List of battles 1901–2000

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List of battles: before 601 601–1400 1401–1800 1801–1900 1901–2000 2001–current

Contents 1 1901–1913 2 1914–1918 3 1919–1938 4 1939–1945 5 1945–1975 6 1977–2000

1901–1913

• 1901
  • Balangiga massacre 28 September – Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on 78 soldiers of the 9th US Infantry and massacred nearly all of them. Most infamous battle of the Philippine-American War
• 1902
  • Battle of Riyadh 13 January – Ibn Saud successfully captures Riyadh
• 1903
  • Battle of Dilam 27 January – Ibn Saud victory over Rashidis
  • Battle of Krushevo 2 August – the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization defeats the Turks at Mechkin Kamen
  • Battle of Smilevo 5 August – the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation defeats the Turks at Smilevo
• 1904
  • Battle of Port Arthur 9 February – Spetznazogovitch fortress; start of Russo-Japanese War
  • Battle of Yalu River 2 May – First Japanese land victory against the Russians
  • Battle of Nanshan 25–26 May – Japanese defeat Russians in a pitched battle outside of Port Arthur
  • Battle of Dairen 30 May – Japanese defeat Russians
  • Battle of Te-li-Ssu 14–15 June – Russian attempt to relieve Port Arthur smashed by the Japanese
  • Battle of Bekeriyah 15 June – Ibn Saud victory over Rashidis
  • Battle of the Yellow Sea 10 August – Russian naval breakout attempt from Port Arthur defeated by Japanese fleet
  • Battle of the Japanese Sea 14 August – Japanese forces force Russians to scuttle the cruiser Ryurik
  • Battle of Liaoyang 24 August – 4 September – Japanese defeat Russians in the first major battle of the Russo-Japanese War
  • Battle of Shinanah 29 September – Ibn Saud victory over Rashidis
  • Battle of Sha-ho River 11–15 October – Russian counteroffensive in Manchuria is checked with heavy losses by the Japanese
• 1905
  • Siege of Port Arthur ended 2 January – Japanese attack on Port Arthur
  • Battle of San-de-pu 25–29 January – Another failed Russian counteroffensive in Manchuria
  • Battle of Mukden 20 February – 7 March Largest battle of all time when fought, a glorious Japanese victory
  • Battle of Tsushima 27–28 May – Admiral Togo's decisive victory over Russian Baltic fleet in the Straits of Tshushima
• 1906
  • Battle of Rawdat Muhanna 12 April – Ibn Saud defeat Rashidis in Rawdat Muhanna.
• 1907
  • Battle of Tarafiyah 24 September – Ibn Saud defeat Rashidis in Tarafiyah
• 1908
  • Battle of Marakesh 23 August – Mulay Hafid successfully revolts against Moroccan Sultan
• 1911
  • Battle of Tobruk Italy begins the invasion of Libya, Italo-Turkish War
• 1912
  • Battle of Lemnos 8 October – Greek marines occupy the Ottoman-held port of Moudros on the Island of Lemnos
  • Battle of Sarantaporo 9 October – Greeks defeat Ottomans near Koritza
  • Battle of Kumanovo 23 October – Serbians defeat Ottomans in N. Macedonia
  • Battle of Kirk Kelesse 24 October – Bulgarians defeat Ottomans in E. Thrace
  • Battle of Pente Pigadia 24–30 October – Greeks defeat Ottomans in seven-day battle near Bizani
  • Battle of Giannitsa 2 November – Greeks defeat Ottoman Turks in Central Macedonia
  • Battle of Prilep 3 November – Serbians defeat Ottomans
  • Battle of Lule Burgas 31 October – 3 November – Bulgarians compel Ottomans to full retreat toward the lines of Tchataldja, 30 km from Constantinople and the last line of defense for the Ottoman Capital. In terms of forces engaged it was the largest battle fought in Europe between the end of the Franco-Prussian War and the beginning of the First World War
  • Battle of Vevi 2 November – Successful Turkish counter offensive against Greek positions
  • Battle of Monastir 16–19 November – Decisive and final defeat in Macedonia of the Ottomans by the Serbians
  • Battle of Çatalca 16 –17 November – defeat of Bulgarian advance toward Istanbul
  • Naval Battle of Dardanelles 3 December – Greek navy defeats Ottoman fleet and forces it to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles straits
• 1913
  • Naval Battle of Lemnos 5 January – Greek navy defeats Ottoman fleet near the Island of Lemnos in final naval engagement of the war
  • Battle of Bizani 20–21 February – Greeks defeat last operational Ottoman army in Epirus and capture city of Ioanina
  • Adrianople November 3, 1912 – March 26, 1913 – Fall of the city to the forces of Bulgaria and Serbia and the capture of Turkish Gen Ghazi Shulkri Pasha
  • Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas 19–21 June – Greeks defeat Bulgarians in the three-day battle for Kilkis
  • Battle of Kresna Gorge 8 –18 July – Inconclusive ten-day battle between Bulgaria and Greece
  • Battle of Kalimantsi 15–18 July – Bulgarian defensive victory against the Serbs
  • Battle of Dul Madoba 9 August – A Dervish force raids the Somali Habar Yoonis tribe near Burco, killing or wounding 57 members of the "Somaliland Camel Constabulary", including the British commander, Colonel Richard Corfield

1914–1918

• 1914
  • Liège 4–17 August – Germans invade Belgium; start of World War I See also a List of World War I Battles
  • Battle of Mulhouse 9 August – Part of the Battle of the Frontiers, France takes town but then loses it again
  • Battle of Lorraine 14 August – German victory in World War I
  • Battle of Cer 16–19 August – Serbian forces push back Austro-Hungarian invasion
  • Battle of Stalluponen 17 August – First battle on the Russian Eastern Front in World War I
  • Battle of Gumbinnen 19–20 August – Russians defeat German Eighth Army, advance deeper into East Prussia
  • Battle of the Ardennes 21 August
  • Battle of Charleroi 21 August
  • Battle of Mons 23 August – British forces hold back
  • Battle of Tannenberg 23 August – 2 September – Samsonov's Russian Second Army encircled and destroyed by the German Eighth Army
  • Battle of Charmes 24–26 August - The second French army, under general Castelnau, defeat a Bavarian army
  • Battle of Le Cateau 26 August – Allied Powers retreat from German forces
  • Battle of Galicia 26 August – 11 September – Russia defeats Austria-Hungary
  • First Battle of Heligoland Bight 28 August – First major naval engagement of World War I . Heavy German losses
  • Battle of Guise 29 August – The fifth French army, under general Lanzerac, defeat the second German army under general Bülow.
  • Siege of Maubeuge 24 August – 7 September – Germans capture fortress
  • First Battle of the Marne 5–9 September – French armies and BEF, under French general Joffre, defeat the Germans armies under general Von Moltke. German invasion of France halted by Allies. The city of Paris was saved.
  • First Battle of the Masurian Lakes 9–14 September – German Eighth Army defeats Rennenkampf's Russian First Army
  • First Battle of the Aisne 13–28 September – Indecisive battle in France
  • Siege of Przemyśl 24 September 1914 – 22 March 1915 – Russians initially unsuccessful, but second siege attempt succeeds
  • Siege of Antwerp 28 September
  • Battle of the Vistula River 29 September – 31 October – Russians defeat Germans under August von Mackensen
  • Battle of the Yser 16–31 October – French and Belgian victory
  • First Battle of Ypres 19 October – 22 November – Early trench warfare; "Kindermord bei Ypern"
  • Battle of Penang 28 October – German victory. Two allied ships sink near Malaysia
  • Battle of Coronel 1 November – Admiral Graf Spee defeats Admiral Cradock
  • Battle of Tanga 3–5 November – Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck defeats General Arthur Aitken in German East Africa
  • Fao Landing 6 November – British begin the Mesopotamian Campaign against the Ottoman Empire
  • Battle of Cocos 9 November – Australia defeats Germany in a naval battle
  • Battle of Łódź 11 November – Russians take city, lose it on 6 December
  • Battle of Elhri 13 November – Moroccan tribes defeat French troops
  • Battle of Kraków 16 November – heavy casualties to Austria and Russia
  • Battle of Łowicz 30 November – 17 December – Russians take city
  • Battle of Kolubara 3–9 December – Serbians drive out Austrians
  • Battle of Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 8 December – British defeat Admiral Graf Spee
• 1915
  • Battle of Jassin 18–19 January – German victory in East Africa
  • Battle of Dogger Bank 24 January – Admiral Beatty drives off Vice-Admiral Hipper's raiding force, sinks Blücher
  • First Suez Offensive (28 January – 3 February) – Ottoman attack fails
  • Battle of Bolimov 31 January – Cold weather thwarts German gas attack against Russians
  • Battle of Kakamas 4 February – Took place in Kakamas, Northern Cape Province of South Africa. It was a skirmish for control of two river fords between contingents of the German and South African armed forces, ending with a South African victory
  • Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes 7 –22 February – Initial German attack is highly successful, but further attacks are repulsed
  • Battle of Gallipoli 19 February 1915 – 8 January 1916 – The Allied powers attempt a failed frontal assault on the Ottoman Empire
  • Naval assault in strait of Çanakkale 18 March – Turks repel an Allied fleet
  • Landing at Cape Helles 25 April – British amphibious assault against the Ottoman Empire. Concurrently a French assault in the Asiatic side of the straits
  • First Battle of Krithia 28 April – British attack against Turks fails
  • Landing at Anzac Cove 25 April – 3 May – Australia and New Zealand successfully land but later get bogged down
  • Second Battle of Krithia 6–8 May – Second British attack against Turks uses same plan, also fails
  • Second Battle of Ypres 22 April – 25 May – Germans use poison gas
  • Third Battle of Krithia 4 June – Temporary British success reversed by Ottoman counter-attack
  • Battle of Gully Ravine 28 June – 5 July – British and Indian forces defeat Ottoman Empire
  • First Battle of the Isonzo 23 June – 7 July – Failed Italian attack on Austrian positions in the Alps
  • Second Battle of the Isonzo 18 July – 3 August – Second attempt on Austrian positions fails
  • Battle of Chunuk Bair 6 –10 August – Ottomans defeat Britain and New Zealand
  • Battle of Lone Pine 6–12 August – Australians stop Ottoman attack, but it was only a diversion
  • Battle of Krithia Vineyard 6–13 August – Turkish diversionary attack to allow for Sari Bair Offensive
  • Landing at Suvla Bay 6–15 August – The main attack for which the two diversions were staged. Ottoman victory
  • Battle of the Nek 7 August – Ottomans defeat Australians
  • Battle of Scimitar Hill 21 August – Decisive battle of the Gallipoli Campaign, Ottoman victory
  • Battle of Hill 60 (Gallipoli) – Final British attempt to take Gallipoli fails
  • Battle of Loos 25 September – 14 October
  • Third Battle of the Isonzo 18 October – 3 November – Austrians endure massive Italian bombardment
  • Battle of Ctesiphon 22–25 November – Indecisive battle between British and Ottoman forces
  • Siege of Kut 7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916 – Ottoman forces, led by a German general, capture the city

• 1916
  • Battle of Verdun 21 February – 15 December – The great German offensive was repulsed by the heroic second French army. Verdun was no taken by Germans troops. French win a strategic defensive victory.
  • Battle of Dujaila 8 March – Failed British attempt to relieve the Siege of Kut
  • Battle of Asiago 11 March – Massive Austrian counter-offensive against Italy
  • Easter Rising 24 April – Irish rebellion against the British occupation centered in Dublin
  • Battle of Jutland 31 May – Last engagement of the German High Seas Fleet
  • Brusilov offensive 4 June – 20 September – Russia nearly collapses Austria but losses are staggering
  • 2nd Battle of Albert 1 July – Opening day of the Allied Power offensive known as the Battle of the Somme
  • Battle of Bazentin Ridge 14 July – British victory during the Somme offensive
  • Battle of Fromelles 19–20 July – German victory south of the rest of the Somme offensive
  • Battle of Pozières 23 July – 7 August – British and Australian forces take and hold town
  • Battle of Romani 3 August – Turkish advance on Suez Canal defeated
  • Sixth Battle of the Isonzo 6–17 August – Italian victory
  • Battle of Mouquet Farm 8 August – 27 September – Allied Powers advance toward German fortification
  • Battle of Guillemont 3–9 September – Allied Powers capture city
  • Battle of Ginchy 9 September – Irish capture town from Germans, but suffer heavy casualties
  • Battle of Flers-Courcelette 15–22 September – Bad weather thwarts Allied attempt to break through German defenses
  • Battle of Morval 25 September – British progress resumes after Fleurs-Courcelette, but French unable to match British progress
  • Battle of Thiepval Ridge 26–28 September – German positions captured by Allied Powers
  • Battle of Le Transloy 1 October – 5 November – Failed attempt to capture German defenses
  • Battle of the Ancre 13 November – Allied Powers advance further, final battle of the 1916 Somme Campaign
  • Battle of Segale – Negus Mikael, marching on the Ethiopian capital in support of his son Emperor Iyasus V, is defeated by Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis, securing the throne for Empress Zauditu
  • Battle of Magdhaba 23 December – Capture of Turkish garrison in the Sinai

• 1917
  • Battle of Rafa 9 January – Capture of Turkish garrison in the Sinai
  • Second Battle of Kut 23 February – British forces once again take Kut
  • Fall of Baghdad 8–11 March – British forces capture the city
  • First Battle of Gaza 26 March – British fail to advance into Palestine
  • Vimy Ridge 9 April – Canada's finest hour
  • Second Battle of Gaza 19 April – Turkey repels British assault on Gaza-Beersheba line
  • Battle of Zborov 1– 2 July – Part of Kerensky Offensive
  • Battle of Passchendaele 31 July – Also known as Third Battle of Ypres. Three-month battle costs Britain 400,000
  • Battle of Caporetto 24 October – Also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo. Italians defeated by Central Powers, driven back to Venice
  • Battle of Beersheba 31 October – Australian light horse capture Beersheba
  • Third Battle of Gaza 31 October – 7 November – British break Turkish defensive line in southern Palestine
  • Second Battle of Heligoland Bight 17 November – Indecisive naval battle, Germans lose one torpedo boat
  • Battle of Cambrai 20 November – 7 December – First successful use of tanks
  • Battle of Jerusalem 8–26 December – British forces capture Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire.

• 1918
  • Battle of Bakhmach 8–13 March – Czechoslovak Legion escape German encirclement
  • Battle of Tampere 8 March – 6 April in Finnish Civil War
  • Battle of Cantigny 28 May – US First Division wins in first independent action
  • Battle of the Piave River 15–23 June – Downfall of Austria
  • Battle of Belleau Wood 25 June – US Second Division Marines capture woods
  • Battle of Hamel 4 July – Australian success with departure from massed frontal assaults
  • Second Battle of the Marne 15–18 July – French troops, helped by American and British troops, win a great and decisive victory against Germans armies and saved Paris. 95 000 French soldiers killed or wounded, 12 000 Americans killed or wounded and 12 000 British killed or wounded. 180 000 Germans soldiers killed or wounded.
  • Battle of Chateau Thierry 18 July
  • Battle of Amiens 8–11 August – British force Germans to Hindenburg line
  • Battle of Baku 26 August – 14 September – The Army of Islam of Ottoman Empire captures the city of Baku
  • Battle of Havrincourt 12 September – British victory. German morale begins to weaken
  • Battle of Saint-Mihiel 12–19 September – Americans defeat Germans
  • Battle of Epéhy 18 September – British and Australians defeat Germans
  • Battle of Megiddo 19 September – Allenby's British crush Ottoman army
  • Battle of Meuse Argonne Forest, 26 September – 11 November – Largest AEF action of the war; Allied victory. (In it, 8 October, Cpl. Alvin York, outnumbered 19:1, leads capture of German machine-gun nest)
  • Battle of Vittorio Veneto 24 October – 3 November
  • Second Battle of the Sambre 4 November – Allied Power victory during final phase of World War I
  • Battle of Przemyśl 11–12 November – Polish forces capture town from Ukrainians

1919–1938

• 1919
  • Battle of Paju 31 January – Estonians and Finnish volunteers defeat the Red Latvian Riflemen in Southern-Estonia.
  • Battle of Bereza Kartuska 14 February – Polish victory during Polish-Bolshevik War
  • Battle of Cēsis 23 June – Estonian and Latvian victory over the German Landeswehr
  • Battle of Lwów 1 November 1918 – 30 May 1919 – Polish city besieged by Ukrainian forces
  • Battle of Daugavpils 28 September 1919 – 15 January 1920 – Polish victory in Latvia
• 1920
  • Battle of Wołodarka 29–31 May – Polish victory during Polish-Bolshevik War
  • Battle of Bystrzyk 31 May – Polish victory by surprise attack
  • Battle of Boryspil 2 June – Polish capture Russian supplies
  • Battle of Maysalun 23 July – The French advance into Syria and defeat Yusuf al-Azmah's hastily assembled army
  • Battle of Radzymin 12–15 August – Town changes hands twice during Polish-Bolshevik War
  • Battle of Nasielsk 14–15 August – Minor Polish victory as part of the action around Warsaw
  • Battle of Zadwórze 17 August – Polish army defeated by the Red Army forces of Semyon Budennyi
  • Battle of Warsaw 13 –25 August – Poles defeat Red Army
  • Battle of Raszyn in August
  • Battle of Giby 30 August – Lithuanian withdrawal successfully mediated by French at request of Poland during Polish-Lithuanian War
  • Battle of Komarow 31 August – Decisive Polish victory
  • Battle of Vlora 3 September – Albanian patriots seize Vlora from Italian control in a rapid night strike
  • Battle of the Niemen river 15–25 September – Poles defeat the reserves of the Red Army
  • Kilmichael Ambush 28 November – Important battle in the Irish War of Independence
• 1921
  • First Battle of Inonu 9–11 January – Greek reconnaissance-in-force, Turkish victory. Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)
  • Second Battle of Inonu 26–31 March – Turkish forces victorious. Greco-Turkish War
  • Battle of Annual 22 July – near Annual, Morocco. Spanish army loses to Rifi Berbers of Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi
  • Battle of Sakarya – Turkish victory, farthest Greek advance in Greco-Turkish War (Turkish War of Independence)
• 1922
  • Battle of Dumlupinar – Turkish victory, final battle of Greco-Turkish War
  • Battle of Dublin – First and probably most important battle of the Irish Civil War
  • Battle of Kilmallock – Battle of the Irish Civil War
• 1923
  • Beer Hall Putsch 8–9 November – Failed NSDAP uprising in Munich, Hitler wounded and captured
• 1924
  • Battle of Mecca – Mecca became a Saudi Arabian territory
• 1925
  • Battle of Jeddah 10 February – Jeddah became a Saudi Arabian territory. End of Kingdom of Hejaz
  • Disembarkment of Alhucemas 8 September – decisive Spanish victory against Rifi berbers
• 1930
  • Battle of Anchem 31 March – Ras Gugsa Welle is defeated by Dejazmach Mulugeta Yeggazu, suppressing the last obstacle to Ras Tafari Makonnen's ascension to Ethiopia's throne
• 1931
  • Mukden Incident 18 September – Japanese forces create a pretext to invade Manchuria, start of Second Sino-Japanese War
• 1932
  • First Battle of Shanghai 28 January – 3 March – Battle halted by a cease-fire, leads to demilitarization of city
• 1933
  • Defense of the Great Wall 1 January – 31 May – Chinese forces forced back from Great Wall, results in another truce
  • Battle of Rehe 21 February – 1 March – Japanese forces capture Chinese town
• 1936
  • Battle of Ganale Dorya 7–10 January – General Rodolfo Graziani attacks troops under Ras Desta Damtew; after over three days of slaughter, the Ethiopians break and flee
  • The First Battle of Tembien 20–24 January – Ethiopian forces suffer 8,000 casualties compared to Italy's 1,100
  • Battle of Amba Aradam 10 February – Ethiopians under Ras Mulugeta Yeggazu counterattack the invading Italians southwest of Chalacot, but are defeated with heavy losses
  • Second Battle of Tembien 27 February
  • Battle of Maychew 31 March – Emperor Haile Selassie leads in person the final Ethiopian counter-attack of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, which is a crushing Ethiopian defeat
  • Battle of the Ogaden 15–25 April – Final battle during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. By 5 May, Emperor Haile Selassie has gone into exile and Italians have declared victory
  • Battle of Badajoz 14 August – Nationalists storm Badajoz
• 1937
  • Battle of Gogetti 19 February – Battle between the Italian occupation forces and the remnants of the Ethiopian armies. The surviving elements of the Ethiopian armies of Sidamo and Bale are encircled and destroyed by the Italian forces near Lake Shala
  • Battle of Guadalajara 8–23 March – Spanish Republicans defeat Italians
  • Battle of Gernika 26–28 April – Franco's forces capture Guernica following a Luftwaffe bombing
  • Battle of Lugou Bridge 7 July – Japanese victory triggered outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War
  • Battle of Beiping-Tianjin 25–31 July – China vs. Japan
  • Second Battle of Shanghai 13 August – 9 November – Japanese forces invade the Chinese city, forcing a Chinese evacuation
  • Battle of El Mazuco 6–22 September – Nationalist victory during Spanish Civil War
  • Battle of Pingxingguan 25 September – Japanese blunders result in Chinese victory
  • Battle of Xinkou 13 September – 8 November – Japanese forces defeat National Revolutionary Army of China
  • Battle of Taiyuan 1 September – 9 November – Japanese victory ends large-scale resistance in Northern China
  • Battle of Nanjing early November to 13 December – Japanese victory after 2 months siege of the capital of Republic of China
• 1938
  • Battle of Cape Palos 5–6 March – Republican victory over Italy during Spanish Civil War
  • Battle of Xuzhou 24 March – 1 May – Japanese victory. Chinese forced to destroy Yellow River dikes
  • Battle of Tai er zhuang 27 March – Chinese claim strategic and moral victory over Japanese
  • Battle of Wuhan 11 July – 27 October – Chiang Kai-shek leads Chinese forces. Result is Japanese pyrrhic victory
  • Battle of the Ebro 25 July – 16 November – Spanish Republicans launch attacks across the Ebro river. The purpose of the battle is to relieve pressure off Valencia and Catalonia. It is soon to become the decisive battle of the war, and a Republican defeat
  • Battle of Lake Khasan

1939–1945

• 1939
  • Battle of Nanchang 17 March – 9 May – Japanese forces defeat Nationalist Chinese
  • Battle of Suixian-Zaoyang 24 May – Chinese counterattack successful
  • Battle of Khalkhin Gol 1 May 1939 – 16 September 1939
  • Blitzkrieg Attack on Poland 1 September – 6 October – Start of World War II in Europe, German victory. See also List of World War II battles
  • Battle of the Bzura River 9–19 September
  • Battle of Hel 9 September – 2 October
  • Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski 17–26 September
  • Battle of Warsaw 8–28 September
  • First Battle of Changsha 17 September – 6 October – Chinese forces successfully defend city. Heavy Japanese casualties
  • Battle of Kock 2–5 October
  • Battle of Tolvajärvi 12 December – Colonel Paavo Talvela's Finnish forces defeat Soviet Union forces
  • Battle of Suomussalmi 8 December – 7 January 1940 – During Winter War, Hjalmar Siilasvuo leads Finnish to victory over Soviets
  • Battle of the River Plate 13 December – Admiral Graf Spee chased into Montevideo harbour and scuttled
  • First Battle of Summa 16 December – 22 December – Finnish attack thwarted during Winter War
• 1940
  • Battle of the Atlantic 1940–1945 – the name given to the conflicts in the Atlantic Ocean throughout World War II
  • Battle of South Henan – Chinese Nationalists led by Li Zongren defeat Japanese
  • Second Battle of Summa 1–15 February – Finnish attack thwarted during Winter War
  • Battle of Honkaniemi 26 February – Only tank action of the Winter War
  • Battle of Salla 28 February – Finnish victory during Winter War
  • Battle of Petsamo 12 March – Russian victory during Winter War
  • Battle of Denmark 9 April – Germany occupies Denmark
  • Battle of Drøbak Sound 9 April – German naval attack thwarted by Norwegian forces
  • Battle of Midtskogen 9–10 April – Norwegian forces defeat German raiding party
  • Battle of Dombås 14–19 April – Norwegian Army units defeat German Fallschirmjäger attack
  • Battle of Narvik 9 April – 10 June – A minor Allied victory in the Arctic
  • Battle at the Afsluitdijk 12–14 May
  • Battle of France 9–22 June – Germany takes on France, British Expeditionary Force and French Army defeated
  • Battle for The Hague 10 May – The first major air-landing operation in history
  • Battle of the Netherlands 10–17 May – Germany invades The Netherlands.
  • Battle of Maastricht 10 May – Maastricht was a key city for the German advance
  • Battle of Mill 10–11 May – Dutch troops manage to hold back a German battalion
  • Battle of Rotterdam 10–14 May – German attempt to seize the Dutch city. It ended in a German victory, following the bombing of Rotterdam
  • Battle of the Grebbeberg 11–13 May – A major engagement during the Battle of the Netherlands, operation Fall Gelb
  • Battle of Dunkirk 27 May – 5 June – Escape of defeated British Expeditionary Forces
  • Battle of Mers-el-Kebir 3 July – British navy destroys Vichy Fleet off the coast of North Africa
  • Battle of Calabria 9 July – British forces fight indecisive naval battle with Italians
  • Battle of Cape Spada 19 July – British and Australian forces sink an Italian cruiser
  • Battle of Britain 10 July – 31 October – Germans try to bomb Britain into submission – RAF answers with fighters
  • Battle of Hundred Regiments 20 August – 5 December – Major engagement of the Red Army against the Japanese Imperial Army
  • Battle of Taranto 11–12 November – British carrier-based planes destroy Italian fleet at Taranto Harbor
  • Battle of Cape Spartivento 27 November – British Navy under James Somerville fights indecisive battle with Italy
• 1941
  • Battle of Keren 3 February – 1 April – Hard-fought British and Commonwealth victory over Italian forces during East African Campaign
  • Battle of Shanggao 14 March – 9 April – Chinese victory
  • Battle of Cape Matapan 28 March – British Royal Navy task force defeats Italian fleet
  • Battle of Greece 6–24 April – Germany takes the Balkan Peninsula after Italian Stalemate
  • Battle of South Shanxi 7–27 May – Japanese victory in China
  • Battle of Denmark Strait 23 May – Bismarck sinks HMS Hood
  • Sinking of the Bismarck 27 May – Famous German battleship is lost
  • Battle of Crete 20 May – 1 June – German paratroopers capture Crete, suffer many casualties
  • Operation Barbarossa 22 June – German invasion of the Soviet Union
  • Battle of Białystok-Minsk 22–29 June – German victory in Belarus
  • Battle of Brody 26–30 June – One of the largest tank battles of World War II
  • Battle of Kiev 7 July – 26 September – The largest encirclement battle of World War II
  • Battle of Smolensk 6 July – 5 August – Soviet attempt to block Wehrmacht's advance on Moscow
  • Battle of Borodino July – 7 day battle between the Soviet and the German armies
  • Battle of Uman 8 August – German victory over Soviet Union
  • Siege of Leningrad 8 September 1941 – 27 January 1944 – City endures three-year Nazi siege
  • Second Battle of Changsha 6 September – 8 October – Failed Japanese attempt to take city
  • Siege of Tobruk 31 March – 27 November – Erwin Rommel defeated in North Africa
  • Battle of Rostov 27 November – Germans forced to withdraw despite Hitler's orders, but Soviets suffer over 140,000 casualties
  • Battle of Pearl Harbor 7 December – Japanese carrier task force destroys US Fleet in surprise attack
  • Battle of Malaya 8 December – Japan invades Malaysia
  • Naval Battle of Singapore 10 December – Japanese torpedo craft sunk HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
  • Battle of Cape Bon 13 December – Italian naval defeat
  • First Battle of Sirte 17 December – Angelo Iachino defeats Andrew Cunningham in a naval battle
  • Battle of Prachuab Khirikhan 8–9 December – Japan conquers Thailand
  • Battle of Wake Island 8–23 December – Japanese forces capture the Pacific Island
  • Battle of Hong Kong 8–25 December – Japanese drive British forces from their Chinese territory
  • Battle of Changsha 24 December 1941 – 15 January 1942 – Chinese forces battle Japanese back during another Japanese attack on that city and claim victory over Japanese
• 1942
  • Battle of Manado 11–13 January – Japanese attempt to open a passage to attack Australia through the eastern part of Dutch East Indies
  • Battle of Makassar Strait February 4 – Japanese planes attack US and Dutch forces
  • Battle of Drazgose 9 January – First frontal engagement on Slovenian soil with the German occupier
  • Battle of Moscow 17 January – Soviet defenders drive back German Army Group Centre
  • Battle of Balikpapan 23 January – Battle in Borneo, Netherlands East Indies. Japanese victory over the Dutch
  • First Battle of Rabaul 23 January – Japanese victory
  • Battle of Ambon 30 January – 3 February – Japanese victory in the Dutch East Indies
  • Battle of Singapore 31 January – 15 February – Japanese forces capture city in Malaya
  • Battle of Badung Strait 18–19 February – Japanese naval victory despite friendly fire incident
  • Darwin Air Raids 19 February – Australian hit by Japanese aerial attacks
  • Battle of the Java Sea 4 February – 1 March – Japanese wipe out Allied naval squadron
  • Battle of Java 28 February – 12 March – A battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II between Japan and the Netherlands. Japanese victory
  • Battle of Sunda Strait 28 February – 1 March – (ABDACOM) naval force, under Admiral Karel Doorman was defeated by the Japanese fleet
  • Second Battle of Sirte 22 March – Iachino is victorious over British naval forces
  • Japanese Raids into Indian Ocean 31 March – Japanese raids against the British Eastern Fleet. Heavy British losses
  • Battle of Bataan 1 January – 9 April – Gen. Douglas MacArthur's USAFFE make gallant stand, US and Filipino prisoners of war forced on Bataan Death March
  • Battle of Nanos 18 April – 800 Italian soldiers lay siege to 50 Slovene partisans
  • Doolittle Raid 18 April – US Aircraft bomb Tokyo, crash-land in China
  • Battle of Zhejiang-Jiangxi 18 April – Chinese and Japanese forces search for the surviving Doolittle Raiders
  • Destruction of Telavåg 30 April – German forces destroy entire Norwegian town
  • Battle of the Coral Sea 4 May – US loses USS Lexington; Japanese win tactically but lose strategically to US/Australian navies. First naval battle in history in which the opposing ships neither sighted nor directly fired on one another; all offensive action was carried out by carrier-based aircraft
  • Battle of Corregidor 5–6 May – Last US bastion in Asia surrenders to the Japanese after prolonged siege
  • Battle of the Philippines 8 December 1941 – 8 May – Japanese victory, Douglas MacArthur promises to return
  • Battle of the St. Lawrence 11 May – U-553 sinks the Nicoya and the Leto in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence river
  • Second Battle of Kharkov 12–28 May – Soviet counterattack thwarted
  • Battle of Bir Hakeim 26 May – 11 June – Free French Forces successfully delay Rommel's advance towards Egypt
  • Battle of Gazala 26 May – 21 June – Erwin Rommel, reinforced by Italians, defeats Great Britain
  • Battle of Midway 4–7 June – US loses USS Yorktown; Japanese lose four aircraft carriers
  • Attack on Sydney Harbour 31 May – 8 June – Japanese submarines attack Australian cities
  • Convoy PQ-17 – 27 ships leave Iceland on 17 June for Murmansk – on 5 10 July ships reach Murmansk
  • First Battle of El Alamein 1 July – British Eighth Army stops Rommel's Axis forces invading Egypt
  • Battle of Sevastopol 2 July – Captured by Germans after eight month siege
  • Battle of Stalingrad 17 July 1942 – 2 February 1943 – City besieged by Paulus' German Sixth Army; from 23 November the Sixth Army is surrounded and destroyed by Soviets; bloodiest battle in history, 1.8 millions dead approx.
  • Battle of Savo Island 9 August – Japanese sink four US cruisers
  • Battle of Dieppe 19 August – "Operation Jubilee" was an Allied attack on the German occupied port of Dieppe in France. Allied Failure, Information used for D-Day
  • Battle of the Eastern Solomons 24 August – Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō sunk
  • Battle of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea 25 August – 7 September – Australians defeat Japanese. First clear Allied victory over Japanese land forces
  • Battle of Alam Halfa 30 August – 6 September – Allies vs. Rommel in North Africa
  • Battle of Cape Esperance 11 October – near Guadalcanal
  • Second Battle of El Alamein 23 October – 4 November – Montgomery's Eighth Army forces Rommel out of Egypt
  • Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands 25 October – near Guadalcanal, USS Hornet sunk, but Japanese withdraw victorious
  • Operation Torch 8 November – Allied landings in North Africa
  • Naval Battle of Guadalcanal 12 November – US defeats Japan. Turning point of Pacific War
  • Battle of Tassafaronga 30 November – off Guadalcanal
• 1943
  • Battle of Osankarica 8 January – About 2000 Germans massacred all 69 men and women of the Pohorje battalion. Germans lost 19 men and had 31 wounded
  • Battle of Velikiye Luki 19 November 1942 – 16 January 1943 – Germans clash with Soviets
  • Battle of Buna-Gona 16 November 1942 – 22 January 1943 – Americans and Australians defeat Japanese
  • Battle of Neretva 20 January – March – Large joint Axis offensive that attempts to destroy Partisan resistance in Yugoslavia, but fails
  • Battle of Rennell Island 29–30 January – Japanese bombers sink a cruiser
  • Battle of Guadalcanal 7 August 1942 – 9 February 1943 – Allies finally take the island after a six month battle
  • Battle of Timor 10 February – After one year battle, Japanese conquer the island
  • Battle of the Kasserine Pass 14–25 February – Battle between US and German armored forces in Tunisia
  • Third Battle of Kharkov 16 February – 15 March – Nazi victory
  • Battle of the Bismarck Sea 2 March – US sinks Japanese transports
  • Battle of Blackett Strait 6 March – Two Japanese destroyers sunk
  • Battle of the Komandorski Islands 26 March – US naval victory, USS Salt Lake City damaged
  • Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 18 April – 5000 Jews and 5000 Germans die, Jews confined
  • Battle of West Hubei 12 May – 3 June – Chinese forces under Bai Chongxi defeat Japanese
  • Sutjeska offensive 15 May – 16 June – Failed Axis offensive against Yugoslav Partisans
  • Battle of New Georgia 20 June – 25 August – American victory in the Solomon Islands
  • Battle of Kula Gulf 6 July – Indecisive naval battle in the Solomons
  • Battle of Kolombangara 12–13 July – American ships damaged while pursuing Japanese
  • Battle of Vella Gulf 6–7 August – Japanese lose three destroyers
  • Battle of the Aleutian Islands 15 August – Japanese invade, but are repelled by American and Canadian forces
  • Battle off Horaniu 17–18 August – Japanese naval retreat, subsequently evacuation of 9,000 Japanese men
  • Battle of Castle Turjak 19 September – Slovene partisans take the castle guarded by the Slovene village sentries
  • Battle of Leros 26 September – 16 November – Germans attack and force surrender of British garrison on Leros
  • Battle of Kursk 4 July – 23 August – Germans attack Kursk salient at Orel and Belgorod, but are stopped by heavy Russians defences; arguably the largest tank battle ever fought. Heavy losses
  • Fourth Battle of Kharkov 23 August – Soviets liberate town
  • Naval Battle of Vella Lavella 6 October – Japanese win, both sides lose one destroyer
  • Raid on Schweinfurt 14 October – The greatest Air battle among the Luftwaffe and the USAF. The famous Air Battle known as "Black Thursday"
  • Attack on Rabaul 1–11 November – Allies launch successful raids
  • Battle of the Treasury Islands 25 October – 12 November – New Zealand defeats Japan in the Solomon Islands
  • Battle of Empress Augusta Bay 1–2 November – Japan suffers a naval defeat
  • Battle of Tarawa 20–22 November – First contested amphibious landing of World War II
  • Battle of Makin 20–24 November – United States forces defeat the Japanese in the Gilbert Islands
  • Battle of Changde 2 November – 20 December – Chinese victory. Japanese use biological and chemical weapons
  • Battle of Cape St. George 27 November – Japanese convoy suffers heavy damage
  • Battle of North Cape 26 December – British naval victory over Germany
• 1944
  • Battle of Monte Cassino 17 January – 19 May. Four battles. Allies finally victorious, breaking through to advance on Rome
  • Battle of Cisterna 30 January – 2 February – Part of Operation Shingle – the 1st, 3rd, and 4th US Army Ranger battalions attempted to capture the town of Cisterna
  • Battle of Kwajalein 31 January – 3 February – American victory in the Marshall Islands, several Korean laborers captured
  • Battle of Korsun Pocket 24 January – 16 February – Decisive Soviet victory
  • Attack on Truk 17–18 February – Successful American air raid in the Marshall Islands
  • Battle of Eniwetok 17–23 February – American victory allows US forces to set up for an attack on the Mariana Islands
  • Battle of Hube's Pocket 25 March – 15 April – Germans victorious, but have to retreat afterward
  • Battle of Central Henan April–December – Marginal Japanese victory in China
  • Raid on Drvar April–May – failed German military operation that aimed to capture Josip Broz Tito – leader of the Yugoslav partisans
  • Battle of Normandy 6 June – 25 August – Allies invade northern France across the Normandy beaches (Operation Overlord); hard fighting from Cherbourg to Caen; Germans surrounded and destroyed at Falaise
  • Battle of Villers-Bocage 13 June – Germans defeat allies near Normandy during Operation Overlord
  • Battle of Saipan 15 June – 9 July – American forces capture island
  • Battle of Philippine Sea 19 June – Major carrier battle; US lose 123 planes and destroy 315 Japanese planes
  • Operation Bagration 22 June – Eastern Front. Soviet offensive destroys German Army Group Center
  • Battle of Fontenay 25 June
  • Battle of Tali-Ihantala 25 June – 9 July – Finnish stop Soviet offensive
  • Battle of Vuosalmi 4–11 July – Finnish victory over the Soviets during the Continuation War
  • Battle of Guam 21 July – 10 August – 18,000 Japanese killed during American attack
  • Battle of Tinian 24 July – 1 August – Japanese, realizing they will lose, launch a suicidal charge against Americans
  • Warsaw Uprising 1 August – 3 October – 20,000 armed Poles against 55,000 Wehrmacht and SS. City destroyed in 90%, more than 250,000 casualties
  • Fourth Battle of Changsha August – Japanese capture nearby town, but unable to continue fighting afterward
  • Operation Dragoon (aka Operation Anvil) 15 August – Allied invasion of Southern France
  • Liberation of Paris 15–25 August – Allied forces drive Third Reich forces out of the French capital
  • Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou 16 August – 24 November – Japanese victory in China
  • Operation Tanne Ost 15 September – Germans unable to capture island
  • Battle of Peleliu 15 September – A fight to capture an airstrip on a speck of coral in the western Pacific
  • Battle of Arnhem 17–26 September – The major battle of Operation Market Garden; Allies reach but fail to cross the Rhine; British First Airborne Division destroyed
  • Battle of Anguar 17–30 September – Volcanic island captured by Americans
  • Hürtgen Forest 19 September – 10 February 1945 – Stubborn German defence, appalling losses to US Army
  • Battle of Tornio 1–8 October – Finns capture Tornio from the Germans, start of the Lapland War proper
  • Battle of Debrecen 6–29 October – Germans able to hold back Soviets
  • Battle of the Scheldt 2 October – 8 November – Difficult Canadian victory secures the port of Antwerp, and ensures critical supplies for advancing allied forces
  • Battle of Crucifix Hill – The U.S. 1st Infantry Division attacks and takes Crucifix Hill, a strategic point which allows the Battle of Aachen to occur. Cpt. Bobbie E. Brown wins a Medal of Honor for his heroics
  • Battle of Aachen 2–21 October – Aachen was the first major German city to face invasion during World War II
  • Battle of Leyte 20 October – 31 December – Combined American and Philippine Commonwealth military forces including recognized guerrillas begin the liberation of the Philippines
  • Battle of Leyte Gulf 23–26 October – The largest air-sea battle in history
  • Operation Queen 16 November
  • Battle of Ormoc Bay 11 November – 21 December – Americans prevent Japanese from resupplying Leyte
  • Battle of Monte Castello 25 November 1945 – 12 February 1946 – Brazilian troops fight Germans in Italy
  • Battle of Mindoro 13–16 December – Combined US, Australian and Philippine Commonwealth Military Forces including recognized guerrillas capture main island off Luzon, Philippines
  • Battle of the Bulge December 16 – January 25, 1945 – German counterattack in Ardennes; General McAuliffe says "NUTS" at Bastogne
• 1945
  • Battle of Luzon 9 January – 15 August – Filipino and American victory. US.Sixth and Eighth Army including the Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary including recognized guerrillas retakes and completes the recapture of Northern Philippines
  • Operation Elephant 26 January – Allied offensive against a German bridgehead at Kapelsche Veer in the Netherlands
  • Raid at Cabanatuan 30 January – US Army Rangers and Filipino guerrillas rescue Bataan and Corregidor POWs from Japanese prison camp
  • Battle for the Recapture of Bataan 31 January – 8 February – Combined US and Philippine Commonwealth military forces including recognized guerrillas retake the historic Bataan Peninsula
  • Battle for the Liberation of Manila 3 February – 3 March – City totally devastated after month-long battle between the combined US and Philippine Commonwealth military forces including recognized guerrillas aagainst the Japanese Imperial forces. 100,000 civilians killed
  • Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor 16–26 February – Spectacular combined US and Philippine Commonwealth assault retakes island bastion from Japanese forces
  • Raid at Los Baños 23 February – US Airborne Task Force and Filipino guerrillas rescues more than 2,000 Allied POWs and civilian internees held by Japanese
  • Battle of Mindanao 10 March – 15 August – US Eighth Army including the Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary and recognized guerrillas completes the recapture of Southern Philippines
  • Operation Varsity 17 March – 134 Allied gliders land troops in Weisel
  • Battle of the Visayas 18 March – 30 July – US Eighth Army including the Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary and recognized guerrillas retakes central Philippine islands
  • Battle of Iwo Jima 26 March – After a month, US Forces take main offshore Japanese island
  • Battle of West Henan and North Hubei 21 March – 11 May – Indecisive battle between China and Japan. Japan controls airbases after battle
  • Battle on Lijevča field, 30 March – 8 April – Total Ustashian victory over Chetniks
  • Battle of Halbe 24 April – 1 May – Part of Battle of Berlin, Germans unable to break out
  • Battle of Baguio 26 April – Filipino troops of the 66th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Commonwealth Army, USAFIP-NL and the American troops of the 33rd and 37th Infantry Division, United States Army retakes and complete in Baguio City, Northern Philippines
  • Battle of Berlin 26 April – 2 May – Soviet forces encircle and capture German capital; Hitler commits suicide
  • Battle of Triest 30 April – 2 May – British army and Yugoslav capture the city
  • Battle of Tarakan 1 May – Allied attack as part of the Borneo campaign
  • Battle of Bessang Pass 14 June – Filipino troops of the 15th, 66th and 121st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Commonwealth Army, USAFIP-NL comples and retakes on the province of Ilocos Sur in Northern Luzon, Philippines
  • Battle of Poljana – Last battle of World War II in Europe
  • Battle of West Hunan April–June – Chinese victory in final battle to expel Japan
  • Battle of Okinawa 21 June – US takes Japanese Island in the Ryūkyūs; many casualties to both sides
  • Battle of North Borneo 17 June – 15 August – US victory during final stages of World War II in the Pacific
  • Soviet invasion of Manchuria 9–20 August – decisive Russian victory over Japan
  • Battle of Balikpapan 1–21 July – Allied victory over Japan
  • Battle of Mayoyao Bridge 26 July – 9 August – Filipino troops of the 11th and 14th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Commonwealth Army, USAFIP-NL retakes and completed in Mayoyao, Mountain Province (now Ifugao), Northern Philippines
  • Battle of Surabaya 27 October – 20 November – Indonesian soldiers and militia against British and Dutch troops as a part of the Indonesian National Revolution

1945–1975

• 1947
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 – the first war fought between the successor of British India the Dominion of India and newly formed of Pakistan. The war ended in a stalemate
  • Operatie Product 21 July – The first of two major Dutch military offensives against the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution
• 1948
  • 1948 Arab–Israeli War – War between Israel and Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, Egypt and Iraq; many Arab refugees.
  • Operatie Kraai – Part of the "Politionele acties". Although the Dutch were victorious they were forced to give up Indonesia, because of international anti-colonial pressure
• 1949
  • Battle of Kuningtou – Nationalist victory establishes Taiwan as the Nationalist refuge. Communists left in control of mainland China.
• 1950
  • Battle of Pusan Perimeter 29 July – 15 September – UN forces stop North Korean invasion of South Korea, counterattack in mid-September in conjunction with Battle of Inchon
  • Battle of Inchon 15–19 September – UN retakes South Korea, reaches Seoul in 12 days
  • Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River 25 November – 2 December – China intervened in Korea, UN forces were expelled from North Korea, resulting in the longest retreat in US military history
  • Battle of Chosin Reservoir 27 November – 13 December – UN forces inflicted heavy casualties onto Chinese forces, rendering 40 percent of all Chinese forces in Korea combat ineffective before withdrawing into South Korea
• 1951
  • Battle of Vinh Yen 13–17 January – Decisive defeat of Viet Minh by the French
  • Battle of the Imjin River Communist Chinese victory in Korea
  • Battle of Kapyong Chinese offensive halted 23 April
  • Battle of Bloody Ridge 18 August – 5 September UN attack captures hill positions in central Korea
  • Battle of Heartbreak Ridge 13 September – 15 October – After 37 days, heights fall to UN
• 1953
  • Battle of the Hook 28–29 May – UN forces defeat Chinese in Korea
  • Battle of Pork Chop Hill 23 March – 11 July Chinese capture hill in March, UN retakes it in July
• 1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu – France loses Indochina when besieged here, from 1953 (First Indochina War)
• 1956 Suez Crisis – Britain, France, Israel attempt to retake Suez Canal after recent Egyptian nationalization. Large engagements included the Battle of Mitla Pass and the Battle of Port Said
• 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion – A failed US-backed attempt to capture Cuba and a major blow to US pride and reputation
• 1962
  • Slag bij Vlakke Hoek 15 January – Tension between the Netherlands and Indonesia leads to a confrontation. This was the last time the Royal Netherlands Navy sunk a ship
  • Battle of Namka Chun – Sino-Indian War
• 1965
  • Second Kashmir War – also known as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, was the second battle fought between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan over Kashmir. The war resulted in a UN-mandated ceasefire between the two countries.
  • Battle of Asal Uttar Stalemate
  • Battle of Lahore Pakistani victory
  • Battle of Chawinda and Phillora Pakistani victory
  • Battle of ChambPakistani victory
  • Battle of Ia Drang 14–18 November – First major encounter between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam in Vietnam. Over the first two days an American battalion repulses continuous Vietnamese assaults; another battalion, sent to reinforce the first, is ambushed on the fourth day when it withdraws, suffering heavy losses.
• 1966 Battle of Long Tan 18–19 August – First major action of Australian forces in Vietnam
• 1967
  • Six Day War 5–10 June – Israel invades & occupies Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, Syrian Golan Heights, West Bank & Gaza Strip
  • Battle of the Ammunition Hill
• 1968
  • USS Pueblo (AGER-2) capture 23 January North Korea seizes US ship
  • Tet Offensive 30 January – North Vietnam loses militarily but turns the tide of US opinion against the war
  • Battle of Khe Sanh – January 21 – April 8 – Desperate defense by the US Marines to hold strategically important fire base against huge NVA numbers. Vietnamese Communists fail in their bid to turn the siege into an "American Battle of Dien Bien Phu."
• 1969
  • Football War 14 July – Between El Salvador and Honduras
  • Battle of the Bogside12 August – Unarmed Irish residents of the Bogside in Derry City expel British Police and Militia Forces from their area. The riots lasts for 2 days until the British Army is sent in. This event is often described as the beginning of the Troubles, a 30-year guerrilla war.
• 1971
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1971/Bangladesh Liberation War – Mid November – 16 December – India militarily supports East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in its struggle for independence from West Pakistan (now Pakistan). Backed by the India, the Armed Forces of India defeat Pakistan and liberate Bangladesh.
  • Battle of Longewala 5 December – Decisive Indian victory.
  • Battle of Hilli – Tactical Indian victory
  • Battle of Garibpur – Decisive Indian victory
  • Battle of Basantar – Tactical Indian victory
  • Operation Trident 4 December Indian Navy attacks Karachi port
• 1972 Battle of Mirbat 19 July – British SAS forces defeat Communist rebels during an attempted coup of Oman.
• 1973
  • Yom Kippur War aka 6th of October War – Egyptian and Syrian armies attack Israel to regain territory lost in the 1967 Six Day War.
  • Battle of Suez
  • Battle of Latakia
  • Battle of Nafkeh
  • Adan's Counterattack
  • Battle of The Chinese Farm
  • Battle of Hermon
  • Battle of The North Valley of Quneitra
  • The Crossing
  • 1974

    Turkish invasion of Cyprus July 20-Aug 16.

• 1975
  • Indonesia invades East Timor 7 December
  • Battle of Xuan Loc 9–12 April – Remnants of ARVN make a last stand in the final major battle of the Vietnam War

1977–2000

• 1977
  • A battle of the Ogaden War – The Ethiopian army inflicts heavy losses on the Somali National Army (SNA) after a Somali attack by 1 tank battalion and a mechanized infantry brigade supported by artillery units
  • First Battle of Jijiga A battle of the Ogaden War – The Somalis, trying to take the town, lose more than half of their attacking force of 3 tank battalions, each of which includes more than 30 tanks
  • Second Battle of Jijiga – A battle of the Ogaden War. Three Somali tank battalions overwhelm an Ethiopian garrison. After inflicting some heavy losses on Somali armor, Ethiopian troops mutiny and withdraw from the town, leaving its defense to the militia, which is incapable of slowing the Somali advance.
  • Battle of Harar – A major battle of the Ogaden War
• 1978
  • Battle of Cassinga 4 May
• 1980
  • Iran–Iraq War
    • Siege of Abadan November 1980 – September 1981 – Iraq Attacks the Iranian city of Abadan but fails to capture it
    • Liberation of Khorramshahr November 1980 – 24 May 1982 – The Iranians recapture of the port city of Khorramshahr from the Iraqis

• 1981
  • Battle of Dezful Early January 1981– Iranian armored regiments are forced to flee after an Iraqi ambush
  • Gulf of Sidra incident 19 August – Two Sukhoi Su-22 were shot down by two US F-14A Tomcats
• 1982
  • 1982 Lebanon War 6 June – Israeli invasion of Lebanon
  • Falklands War:
    • Battle of Goose Green 28–29 May
    • Battle of Mount Harriet 11 June
    • Battle of Two Sisters 11 June
    • Battle of Mount Longdon 11 June
    • Battle of Wireless Ridge 13 June
    • Battle of Mount Tumbledown 13 June
• 1983
  • US invasion of Grenada 25 October
• 1984
  • Operation Meghdoot 13 April
  • Operation Bluestar 6 June
  • Battle of the Marshes 1984 – Iran opens a new offensive in the lakes of the Hawizah Marshes in Iraq.
• 1986
  • First Battle of Al Faw 11 February – Iranians launch a surprise attack against the Iraqi troops defending the al-Faw Peninsula.
  • Action in the Gulf of Sidra March – US naval operations against Libya
• 1988
  • Second Battle of Al Faw 17 April – Newly-restructured Iraqi Army conducts a major operation to clear the Iranians out of the peninsula
  • Operation Praying Mantis 18 April – One day US-Iranian naval action
  • Operation Mersad – Iran destroys the Khalq-e-Mujahedin
• 1989
  • Gulf of Sidra incident 4 January – Two Libyan MiG-23 Flogger Es were shot down by US F-14A Tomcats.
  • Operation Just Cause 20 December – the United States invasion of Panama
• 1991
  • Battle of Khafji 29 January – 1 February. First major ground engagement of the Gulf War
  • Battle of 73 Easting 26–27 February – A decisive tank battle fought between coalition armoured forces against those of the Iraqi Republican Guard
  • Battle of Medina Ridge 27 February – A decisive tank battle fought between the U.S. 1st Armored Division and the 2nd Brigade of the Iraqi Republican Guard.
  • Battle of Vukovar 25 August −18 November – Croatian War of Independence
  • Battle of the barracks September – Croatian War of Independence
• 1992
  • Siege of Sarajevo 5 April 1992 – 29 February 1996
  • Battle of Gagra 1 October 1992 – 6 October 1992 – Abkhaz insurgents and North Caucasian militants captured Gagra from Georgian forces (War in Abkhazia).
• 1993
  • Operation Maslenica 22 January – 1 February – Croatian War of Independence
  • Battle of Kelbajar 27 March – 3 April – Armenians and Azeris fight for territorial disputes
  • Battle of Mogadishu – 3–4 October – Policing mission gone wrong, US soldiers trapped against militia in a populated city
• 1994
  • Afghanistan's Islamic State of Afghanistan (United Front) ousted by Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban)
• 1995
  • First battle of Grozny 31 December 1994 – 8 February 1995 – The Russian Army captures Grozny
  • Operation Flash 1–2 May – Croatian War of Independence
  • Operation Storm 4–8 August – Croatian War of Independence
  • The fall of Manerplaw in the war between the Burmese Army and the KNU
• 1999
  • Kargil War – Pakistani paramilitary forces infiltrate into India's Kargil district triggering full-scale war between the two neighbours. After two months of intense fighting, Pakistan retreats due to political stress
  • Battle of Tololing Indian victory
  • Battle of Grozny (1999–2000) – The Russian Army sieges Grozny in December, captures it in February 2000
  • Battle of Košare 9 April 1999 – 10 June 1999 – Kosovo war. Yugoslav decisive Victory

List of battles: before 601 601–1400 1401–1800 1801–1900 1901–2000 2001–current