List of wars involving France
This is a list of wars involving the French Republic and its predecessor states. It is an incomplete list of French wars and battles from the Gauls to modern France.
Gauls (Transalpine and Cisalpine)
Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Results |
---|---|---|---|
Battle of the Allia (390 BC) Location: Allia, Italy ![]() Paul Jamin, Brennus and His Share of the Spoils, 1893 |
Senone Gauls | ![]() |
Decisive Gallic victory
|
Battle of Sentinum (295 BC) (Part of the Third Samnite War) Location: Sentinum, Italy |
SamniumGauls | ![]() |
Decisive Roman victory |
Battle of Arretium (283 BC) |
Senone Gauls | ![]() |
Decisive Gallic victory |
Battle of Lake Vadimo (283 BC) Location: Lake Vadimo, Italy |
GaulsEtruscans | ![]() |
Roman victory |
Battle of Faesulae (225 BC) |
Gauls | ![]() |
Gallic victory |
Battle of Telamon (225 BC) |
Gauls | ![]() |
Decisive Roman victory
|
Battle of Clastidium (222 BC) Location: Clastidium, Italy |
Gauls | ![]() |
Roman victory |
Battle of Cremona (200 BC) |
Gauls | ![]() |
Roman victory |
Battle of Placentia (194 BC) Location: Placentia, Italy |
Boii | ![]() |
Decisive Roman victory |
Battle of Sentinum (295 BC) (Part of the Third Samnite War) Location: Sentinum, Italy |
SamniumGauls | ![]() |
Decisive Roman victory |
Gallic Wars (58–50 BC) Location: Gaul, Germania, and Britannia ![]() Vercingetorix Throws Down His Arms at the Feet of Julius Caesar, 1899, by Lionel Royer
|
Gauls: Arverni Atrebates Bituriges Caletes Eburones Helvetii Menapii Morini Nervii Sotiates Suessiones Veliocasses Veneti Viromandui other Germanic: Aduatuci Sicambri Suebi Tencteri Ubii Usipetes Britons and Aquitanian tribes as well as portions of Iberian tribesmen |
![]() |
Decisive Roman victory
|
Battle of Châlons (274) (part of the Crisis of the Third Century) Location: apud Catalaunos (Châlons-en-Champagne, France) ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Decisive Roman victory
|
Franks and the Carolingian Empire
|
|
Middle Ages
Ancien Régime
Revolutionary France
|
|
Napoleonic France
French colonial empire
Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Results |
---|---|---|---|
French conquest of Senegal (1659–1895) Location: Senegal |
![]() |
Waalo Kingdom Kingdom of Cayor Jolof Empire Baol Kingdom of Sine Saloum |
French victory
|
Siamese revolution of 1688 (1688) Location: Siam |
![]() ![]() |
![]() Supported by: |
French defeat
|
King William's War (1688–1697) Location: North America
|
![]() ![]() Wabanaki Confederacy |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Status quo ante bellum
|
French and Iroquois Wars (17th century) Location: Great Lakes region |
Huron, Erie, Neutral, Odawa, Ojibwe, Mississaugas, Potawatomi, Algonquin, Shawnee, Wenro, Mahican, Innu, Abenaki, Miami, Illinois Confederation, other nations allied with France Supported by: ![]() |
Haudenosaunee Supported by: ![]() ![]() |
Military stalemate
|
Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) Location: North America |
![]() Wabanaki Confederacy |
![]() |
French defeat
|
Chickasaw Wars (1721–1763) Location: Mississippi River |
![]() Choctaw Illini |
![]() Chickasaw |
Chickasaw victory |
Carnatic Wars (1744–1763) Location: Carnatic region, South India |
![]() |
![]()
|
French defeat |
King George's War (1744–1748) Location: North America
|
![]() |
![]() |
Status quo ante bellum |
Father Le Loutre's War (1749–1755) Location: Acadia and Nova Scotia |
![]()
|
![]() |
French defeat |
French and Indian War (1754–1763) Location: North America
|
![]()
|
![]() Iroquois Confederacy |
French defeat |
West Indies Campaign (Seven Years' War) (1757–1762) Location: West Indies |
![]() |
![]() |
French defeat |
West African Campaign (Seven Years' War)) (1758) Location: West Africa |
![]() |
![]() |
French defeat |
Larache expedition (1765) |
![]() |
![]() |
French defeat |
Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) Location: Saint-Domingue ![]() Collage of the Haitian Revolution |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Haitian victory
|
Siege of Santo Domingo (1805) Location: Santo Domingo, Saint-Domingue |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Franco-Trarzan War of 1825 (1825) Location: Waalo, West Africa |
![]() |
Trarza | French victory |
French conquest of Algeria (1827–1830–1857) Location: Regency of Algiers |
![]() |
![]()
|
French victory |
First Franco-Mexican War (1838–1839) Location: Mexico |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
First Franco-Moroccan War (1844) Location: Morocco |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
French victory |
Franco-Tahitian War (1844–1847) Location: Tahiti |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
French victory |
Bombardment of Tourane (1847) Location: Off Tourane (Da Nang), South Central Coast of Vietnam |
![]() |
Nguyễn dynasty | French victory |
Taiping Rebellion (1850–1871) Location: China |
Later stages: |
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom | Qing victory
|
Bombardment of Salé (1851) Location: Morocco |
![]() |
![]() |
French military victory French political failure |
Siege of Medina Fort (1857) Location: Médine, Mali |
![]() |
Toucouleur Empire | French victory |
Cochinchina Campaign (1858–1862) Location: Vietnam |
![]() ![]() |
Nguyễn Dynasty | Franco-Spanish victory
|
Second Franco-Mexican War (1862–1867) Location: Mexico |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
French Defeat
|
Shimonoseki Campaign (1863–1864) |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Allied victory |
French campaign against Korea (1866) Location: Korea |
![]() |
![]() |
French defeat
|
French conquest of Tunisia (1881) Location: Tunisia |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Mandingo Wars (1883–1898) Location: West Africa |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory |
First Madagascar expedition (1883–1885) Location: Madagascar |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory |
Sino-French War (1884–1885) Location: Southeast mainland China, Taiwan, northern Vietnam |
![]() |
![]() Black Flag Army Nguyễn dynasty |
Both sides declared victory
|
Tonkin Campaign (1883–1886) Location: Northern Vietnam |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
French victory |
First Franco-Dahomean War (1890) Location: Ouémé Department of modern Benin |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Second Franco-Dahomean War (1892–1894) Location: Ouémé Department and Zou Department of modern Benin |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Franco-Siamese War (1893) Location: French Indochina, Siam |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Second Madagascar expedition (1894–1895) Location: Madagascar |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory |
1904–1905 uprising in Madagascar (1904–1905) Location: Madagascar |
![]() |
Rebels | French victory
|
Ouaddai War (1909–1911) Location: Ouaddai Empire |
![]() |
Ouaddai Empire | French victory
|
French conquest of Morocco (1911–1934) Location: North Africa |
![]()
|
Zaian Confederation Varying other Berber tribes |
French victory |
Zaian War (1914–1921) Location: French protectorate of Morocco |
![]()
|
Zaian Confederation Varying other Berber tribes Supported during the First World War by the Central Powers |
French victory |
First World War (1914–1918) Location: Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and coast of North and South America |
Allied Powers
|
Central Powers |
Allied victory
|
Volta-Bani War (1915–1917) Location: Burkino Faso, Mali |
![]() |
Marka, Bwa, Lela, Nuni, and Bobo people | French victory |
Kaocen revolt (1916–1917) Location: Northern Niger |
![]() |
Tuareg guerrillas | French victory |
Thái Nguyên uprising (1917–1918) Location: Northern Vietnam |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1920) |
|
|
Allied withdrawal
|
Franco-Syrian War (1920) Location: Syria
|
![]() |
![]()
|
French victory
|
Rif War (1920–1927) Location: Morocco |
![]() ![]() Jebala tribes |
![]() Jebala tribes |
Franco-Spanish victory
|
Great Syrian Revolt (1925–1927) Location: French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon ![]() Damascus in flames as the result of the French air raid on October 18, 1925. |
![]()
|
Syrian rebels | French victory |
Kongo-Wara rebellion (1928–1931) Location: French Equatorial Africa, French Cameroon |
![]() Co-belligerents: |
Gbaya people and clans
Co-belligerents: |
French victory |
Yên Bái mutiny (1930) Location: Vietnam |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Second World War (1939–1945) Location: Europe, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Mediterranean, North Africa, Oceania, North and South America |
Allied Powers
|
Axis Powers
|
Allied victory
|
Franco-Thai War (1940–1941) Location: French Indochina |
![]() |
![]() |
Indecisive
|
War in Vietnam (1945–1946) Location: Vietnam |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Operational success
|
First Indochina War (1946–1954) Location: French Indochina
|
![]()
Supported by: |
![]()
Supported by: |
French defeat
|
Malagasy Uprising (1947–1948) Location: Madagascar |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory
|
Korean War (1950–1953) Location: Korea |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ceasefire
|
Algerian War (1954–1962) Location: Algeria |
![]() |
![]() |
Military stalemate
|
Ifni War (1957–1958) Location: Spanish Sahara, Ifni, Morocco |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Franco-Spanish victory |
Bizerte crisis (1961) |
![]() |
![]() |
French victory |
Modern period
![](../I/m/French_wars_since_1958.png)
Excluding colonial wars (the last being the Algerian War of 1954–1962), which are listed in the above section.
21st century
Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Results |
---|---|---|---|
Basque conflict (1959–2011) Location: Basque country |
![]() |
Neo-fascist paramilitaries:
Basque National Liberation Movement:
|
Victory |
Corsican conflict (1976–2011) Location: Corsica |
![]() |
Corsican nationalist paramilitaries
|
Victory |
War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) Location: Afghanistan |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Victory
|
First Ivorian Civil War (2002–2007) Location: Ivory Coast A Forces nouvelles's member caught by the French Foreign Legion in 2004 after a plundering. |
![]() ![]() ![]() Supported by: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire | Victory |
Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Ongoing |
Haitian coup d'état (2004) Location: Haiti |
![]() |
![]() |
Victory |
Chadian Civil War (2005–2010) Location: Chad |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rebels![]() Alleged support: ![]() |
Victory |
War in Somalia (2009–present) Location: Somalia |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Ongoing |
Boko Haram insurgency (2009–present) Location: Northeast Nigeria |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Supported by: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Ongoing |
Second Ivorian Civil War (2010–2011) Location: Ivory Coast |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Victory |
Libyan Civil War (2011) Location: Libya ![]() Part of a group of six, Italian-built, Palmaria self-propelled howitzers of the Gaddafi regime's forces, destroyed by French Rafale airplanes at the west-southern outskirts of Benghazi, Libya, in Opération Harmattan on March 19, 2011. |
![]() |
![]()
|
Victory
|
Northern Mali Conflict (2012–present) Location: Northern Mali
|
![]()
|
![]() (MNLA)
|
Ongoing |
Central African Republic Civil War (2012–present) Location: Central African Republic ![]() French soldiers as part of Operation Sangaris, authorized in late 2013.
|
![]() ![]() MISCA (2013–2014) MICOPAX (2013) |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ongoing |
Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Location: Iraq
|
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
Ongoing |
Opération Chammal (2014–present) ![]() French Dassault Rafale of Squadron 11F prepares to land on USS Carl Vinson. Carl Vinson is deployed as part of maritime security operations and strike operations in Iraq and Syria. |
![]() |
![]() Syria |
Ongoing
|
Sarı yeleklilere karşı mücadele
2018 2019 Flag of france
See also
- List of battles involving France
- Anglo-French War
- Franco-Spanish War
- Military history of France
- ISIL-related terror attacks in France
Notes
- The Anti-Terrorist Liberation Groups (GAL) was supported by some officials of the Spanish government, most notably José Barrionuevo.
References
- Brown 1976, p. 239.
- Brown 1976, p. 240.
- Robert Ryal Miller (1961). "The American Legion of Honor in Mexico". Pacific Historical Review. Berkeley, California, United States: University of California Press. 30 (3). ISSN 0030-8684. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- Rettig, pp. 316–317.
- Radvanyi, Janos (1980). "Vietnam War Diplomacy: Reflections of a Former Iron Curtain Official" (PDF). Paramaters: Journal of the US Army War College. Carlise Barracks, Pennsylvania. 10 (3): 8–15.