List of wars involving the United Kingdom
This is a list of wars involving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1922 to the present day, those involving the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707–1801 and those involving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801–1922.
During its history, British 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 (or 89% of UN Nations).[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
Contents
Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801)
Conflict | Britain & Her Allies | Belligerents Opposing Britain | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) |
Tsardom of Russia Cossack Hetmanate Denmark–Norway Electorate of Saxony Poland–Lithuania Prussia Hanover | Swedish Empire Ottoman Empire United Provinces | Coalition victory:
|
The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) including |
Austria Dutch Republic Savoy Prussia Portugal | France Spain Bavaria | Grand Alliance 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
|
Holy Roman Empire France Dutch Republic Savoy | Spain
Jacobites (against the British Crown and Government only) |
Quadruple Alliance Victory:
|
Dummer's War (1721–1725) |
New England Colonies Mohawk |
France Wabanaki Confederacy |
Victory
|
The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) including
|
Austria Hanover Dutch Republic Saxony Sardinia Russia | France Prussia Bavaria Saxony Naples and Sicily Genoa Sweden | 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) |
East India Company
Forces of Nasir Jang Mir Ahmad
Forces of Mohamed Ali Khan Walajan |
French East India Company
Forces of Chanda Shahib
Forces of Muhyi ad-Din Muzaffar Jang Hidayat |
Victory
|
Seven Years' War (1756–1763) |
Prussia Hanover Iroquois Portugal and her colonies Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Hesse-Kassel | France Holy Roman Empire Russian Empire Sweden Saxony Sardinia | Victory
|
The Third Carnatic War (1757–1763) |
East India Company | France | Victory
|
Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761) |
United Kingdom | Cherokee | Victory
Pro-British Attakullakulla becomes Cherokee leader |
Tacky's War (1760) |
Great Britain Jamaican Government Jamaican Maroons |
Ashanti Slaves | Victory
|
Pontiac's Rebellion (1763–1766) |
Confederation of First Nation Tribes | Stalemate
|
|
First Anglo-Mysore War (1766–1769) |
East India Company Maratha Empire | Kingdom of Mysore | British defeat, Hyderabad cedes territory to Mysore |
First Anglo-Maratha War (1774–1783) |
East India Company | Maratha Empire | Indecisive
Pre-war status quo remained.[2][3] Treaty of Salbai:
|
|
Iroquois Cherokee Hanover Loyalists | United States France Spain Dutch Republic Vermont Republic Kingdom of Mysore Oneida tribe Tuscarora tribe Watauga Association | Treaty of Paris:
|
2nd Anglo-Mysore War 1780–1784) |
East India Company Maratha Empire | Kingdom of Mysore France | Treaty of Mangalore: |
Northwest Indian War (1785–1795) |
Western Confederacy | United States | Treaty of Greenville
|
3rd Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792) |
East India Company Maratha Empire Hyderabad State | Kingdom of Mysore France |
Victory
|
War of the French Revolution (1793–1802) |
Austria Prussia French Royalists 23x15px Spain Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Sardinia Naples and Sicily Italian states Ottoman Empire 23x15px Spain Russia | French Republic Polish Legions Denmark–Norway 23x15px Spain | Defeat
|
Ibn Ufaisan's Invasion (1793) |
Kuwait Kingdom of Great Britain |
Emirate of Diriyah | Victory
|
Second Maroon War (1795–1796) |
Great Britain Jamaican Government |
Jamaican Maroons | Victory
|
Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars (1795–1816) |
Loyalists Burrberongal Tribe | Dharug Eora Tharawal Gandangara Irish-convict sympathisers | Victory
Displacement of Aborigines from their land |
Kandyan Wars (1796–1818) |
United Kingdom | Kingdom of Kandy | Victory
|
Irish Rebellion of 1798 (1798) |
Kingdom of Ireland | United Irishmen Defenders French Republic | Victory Rebellion defeated
1801 Act of Union |
4th Anglo-Mysore War (1798–1799) |
East India Company Maratha Empire | Kingdom of Mysore | 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 |
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1802–1805) |
East India Company | Maratha Empire | Victory
Extensive territory in India ceded by the Maratha Empire |
Haitian Revolution (1802-1804) |
Ex-slaves United Kingdom |
French Republic 23x15px Spain |
Victory
|
First Kandyan War (1803–1805) |
Kandy | Victory
Territory captured from Kandy |
|
Civil War: Emmet's Insurrection |
Forces of Robert Emmet | Victory
Rebellion defeated |
|
British Expedition to Ceylon (1803) |
Dutch Republic British Empire |
Chiefdom of Vanni Kingdom of Kandy |
Victory
|
War of the Third Coalition (1803–1805) |
Austrian Empire Russian Empire Naples and Sicily Portugal | French Empire Batavia Italy Etruria 23x15px Spain Bavaria | ??
|
War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807) |
Prussia Russia Saxony Sweden | French Empire Polish Legions Italy 23x15px Naples Etruria Holland Swiss Confederation | Treaties of Tilsit:
|
British invasions of the Río de la Plata (1806–1807) |
23x15px Spain | Invasion defeated | |
Ashanti-Fante War (1806–1807) |
Ashanti Empire | Fante Confederacy | |
Anglo-Turkish War (1807–1809) |
Ottoman Empire | Treaty of the Dardanelles:
|
|
Gunboat War (1807–1814) |
United Kingdom | Denmark-Norway | Victory
|
Anglo-Russian War (1807–1812) |
United Kingdom | Russian Empire | Treaty of Örebro:
|
Peninsular War (1807–1814) |
23x15px Spain | French Empire | Victory
|
War of the Fifth Coalition (1809) |
Austrian Empire Tyrol Hungary Black Brunswickers Sicily | French Empire Warsaw Kingdom of Italy Naples Swiss Confederation | ??
|
Conquest of French Guiana (1809) |
Portugal Colonial Brazil United Kingdom |
France | Victory
|
Merina Conquest of Madagascar (1810–1817) |
Merina Kingdom | French Empire | Victory
Merina control of Madagascar Merina pro-British policies |
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) |
Ashanti Empire Ga tribes | Fante Confederacy
Akwapim tribes
Akim tribes |
Tantamkweri ceded to Akwapim tribes |
War of 1812 (1812–1815) |
Great Britain British North America |
United States | Stalemate
|
War of the Sixth Coalition 1812–1814 |
Original Coalition Russian Empire Prussia Austrian Empire United Kingdom Sweden 23x15px Spain Portugal Two Sicilies Kingdom of Sardinia After Battle of Leipzig |
First French Empire
Until January 1814
|
Victory
|
Second Kandyan War (1815) |
Kandy | Victory
|
|
Hundred Days (1815) War of the Seventh Coalition |
Prussia France Hanover German Confederation Austria Russia Sweden Netherlands 23x15px Spain Portugal Sardinia Kingdom of the Two Sicilies | French Empire | Victory
|
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) |
East India Company | Maratha Empire | 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) |
Greek revolutionaries | Ottoman Empire | Victory
Establishment of the Kingdom of Greece |
First Ashanti War (1823–1831) |
Ashanti Empire | British retreat to Sierra Leone | |
First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826) |
East India Company
Native tribes |
Kingdom of Burma | Victory
|
Revolt of the Mercenaries (1828) |
Brazil United Kingdom France |
German Mercenaries Irish Mercenaries |
Victory
|
Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834) |
Liberal Forces of Queen Maria II | Absolutist Forces of King Miguel | Victory
|
Baptist War (1831–1832) |
United Kingdom Jamaican Government |
Rebel Slaves | Victory
|
First Carlist War (1833–1840) |
23x15px Forces of Queen Isabella II
French Kingdom
Forces of Queen Maria II |
Carlists:
|
Victory
British mediated Convention of Vergara |
The 6th Xhosa War (1834–1836) |
Free Khoikhoi | Xhosa tribes | Victory
Extensive territorial gains from Xhosa |
Rebellions of 1837 (1837–1838) |
Great Britain Province of Upper Canada Supported by: |
Patriotes Hunters' Lodges Reform Movement |
Victory
|
First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842) |
East India Company | 23x15px Emirate of Afghanistan | British retreat from Afghanistan |
First Opium War (1839–1842) |
Manchu-China | Victory
|
|
Second Egyptian-Ottoman War (1839–1841) |
Ottoman Empire British Empire |
22px Egypt Eyalet Kingdom of the French 23x15px Spain |
Victory
|
1839–1851 | Colorados Argentine Unitarians French Kingdom Riograndense Republic Brazil | Blancos | British and French withdrawal before war's conclusion Peace treaty with the Argentine Confederation[4][5] Eventual Colorados victory |
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846) |
East India Company Patiala State |
Sikh Empire | Victory
|
Flagstaff War (1845–1846) |
Forces of Tāmati Wāka Nene | Ngāpuhi Iwi | Stalemate |
Hutt Valley Campaign (1846) |
Te Āti Awa Iwi | Ngāti Toa Iwi | 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) |
Māori Kupapa | Māori Iwis | Stalemate
12 year peace and trade |
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) |
East India Company | Sikh Empire | Victory
Complete annexation of the Punjab by the East India Company |
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) |
Qing dynasty France United Kingdom |
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom | Victory
|
Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852–1853) |
Kingdom of Burma | Victory
Burmese revolution ended fighting Lower Burma annexed |
|
Crimean War (1853–1856) |
French Empire Ottoman Empire | Russian Empire | Victory |
Bombardment of Greytown (1854) |
Miskito Kingdom | United States | Greytown occupied and destroyed |
The National War in Nicaragua (1856–1857) |
23x15px Costa Rica Honduras Rebel Forces of Patricio Rivas The Mosquito Coast Guatemala El Salvador | Sonora | Victory
Sonora/Nicaraguan government defeat. |
Second Opium War (1856–1860) Arrow War |
French Empire | Manchu-China | Victory
|
Anglo-Persian War (1856–1857) |
23x15px Afghanistan | Persia | Victory
Persian withdrawal from Herat |
Indian Mutiny (1857–1858) |
East India Company Nepal Jammu and Kashmir | Sepoys of the East India Company Mughal Empire Awadh Jhansi | Victory
Act for the Better Government of India:
|
First Taranaki War (1860–1861) Second Māori War |
Māori Iwis | Stalemate | |
Bombardment of Kagoshima (1863) |
British Empire | Satsuma Domain | Victory
|
Second Ashanti War (1863–1864) |
Ashanti Empire | Stalemate | |
Invasion of Waikato (1863–1866) Third Māori War |
Māori Kupapa | Māori King Movement | Victory
Māori King Movement defeated, confined to King Country |
Bhutan War (1864–1865) |
India | Bhutan | Victory
Treaty of Sinchula:
|
British Expedition to Abyssinia (1867–1868) |
United Kingdom | Ethiopia | Victory |
Klang War (1867–1874) Selangor Civil War |
Forces of Raja Abdullah of Klang
British Straits Settlements |
Forces of Raja Mahadi | Victory |
Titokowaru's War (1868–1869) Part of the New Zealand land wars |
Māori Kupapa | Ngāti Ruanui Iwi | Victory
Ngāti Ruanui Iwi withdrawal |
1868 Expedition to Abyssinia (1868) |
India | Abyssinia | Victory
British hostages freed War of the Abyssinian Succession begins |
Te Kooti's War
Part of the New Zealand land wars |
Māori Kupapa | Māori Iwis | Victory
End of New Zealand land wars Territory ceded by Māori Iwis |
Red River Rebellion (1869–1869) |
Dominion of Canada | Métis Forces of Louis Riel | Victory
Defeat of rebellion Manitoba Act:
|
Third Ashanti War (1873–1874) |
Ashanti Empire | Victory
Treaty of Fomena:
|
|
The 9th Xhosa War (1877–1879) |
Mfengu Tribe | Xhosa Gcaleka Tribe | Victory
All Xhosa territory annexed to the Cape Colony |
Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) |
India | 22px Afghanistan | Victory
British control over Afghan foreign affairs |
Anglo-Zulu War (1879) |
Natal | Zulu Kingdom | Victory
Zululand annexed to Natal |
‘Urabi Revolt (1879–1882) |
Khedivate of Egypt |
Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi | Victory
|
First Boer War (1880–1881) |
South African Republic | Defeat
|
|
Mahdist War (1884–1889) |
Egypt Italy | Mahdist Sudan | Victory |
Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885) |
Kingdom of Burma | Victory
Upper Burma annexed to British Raj |
|
Sikkim Expedition (1888) |
India | Tibet | Victory
Tibet recognizes British suzerainty over Sikkim |
Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896) |
Zanzibar | Victory
Pro-British Sultan installed |
|
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) |
Japan Russia France United States Germany Italy | Righteous Harmony Society | Victory
|
Second Boer War (1899–1902) |
Orange Free State |
Victory
|
|
Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902) |
Aro Confederacy | Victory
Aro Confederacy destroyed |
|
British expedition to Tibet 1903–1904) |
India | Tibet | Victory |
World War I (1914–1918) |
India Dominion of Canada Australia New Zealand South Africa Newfoundland Belgium France Greece Portugal Romania Russia Italy Japan United States Serbia Montenegro | Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire | 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) |
Estonia United Kingdom Finland Denmark Latvia White movement Swedish volunteers |
Soviet Russia
|
Victory
|
Latvian War of Independence 1918–1920) |
Latvia Estonia White Movement Poland Lithuania United Kingdom |
German Empire West Russian Volunteer Army |
Victory
|
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1920) |
British Empire France United States Japan Greece | Soviet Russia | Defeat
|
Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923) |
Ottoman Empire Greece France Italy Armenia | Turkish Nationalists Soviet Russia Soviet Georgia Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic |
British withdrawal before war's conclusion
|
Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919–1919) |
India | Afghanistan | Partial victory, Full Afghan independence |
Irish War of Independence (1919–1920) |
Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) | Irish Republic | Anglo-Irish Treaty:
|
Somaliland campaign (1920) (1920) |
British Somaliland | Dervish State | Victory
Demise of the Dervish State |
Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920 (1920) |
Iraqi rebels | Victory
|
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present)
Conflict | Britain & Her Allies | Belligerent Opposing Britain | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
Adwan Rebellion (1923) |
United Kingdom Emir Abdullah's forces Hashemite allied tribesmen:
|
Sultan al-Adwan's forces | Victory
Sultan al-Adwan's defeat and exile |
Ikhwan Revolt (1927–1930) |
Kuwait Nejd and Hejaz RAF |
Ikhwan | Victory
|
Great Arab Revolt in Palestine (1936–1939) |
Jewish Settlement Police Jewish Supernumerary Police Haganah Special Night Squads FOSH Peulot Meyuhadot Irgun Peace Bands | Arab Higher Committee | Victory
Revolt suppressed |
British–Zionist conflict (1938–1948) |
United Kingdom | Haganah Palmach Irgun 22px Lehi | British withdrawal and creation of Israel |
S-Plan 16 January 1939 – March 1940 |
United Kingdom | Irish Republican Army | Victory
|
World War II (1939–1945) |
The Allies | Axis Powers | Victory
Nazi Germany formally surrenders 8 May 1945, ending World War II in Europe. |
Northern Campaign 2 September 1942 – December 1944 |
Royal Ulster Constabulary | Irish Republican Army | Victory
|
Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949) |
United Kingdom Netherlands Empire of Japan (Until 1945) | Indonesia | Dutch military victory Indonesian political victory
|
Greek Civil War (1944–1948) |
Kingdom of Greece United Kingdom | D.S.E. (Δ.Σ.Ε.) Albania Yugoslavia | Communist forcess defeated, many D.S.E. soldiers exiled in Eastern Europe. A Battalion of UK troops still in Greece till 1948 |
Operation Masterdom (1945–1946) |
United Kingdom France Empire of Japan | Viet Minh | Withdrawal
First Indochina War begins |
Corfu Channel incident (1946–1948) |
United Kingdom | People's Socialist Republic of Albania | Victory
|
Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) |
British Commonwealth | Malayan Communist Party | Victory
|
Korean War (1950–1953) |
United Nations Command | North Korea People's Republic of China | Ceasefire
|
1951 Anglo-Egyptian War[6] (1951–1952) |
United Kingdom | Egypt | Victory
|
Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) |
British East Africa | Mau Mau | Victory Defeat of Mau Mau
Kenyan independence |
Jebel Akhdar War (1954–1959) |
Sultanate of Muscat and Oman United Kingdom |
Imamate of Oman
|
Victory |
Cypriot intercommunal violence (1955–1960) |
United Kingdom | EOKA
|
Military victory EOKA political victory
|
Suez Crisis (1956–1957) |
United Kingdom France | Egypt | Victory
Israeli occupation of Sinai |
Border Campaign (1956–1962) |
United Kingdom | Irish Republican Army | Victory
IRA campaign fails |
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1962–1966) |
Commonwealth of Nations | Indonesia | Victory
Indonesia recognises Malaysian rule over former North Borneo |
Dhofar Rebellion (1962–1975) |
Oman United Kingdom Iran | Various insurgents | Victory Insurgency defeated Modernisation of Oman |
Aden Emergency (1963–1967) |
Federation of South Arabia United Kingdom |
NLF FLOSY |
British withdrawal People's Republic of South Yemen established |
Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) |
Nigeria Egypt United Kingdom |
Biafra | Victory
|
The Troubles (1968–1998) |
United Kingdom | Irish Republican paramilitaries (OIRA, PIRA, INLA etc.)
|
Good Friday Agreement:
|
Falklands War (1982) |
United Kingdom | Argentina | Victory
The Falklands are retaken from Argentina |
Multinational Force in Lebanon (1982–1984) |
United Kingdom France United States Italy | Islamic Jihad Organization | Victory
Multinational Force withdrawal |
Gulf War (1991) |
Kuwait United States United Kingdom Saudi Arabia France Egypt Syria | Iraq | Victory
Kuwait regains its independence |
Bosnian War (1992–1996) |
UNPROFOR, | Republika Srpska | Victory |
Operation Desert Fox (1998) |
United States | Iraq | Victory
Objectives largely achieved |
Kosovo War (1998–1999) |
United States United Kingdom France Canada Denmark Germany Italy | Yugoslavia | Victory Kosovo occupied by Nato forces
Kosovo administered by UNMIK |
Sierra Leone Civil War (2000–2002) |
Sierra Leone | Rebels | Victory
Rebels defeated |
2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia (2001) |
National Liberation Army NATO |
Macedonia Supported by: |
Ceasefire
|
War in Afghanistan
Fourth Anglo-Afghan War[10] (2001–2014) |
Afghanistan United States United Kingdom Canada Germany Italy France Denmark Poland Romania Turkey Australia Spain ISAF | Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan | Victory Fall of Taliban régime and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Osama bin Laden killed
Taliban insurgency |
Iraq War (2003–2009) |
United States United Kingdom Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein Australia Poland Denmark | Iraq under Saddam Hussein | Victory Fall of Ba'athist rule in Iraq
Occupation of southern Iraq
British withdrawal in 2009, conflict ended in 2011 |
Libyan Civil War (2011) |
Many NATO members acting under UN mandate, including: United States France Denmark Italy Canada and Anti-Gaddafi forces several Arab League states | Pro-Gaddafi forces | Victory
|
Military intervention against ISIL (2014–present) |
United States United Kingdom Iraq Syrian Opposition Australia Belgium Canada Denmark France Germany Italy Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal Spain Turkey Bahrain Jordan Morocco Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Egypt Libya Nigeria Cameroon Chad Niger Russia |
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 25px Boko Haram |
Ongoing
|
See also
- List of wars involving England
- List of wars in Great Britain
- Military history of the United Kingdom
- Declaration of war by the United Kingdom
- Undeclared war
References
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- ↑ Egypt 1951 War with Britain, Globalsecurity.org
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- ↑ The Fourth Afghan War is lost The Daily Telegraph, 4 September 2009
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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