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
Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801)
| Conflict | Opposed Powers Side 1 (Britain) | Opposed Powers Side 2 | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Northern War (1700-1721) |
 Tsardom of Russia
|
 Swedish Empire
|
Coalition victory:
|
| The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) including |
.svg.png){kind=small} Austria |
 France |
Grand Alliance Victory:
|
| Civil War: (1715-1715) Jacobite rising of 1715
|
Government forces | Jacobites |
Victory
Jacobite restoration attempt defeated |
| The War of the Quadruple Alliance
including
|
Holy Roman Empire |
 SpainJacobites (against the British Crown and Government only) |
Quadruple Alliance Victory:
|
| Dummer's War (1721-1725) |
 United Kingdom |
France |
Victory
Capture of Norridgewock |
| The War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) including
|
Austria
|
France
|
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle: |
| Civil War: Jacobite rising of 1745 |
Government forces |
Jacobitism | Victory
Jacobite restoration attempt defeated |
| The Second Carnatic War (1749-1754) |
.svg.png){kind=small} East India Company‹See TfD› |
French East India Company ‹See TfD› .svg.png){kind=small} Forces of Chanda Shahib‹See TfD› |
Victory
|
| Seven Years' War (1756-1763) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Prussia
|
France
|
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 |
| Pontiac's Rebellion (1763-1766) |
Confederation of First Nation Tribes | Stalemate
| |
| First Anglo-Mysore War (1766-1769) |
East India Company |
 Kingdom of Mysore |
British defeat, Hyderabad cedes territory to Mysore |
| First Anglo-Maratha War (1774-1783) |
East India Company |
 Maratha Empire |
Treaty of Salbai:
|
| American Revolutionary War American War of Independence (1775-1783) including:
|
 Iroquois |
 United States France
|
Treaty of Paris:
|
| 2nd Anglo-Mysore War 1780-1784) |
East India Company |
Kingdom of Mysore |
Treaty of Mangalore: |
| Northwest Indian War (1785-1795) |
Western Confederacy | United States |
Treaty of Greenville
|
| 3rd Anglo-Mysore War (1789-1792) |
East India Company |
Kingdom of Mysore.svg.png){kind=small} France |
Victory
Treaty of Seringapatnam:
|
| Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) |
 Saint-Domingue ex-slaves .svg.png){kind=small} Great Britain (until 1800) United Kingdom (1801-1804).svg.png){kind=small} Spain(1793–1795) French royalists |
Saint-Domingue slave owners Kingdom of France (until 1792) French Republic (from 1792) Polish Legions |
Victory
|
| The War of the First Coalition (1793-1797) |
Austria
|
French Republic
|
Defeat
|
| War in the Vendée (1793-1796) |
French Royalists |
French Republic |
British-backed rebellion defeated |
| Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars (1795-1816) |
Loyalists Burrberongal Tribe |
Dharug Eora Tharawal Gandangara  Irish-convict sympathisers |
Victory
Displacement of Aborigines from their land |
| Irish Rebellion of 1798 (1798) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Kingdom of Ireland |
 United Irishmen |
Victory
Rebellion defeated |
| 4th Anglo-Mysore War (1798-1799) |
East India Company |
Kingdom of Mysore |
Victory
Complete annexation of Mysore by Britain and allies |
| War of the Second Coalition (1799-1802) |
Austria
|
French Republic
|
Defeat
|
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922)
| Conflict | Opposed Powers Side 1 (Britain) | Opposed Powers Side 2 | 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) |
.svg.png){kind=small} East India Company |
Maratha Empire |
Victory
Extensive territory in India ceded by the Maratha Empire |
| First Kandyan War (1803-1805) |
 Kandy |
Victory
Territory captured from Kandy | |
Civil War:
|
Forces of Robert Emmet |
Victory
Rebellion defeated | |
| War of the Third Coalition (1803-1805) |
 Austrian Empire |
French Empire |
Fourth Peace of Preßburg:
|
| War of the Fourth Coalition (1806-1807) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Prussia |
French Empire
|
Treaties of Tilsit:
|
| British invasions of the Río de la Plata (1806-1807) |
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
|
| English Wars (Scandinavia) (1807-1814) |
United Kingdom Sweden |
Denmark-Norway French Empire
|
Victory
|
| Anglo-Russian War (1807-1812) |
United Kingdom |
Russian Empire |
Treaty of Örebro:
|
| Peninsular War (1807-1814) |
Spain
|
French Empire |
Victory
|
| War of the Fifth Coalition (1809) |
Austrian Empire
|
French Empire
|
Treaty of Schönbrunn:
|
| Conquest of French Guiana (1809) |
.svg.png){kind=small} 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 |
Tantamkweri ceded to Akwapim tribes |
| War of 1812 (1812-1815) |
Great Britain British North America |
 United States |
Stalemate
|
| Second Kandyan War (1815) |
Kandy |
Victory
| |
| Hundred Days (1815) War of the Seventh Coalition |
Prussia
|
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) |
.svg.png){kind=small} 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) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Brazil United Kingdom France |
 German Mercenaries Irish Mercenaries |
Victory
|
| Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Liberal Forces of Queen Maria II
|
Absolutist Forces of King Miguel |
Victory
|
| First Carlist War (1833-1840) |
Forces of Queen Isabella 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: |
.svg.png){kind=small} PatriotesHunters' Lodges Reform Movement |
Victory
|
| First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842) |
East India Company |
.svg.png){kind=small} Emirate of Afghanistan |
British retreat from Afghanistan |
| First Opium War (1839-1842) |
.png){kind=small} Manchu-China |
Victory
| |
| 1839-1851 |  Colorados
|
 Blancos |
British and French withdrawal before war's conclusion Peace treaty with the Argentine Confederation[2][3] 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
|
Russian Empire |
Victory |
| The National War in Nicaragua (1856-1857) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Costa Rica
|
.png){kind=small} Sonora |
Victory
Sonora/Nicaraguan government defeat. |
| Second Opium War (1856-1860) Arrow War |
French Empire |
Manchu-China |
Victory
The Treaty of Tientsin:
|
| Anglo-Persian War (1856-1857) |
Afghanistan |
 Persia |
Victory
Persian withdrawal from Herat |
| Indian Mutiny (1857-1858) |
East India Company
|
Sepoys of the East India Company
‹See TfD› |
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:
|
| 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 |
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 |
Afghanistan |
Victory
British control over Afghan foreign affairs |
| Anglo-Zulu War (1879) |
Natal |
Zulu Kingdom | Victory
Zululand annexed to Natal |
| First Boer War (1880-1881) |
 South African Republic |
Defeat
| |
| Mahdist War (1884-1889) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Egypt |
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) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Japan |
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
|
.svg.png){kind=small} Austria-Hungary |
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 |
.svg.png){kind=small} 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 |
Soviet Russia |
Defeat
|
| Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923) |
Ottoman Empire |
 Turkish Nationalists Soviet Russia Soviet Georgia.svg.png){kind=small} Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic |
British withdrawal before war's conclusion
|
| Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919-1919) |
India |
.svg.png){kind=small} 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) |
.png){kind=small} British Somaliland |
 Dervish State |
Victory
Demise of the Dervish State |
| Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920 (1920) |
 Iraqi rebels |
Victory
|
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present)
| Conflict | Opposed Powers Side 1 (Britain) | Opposed Powers Side 2 | 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 |
| 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  Lehi |
British withdrawal and creation of Israel |
| World War II (1939-1945) |
The Allies |
Axis Powers |
Victory
Total defeat for Axis Powers. British, French, American,and Soviet troops occupy Germany until 1955. Italy and Japan lose all of their colonies. |
| Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949) |
United Kingdom Netherlands
|
 Indonesia |
Netherlands recognises Indonesian Independence |
| Greece
Greek Civil War |
.svg.png){kind=small} Kingdom of Greece |
 Albania |
Britain withdraws most support from March 1947, US provides support, Greek Government overcomes revolt. At least 1 Battalion UK troops still in Greece till 1948 |
| Operation Masterdom (1945-1946) |
United Kingdom |
.svg.png){kind=small} Viet Minh |
Withdrawal
First Indochina War begins |
| Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) |
 Malaya
|
 Malayan Communist Party |
Victory
Communist retreat from Malaya |
| Korean War (1950-1953) |
 South Korea |
 North Korea |
Ceasefire
|
| Suez Canal Zone Emergency (1951-1954) |
United Kingdom |
 Egypt |
Agreement for Britain to withdraw from Canal zone Bases, last British troops left June 1956 |
| Mau Mau Uprising (1952-1960) |
 British East Africa |
 Mau Mau |
Victory
Defeat of Mau Mau |
| Jebel Akhdar War (1954-1959) |
 Sultanate of Muscat and Oman United Kingdom |
 Imamate of Oman
|
Victory |
| Cypriot intercommunal violence (1955-1960) |
United Kingdom |
 EOKA |
Independence of Cyprus |
| Suez Crisis (1956-1957) |
United Kingdom France |
.svg.png){kind=small} Egypt |
Victory
Israeli occupation of Sinai |
| Border Campaign (1956-1962) |
United Kingdom |
 Irish Republican Army |
Victory
IRA campaign fails |
| Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1962-1966) |
 Malaysia |
Indonesia |
Victory
Indonesia recognises Malaysian rule over former North Borneo |
| Dhofar Rebellion (1962-1975) |
 Oman United Kingdom.svg.png){kind=small} Iran |
 Various insurgents |
Victory
Insurgency defeated |
| Aden Emergency (1963-1967) |
 Federation of South Arabia United Kingdom |
 NLFFLOSY |
British withdrawal People's Republic of South Yemen established |
| The Troubles (1968-1998) |
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland |
Irish Republican paramilitaries (OIRA, PIRA, INLA etc.) Opposed by Republicans:
|
Good Friday Agreement:
|
| Falklands War (1982) |
United Kingdom |
 Argentina |
Victory
The Falklands are retaken from Argentina |
| Multinational Force in Lebanon (1982-1984) |
United Kingdom |
 Syria |
Multinational Force withdrawal Lebanese 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) |
 Kuwait
|
%3B_Flag_of_Syria_(1963-1972).svg.png){kind=small} Iraq |
Victory
Kuwait regains its independence |
| Bosnian War (1992-1996) |
 NATO |
 Republika Srpska |
Dayton Accords |
| Operation Desert Fox (1998) |
 United States |
.svg.png){kind=small} Iraq |
Ceasefire; objectives largely achieved |
| Kosovo War (1998-1999) |
United States
|
 Yugoslavia |
Victory
Kosovo occupied by Nato forces |
| Sierra Leone Civil War (2000-2002) |
 Sierra Leone |
Rebels
|
Victory
Rebels defeated |
| War in Afghanistan Fourth Anglo-Afghan War[4](2001-2014) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Afghanistan
|
 Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan |
Fall of Taliban régime Osama bin Laden killed |
| Iraq War (2003-2009) |
United States
|
Iraq under Saddam Hussein Various insurgents |
Fall of Ba'athist rule in Iraq Occupation of southern Iraq |
| Libyan intervention (2011) |
Many NATO members acting under  UN mandate, including:
|
.svg.png){kind=small} Pro-Gaddafi forces |
Victory
Fall of Gaddafi regime |
| International intervention against ISIL (2014-ongoing) |
United States France Jordan Morocco United Kingdom Iraq.svg.png){kind=small} Syrian Opposition Egypt Libya Australia.svg.png){kind=small} Belgium Canada Denmark Germany Italy Netherlands New Zealand Bahrain Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Qatar Nigeria Cameroon Chad Niger South Sudan
|
 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Boko Haram |
Ongoing Operation Inherent Resolve is in play. 2014 Iraqi intervention against ISIL |
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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
- ↑ Laycock, S. (2012). All the Countries We've Ever Invaded - And the Few We Never Got Round To. The History Press.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ The Fourth Afghan War is lost The Daily Telegraph, 4 September 2009
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