2001) pp 55–74 etc.; annotated guide to most important books.
- Schroeder, Paul W. "Old Wine in Old Bottles: Recent Contributions to British Foreign Policy and European International Politics, 1789–1848." Journal of British Studies 26.01 (1987): 1–25.