|
Click
on the links
immediately below
to view a particular set of conflicts. Under each set of
conflicts, ( for example, "Wars
of the United States"),
you will find more blue links leading to pages devoted to
each individual conflict. Most links are not yet
active.
War
List Page Format: the format used for these lists is fairly
simple. If a conflict can be broken up into one or more
component parts, the secondary wars are listed below the
primary war and are indented to show they "belong" to
it.
An
example:
Second
Indochina War (1956-1975)
Vietnam
War
(1964-1973)--The "advisory" phase of U.S.
involvement goes from 1956 to 1964, and then
resumes from 1973 to 1975. The years 1964 to
1973 refer to the period of "official" combat
deployment of U.S. forces in the war.
Cambodian
Civil War (1970-1975)
Laotian
Civil War (1960-1975)
In
this example, the wars in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are all
considered to be part of the larger "Second Indochina War."
The blue link signifies a separate page exists for this war.
*Note:
This page is a work in progress, and as such, the format and
contents will change from time to time. The current
categories originate out of my own personal curiosity
regarding how wars fit together as part of an ongoing
historical process. For example, under my category of
"Anglo-French Wars" you will find many conflicts which were
truly multi-national conflicts, rather than simply wars
between England and France. Let's look at the Wars of the
French Revolution as an illustration of this concept. While
the English were one of France's primary foes in these wars,
by no means were they the only ones. Russia, Prussia,
Austria and many others combined to fight France. These wars
are placed in the Anglo-French category as an illustration
of their placement in the pattern of wars between those two
countries. As this page grows, I will include Franco-Russian
Wars, Franco-Austrian Wars, Franco-Prussian Wars, and other
pairings. Each of these categories will include a
sub-section on the French Revolutionary Wars, just as there
is for the Anglo-French series.
**One
last note: The names of some categories, such as "Wars of
the United States", are merely to show what wars the U.S.
has fought. This title is not to imply that conflicts such
as World War 2 were entirely an American conflict. For
example, "Wars
of Iraq"
or "Wars
of Mexico"
show wars fought by those nations.
Read
the History Guy Blog
Wars
of the Hapsburg Empire (Austria Hungary) from 1815 to
1918
Revolution
of 1848 (1848-1849)-Austrian
government and Russia against anti-monarchist rebels and
Czech and Hungarian nationalist rebels. The revolutionary
fervor also led to the Italian
War of Independence
(1848-1849)
.
BELOW
Italian
War of Independence
(1848-1849)-Italian
revolutionaries in Venice, along with the Italian States
of Piedmont, Naples and, briefly, Papal State fought
against the Austrian Hapsburg Empire. The Italian forces
were divided and defeated by August of
1849.
Franco-Austrian
War (1858-1860)-France
and Piedmont against the Austrian Hapsburg
Empire.
Schleswig-Holstein
War (1864)-Austria
and Prussia crushed Denmark.
The
Seven Weeks' War(1866)-Italy
and Prussia against the Austrian Hapsburg
Empire.
Annexation
of Bosnia-Hercegovina
(1878)-Peaceful
and internationally accepted occupation of Slavic region
previously controlled by the Turks. Beginning of
prolonged tension with Russia and Serbia. Leading factor
in the outbreak of World War I.
Provincial
Revolt (1882)
World
War I (1914-1918)-Last
war of the Hapsburg Empire.
Wars
of the Russian Empire from 1815 to 1918
Russian
Conquest of Central Asia and the Far East
(Ongoing)
Decembrist
Uprising (1825)-Short-lived
military revolt.
Russo-Persian
War (1826-1828)-Russia
defeated Persia and acquired parts of
Armenia.
Russo-Turkish
War (1828-1829)-Russia
defeated the Ottoman Turks. Related to the
Greek
War of Independence.
Polish
Revolution (1830-1831)-Russian-ruled
Poland rebelled and was crushed. Inspired by
1830
Paris Revolution.
The
Crimean War ( 1853-1856)-Britain,
France, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia against
Russia.
Second
Polish Revolution
(1863-1864)-Poland
rebels waged a mostly guerrilla war. Rebellion
defeated.
Russo-Turkish
War (1877-1878)-Caused
by Turkish problems with Slavic Balkan states. Treaty of
San Stefano guaranteed independence from Turkey for
Serbia, Montenegro, Rumania and autonomy for Bulgaria.
Russia received land in the Caucasus
region.
Boxer
Rebellion (1900)-Involved
Britain, France, Germany, Russia, the United States,
Japan, Italy, and Austria-Hungary against "Boxer" rebels
in China as well as against the Chinese government. Gave
Russia an opportunity to occupy Manchuria, which led in
part to the Russo-Japanese
War.
Russo-Japanese
War (1904-1905)-Russia
soundly defeated by Japan.
Russian
Revolution of 1905
(1905-1906)-Popular
uprising against the Czarist government. Harshly
suppressed by the army.
World
War I (1914-1918)-Last
war of the Czarist Russian Empire prior to the Bolshevik
(Communist) Revolution.
French
Wars In Italy
This series of wars, part of the ongoing
Hapsburg-Valois
Wars, involved
repeated French invasions of Italy, which at the time
consisted of several smaller states and kingdoms. Italy was
really little more than a battleground for the two most
powerful empires in Europe at that time: France and the
Hapsburg Empire, which controlled Austria, Spain, the
Netherlands and other areas.
Naples-Fornovo
(1492-1497)
Milan
(1499-1500)
Naples-Gaeta
(1500-1504)
Revenna-Novara
(1508-1513)
Marignano
(1515-1516)
Anglo-French
Wars-Wars
between England (also known as Great Britain or the United
Kingdom), and France.
Norman
Invasion of England, (1066)
-William
the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and a vassal of the
French king, conquered the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of
England, and made himself King of England. Resulting from
this, the English and French royal families would fight
many bloody wars trying to settle who was supposed to
rule what. William's family acquired lands throughout
France and ruled them as Englishmen, which really upset
the French kings. This is a pretty watered-down, basic
description of this rivalry, but these two nations have
fought many, many wars, and William's conquest of England
was the starting point for many of the earlier
ones.
Anglo-French
War, (1109-1113)
Anglo-French
War, (1116-1119)
Anglo-French
War, (1123-1135)
Anglo-French
War, (1159-1189)
Anglo-French
War, (1202-1204)
Anglo-French
War, (1213-1214)
Anglo-French
War, (1242-1243)
Anglo-French
War, (1294-1298)
Anglo-French
War, (1300-1303)
The
Hundred Years' War
(1337-1453)-The
Hundred Years' War was actually a series of wars between
England and France which lasted 116 years. Most
historians break this conflict into four distinct
wars.
Anglo-French
War, (1337-1360)
Anglo-French
War, (1369-1373)
Anglo-French
War, (1412-1420)
Anglo-French
War, (1423-1453)
Anglo-French
War, (1475)
Anglo-French
War, (1488) -Also
known as Henry VII's Invasion of Brittany (a region in NW
France).
Anglo-French
War, (1489-1492) -Also
known as Henry VII's Second Invasion of
Brittany.
Anglo-French
War, (1510-1513)-Also
known as the War of the Holy League, England joined with
the Pope, several Italian states, Swiss cantons and Spain
against France. King Henry VIII of England won a
favorable peace from France after winning the Battle of
the Spurs on August 16, 1513. The rest of the Holy League
continued fighting France until the Pope Julius II's
death, which helped cause the dissolution of the
League.
Anglo-French
War, (1521-1526)-Henry
VIII joined the Hapsburg Empire in a war against France.
The war proved unpopular in England and expensive
financially, and the King had difficulty raising money
from Parliament. After 1523, England did not participate
much in the war.
Anglo-French
War, (1542-1546)-Henry
VIII again joined the Hapsburg Empire in a war against
France. The English captured the port of Boulogne and the
French had to accept that seizure when the peace treaty
was signed. The war cost England two million English
pounds.
Anglo-French
War, (1549-1550)-French
King Henry II declared war with the intention of retaking
Boulogne, which fell to him in 1550. This war was
preceded by years of border combat short of all-out
war.
Anglo-French
War, (1557-1560)-England's
Queen Mary drew her country into war allied to Spain ,
whose king was her husband. A very unpopular war with the
English people. England lost possession of Calais on the
French mainland. When Queen Elizabeth later took the
throne, religious and political differences would make
England and Spain bitter enemies.
Anglo-French
War, (1589-1593)-England
was caught up in the great Protestant-Catholic wars
sweeping Europe. England sided with Protestant Dutch
rebels against Catholic Spain and with the Protestant
(Huguenot) French against the Catholic French in the Wars
of Religion, a series of French religious civil wars. In
1589, while still fighting Spain after defeating the
famous Spanish Armada, Elizabeth sent troops to aid the
French Protestants.
Anglo-French
War, (1627-1628)-Also
known in France as the Third Bearnese Revolt, England
came to the aid of Huguenot rebels fighting the French
government.
Anglo-French
War, (1666-1667)
Anglo-French
War, (1689-1697)-Known
in Europe as the War of the League of Augsburg AND as the
War of the Grand Alliance. In North America the colonial
aspect of the conflict was known as King William's
War.
Anglo-French
War, (1702-1712)-Known
in Europe as the War of the Spanish Succession, in North
America as Queen Anne's War and in India as the First
Carnatic War. This conflict also included the Second
Abnaki War. The Abnaki Indian tribe allied itself with
the French against the English colonists in North
America.
Anglo-French
War, (1744-1748)-Known
in Europe as the War of the Austrian Succession and in
North America as King George's War.
Anglo-French
War, (1749-1754)-Known
in India as the Second Carnatic War. The British East
India Company and its Indian allies battled the French
East India Company and its Indian allies.
Anglo-French
War, (1755-1763)-Known
in Europe as the Seven Years' War and in North America as
the French and Indian War. France forever lost possession
of Quebec/Canada. In many ways, England's victory set the
stage for the American Revolution.
Anglo-French
War, (1779-1783)-Also
known as the American
Revolution.
Also involved Spain, the United States and the
Netherlands against Britain. Can also be considered as an
Anglo-French
War, an
Anglo-Spanish
War and
an Anglo-Dutch
War.
Wars
of the French Revolution,
(1792-1802)-The
Wars of the French Revolution spanned a decade of great
political, social and military change throughout the
European continent. After the outbreak of the French
Revolution in 1789, the conservative, monarchical powers
of Europe attempted to extinguish the new French Republic
and restore the Bourbon Royal Family. When several
nations combined against France, the alliances were known
as "Coalitions". Thus, this series of wars are known as
the Wars of the Coalitions.
Austro-Prussian
Invasion of France,
(1792)-In
support of the deposed, but still living French King
Louis XVI, Austria and Prussia invaded France. French
Revolutionary armies defeated the Allies at Valmy and
Jemappes and conquered Austrian-ruled Belgium. France
also defeated Austrian forces in northern Italy,
seizing Savoy and Nice. Can also be considered as a
Franco-Austrian
War and
a
Franco-Prussian War.
War
of the First Coalition,
(1792-1798)-Britain,
Austria, Prussia, Spain, Russia, Sardinia and Holland
combined to fight Revolutionary France. Can also be
considered as a Franco-Austrian
War ,
a
Franco-Prussian War, a
Franco-Dutch
War ,
a
Franco-Russian War, Anglo-French War, and a
Franco-Sardinian War.
Russia
left the Coalition in 1794 to deal with troubles in
Poland. French victories forced Holland, also known
then as the Batavian Republic, to leave the Coalition
in 1795. Prussia and Spain made peace with France in
1795 and Austria signed the Treaty of Campo-Formio in
1798, surrendering the Austrian Netherlands (now
Belgium) to France.
This
war included the battles of Neerwinden, Mainz,
Kaiserlautern (early Allied victories). Later, as the
Revolutionary government organized the populace and
fielded huge "citizen armies" commanded by brilliant
young generals like Napoleon Bonaparte, the French won
many battlefield victories.
War
of the Second Coalition,
(1798-1801)-Britain,
Austria, Russia, Portugal, Naples and the Ottoman
Empire (Turkey) combined to fight Revolutionary
France. Spain later joined France against Portugal.
Can also be considered as a
Franco-Austrian
War ,
a
Franco-Russian War,
a
Anglo-French
War,
a
Franco-Turkish War,
a
Franco-Neapolitian War
,
a
Franco-Portuguese
War and
a
Franco-Russian War.
This alliance against France formed to counter French
moves in Italy; formation of the Roman, Ligurian,
Cisalpine and Helvetic Republics in Switzerland and
Italy, and the deposition of Papal rule in Rome.
Naples was conquered by the French in early 1799 and
declared to be the new Parthenopean
Republic.
After
the Coalition war began, France intervened in an
internal revolt in the Swiss Confederation.
The
Swiss Revolt of 1798, (1798)
ended
with the Swiss Confederation dissolved and the
Helvetic Republic in its place. Throughout the rest of
the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the
Swiss were effectively under French rule with an army
of occupation in place.
Napoleon
Bonaparte invaded Turkish Egypt and won the Battle of
the Pyramids, continuing his march into what is now
Israel and Lebanon. British Admiral Horatio Nelson
wiped out the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile
in 1798. Due to French victories on land against both
Turkish and British troops, the Ottoman Empire made
peace with France at the Convention of El-Arish in
1800.
Part
of this Coalition war is the so-called
War
of the Oranges (1801),
in
which France and Spain invaded Portugal. France sought
to end Portugal's trade with Britain, and Spain sought
Portuguese territory. In the Peace of Badajoz,
Portugal promised to end trade with Britain, give land
to Spain, and part of Brazil to France. This
"Brazilian" land is the modern-day French
Guiana.
This
war included the battles of Cassano, Tribbia River and
Novi (early Allied victories). Following Russian
withdrawal from the war due to quarrels with Austria, the
French under First Consul Bonaparte won the Battle of
Marengo in 1800. The Coalition collapsed after Austria
lost the Battle of Hohenlinden in December, 1800 and
signed the Peace of Luneville in February,
1801.
French
Revolutionary Wars TO BE COMPLETED AS TIME
ALLOWS.
The
Napoleonic Wars, (1802-1815)
TO
BE COMPLETED SOON.
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Anglo-Dutch
Wars
Anglo-Dutch
War (1652-1654)
Anglo-Dutch
War (1664-1667)
Anglo-Dutch
War (1672-1674)
Anglo-Dutch
War, (1779-1783) -A
part of the largerAmerican
Revolution.
Also involved Spain, the United States and France against
Britain.
Anglo-Spanish
Wars
Anglo-Spanish
War, 1739-1748
Indian
Sub-Continent Wars
Indo-Pakistani
Wars
First
Kashmir War (1947-1948)
Second
Kashmir War (1965)
Bengali
War of Independence (1971)
Kashmir
Border Conflict/Kargil
War
(1990?-Present)
Indian
Internal Conflicts
Naga
Rebellion (1954?-Present)
Assam-Nagaland
border dispute (1979?-Present?)
Kashmir
Revolt (1990-Present)-This
is the internal Indian conflict involving Pakistan.
(See above)
Wars
of India (post-independence)
First
Indo-Pakistan War
(1948-1949)--Also
known as the First
Kashmir War.
Liberation
of Hyderabad (1948)--Also
known in India as "Operation Polo."
Naga
Rebellion (1954?-Present)
Liberation
of Goa (1961)--A
conflict between India and Portugal. Goa had been a
Portuguese colony for centuries prior to the Indian
invasion of 1961. Also known in India as "Operation
Vijay."
Sino-Indian
War (1962)--Border
war between China and India.
United
Nations Offensive Operations in the Congo
(1961-1964)--India
contributed troops to the UN army which undertook
offensive action against rebels in the
Congo.
Second
Indo-Pakistan War
(1965)--Also
known as the Second
Kashmir War.
Sino-Indian
Skirmish (1967)--Also
known as the Chola "Incident."
Third
Indo-Pakistan War/Bengali War of Independence
(1971)--India
attacked Pakistan in support of rebels seeking the
independence of Bangladesh (then known as East
Pakistan) from Pakistan.
Assam-Nagaland
border dispute (1979?-Present?)
Punjab
Insurgency
(1984-1989)--A
rebellion in the Sikh-dominated Punjab region
culminated in the bloody Battle at the Golden Temple
in June of 1984. Follow-up operations in the
countryside continued into 1989. India claims the Sikh
rebels were backed by Pakistan.
Siachen
Operations
(1984-Present)--The
Siachen Glacier is one of the highest glaciers in the
world, and it sits astride the demarcation line
between India's and Pakistan's claims in Jammu and
Kashmir. Since the mid-'80's, artillery and infantry
battles have broken out along this stretch of the
border. These battles are related to the ongoing
Kashmir
Revolt (see below).
Indian
Intervention in Sri Lankan Civil War
(1987-1990)--India
intervened in the bloody Sri Lankan Civil War (which
continues into 2000) in support of the Sinhalese
majority-dominated government. After suffering heavy
casualties and realizing that this was a conflict best
left to the Sri Lankans, India removed her troops in
1990.
Indian
Intervention in the Maldives
(1988)--India
intervened to save the government of the Maldives
Islands from a takeover by Sri Lankan
rebels.
Kashmir
Revolt (1990-Present)-This
is the internal Indian conflict involving Pakistan and
Pakistani-supported Kashmir rebels.
India-Bangladesh
War of 2001---Border
clash between India and Bangalesh
Sources
on Indian military history:
Conflicts
Since Independence
Burmese
Internal Conflicts
Chin
<Chin National Front [CNF]> Rebellion
(1980's-Present)
Kachin
<Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)>
Rebellion
Karen
<Karen National Union (KNU)>
Rebellion
Student
<All Burma's Students Democratic Front( ABSDF)>
Revolt
Wars
of the Middle East (Wars since 1948)
The
Arab-Israeli Wars (1948-Present)
Israeli
War of Independence (1948-1949)
Suez
War
(1956)-Also
involved Britain and France.
Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict
(1964-Present)
Six-Day
War (1967)
Yom
Kippur [or Ramadan] War (1973)
Israeli
Invasion of
Lebanon
(1982-1984)-Also
involved Syria and the PLO.
Israeli-Lebanese
Border War
(1984-2000)-Also
involved Syria , the PLO and Lebanese militia's such
as Hezbollah.
The
First Intifada (Dec.
1987-1993)-An
uprising by the Palestinians in the territories
occupied by Israel in the 1967 War. This conflict
concluded with the Oslo Accords, which set up a
timetable for Palestinian nationhood and called for
the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, with
PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat as
President.
The
Gulf War
(1990-1991)-Iraq
attacked Israel with Scud Missiles.
The
Second Intifada (Sept.
2000-Present)-An
urban guerrilla/terrorist conflict between the
Palestinians and Israel. Marked by suicide bombings,
recurring Israeli invasions of Palestinian cities and
Palestinian guerrilla attacks on Isreaeli settlements
and military targets.
Israel-Lebanon/Hezbollah
War
(2006)
Hamas-Fatah
Palestinian Civil War
(2006-2007)--Fighting
between the two main political factions in the
Palestinian lands of Gaza and the West
Bank.
North
Lebanon Conflict
(2007)--Fighting
between the Lebanese government and a Jihadist
Palestinian militia calling itself Fatah
al-Islam.
Lebanese
Civil War (1958)-Also
involved the U.S.
North
Yemen Civil War
(1966-1968)-Also
involved Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Dhofar
Rebellion in Oman
(1960's-1970's)-Also
involved Iran and Britain.
Jordanian
Civil War (1970)-Also
involved Syria and the PLO.
Lebanese
Civil War (1975-1990)-Also
involved Israel, Syria and the PLO.
Yemeni
War (1979)--Involved
North and South Yemen.
First
Persian Gulf War
(1980-1988)-Iran
vs. Iraq-also involved U.S. and Kuwait.
"The
Tanker War"
(1987-1988)-This
is the component of the First Persian Gulf War that
involved the U.S. and Kuwait. In an attempt to halt
Kuwaiti aid for Iraq, as well as Iraqi oil sales and
deliveries, Iran attacked oil tankers in the Gulf. The
U.S. stepped in to protect the Kuwaiti ships and
became engaged in combat with Iran's Navy and
Revolutionary Guards. Also known by the U.S. code-name
"Operation Earnest Will."
Second
Persian Gulf War
(1990-1991)
The
"No-Fly Zone War "
(1991-2003)
Yemeni
Civil War (1994)
Yemen-Eritrea
Border Conflict (1996?)
Yemeni
Tribal Uprising
(1998)
Saudi-Yemen
Border Conflict
(1998)
bin
Laden's War
(1998-Present)
-Terrorist conflict between the United States and
irregular forces led by Osama bin Laden. The violence has
also involved Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Yemen and
Afghanistan.
Third
Persian Gulf War
(2003)-The
second major war between the United States-led coalition
and the Middle Eastern nation of Iraq. Military members
of the coalition also include the United Kingdom and
Australia.
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Ecuador-Peru
Wars
Border
War (1941)
Border
War (1981)
Border
War ( January,1995)
Wars
of Mexico
U.S.-Mexican
War
(1846-1847)-The
United States invaded Mexico and forced the Mexicans to
cede the northern half of the country and also to give up
any claim to Texas.
Yaqui
Indian War (1899-1904?)--One
of the last of the long series of Mexican-Indian Wars,
this conflict began when chiefs of the eight principal
Yaqui Indian tribes demand Mexican withdrawal from the
Sinaloa region.
Chiapas
Uprising
(1994- Present)--A rebel group calling itself the
Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) began a revolt
on New Year's Day 1994. Little fighting has taken place
since 1994. The government and the Zapatistas engage in
negotiations and public relations battles rather than
combat, though several massacres have
occurred.
*More
wars to be added later.
Wars
of West Africa
Cameroon
Rebellion (1960-1963)-
Rebellion against the newly independent government of
Cameroon by the Cameroon People's Union, a pro-Communist
group. French forces aided the government in defeating
the rebels.
Guinea-Bissau
and Cape Verde Islands War of Independence
(1963-1974)-
Fought against Portugal.
Nigerian
Civil War aka "Biafra War" (1967-1970)
"Mercenary"
Invasion of Guinea (Nov.
1970)-Mercenaries
supported by Portugal attacked the Guinea government.
Nigeria and United Arab Republic (Egypt) sent troops to
help Guinea.
Saharan
War (1975-Present)-Morocco
and Mauritania against the Polisario Front. Mauritania
left the war in 1978.
Gambian
Marxist Coup Attempt
(1981)-Insurgents
seized the capital in July. Order restored with the aid
of troops from Senegal.
Casamance
Rebellion in Senegal (1980's-Present)
Tuareg
Rebellion in Mali
(?-1991)-Conflict
between Tuareg Berbers in the north and the Black
dominated government.
Southern
Black Rebellion in Mauritania
(1989-1991?)-Following
race riots in 1989, the African Liberation Forces of
Mauritania (FLAM) took up arms against the Arab-dominated
government.
Liberian
Civil War (1991?-1997?)-also
involved the Nigerian-led ECOMOG peacekeeping
force.
Sierra
Leone Civil War (1990's)
Guinea-Bissau
Civil War
(1998-1999)-Also
involved Senegal and Guinea-Conakry.
Liberian
Civil War (1999)--Rebels
launched an invasion of Liberia from neighboring Guinea.
Civil war resumed in Liberia after this
attack.
Ivory
Coast Civil War (2002)--Rebels
from the army, mostly Muslim, launched an attempted coup
in September, 2002. The government survived the initial
attacks, though subsequent fighting left the mostly
Muslim northern part of the country in rebel
hands.
Border
Disputes of West Africa (short of full-fledged
war)
Mali-Burkina
Faso (formerly Upper Volta) Dispute
(1960's-1986)-Several
instances of armed clashes, the most serious being a
four-day battle in Dec. 1985. The World Court mediated
and divided the 100 mile-long, 12-mile wide Agacher
Strip.
Guinea-Bissau-Senegal
Dispute (1984-1991)-Border
dispute erupted into armed clashes in April and May,
1990. Each side supported neighbor's rebel
movements.
Mauritania-Senegal
Dispute (1989-?)-Race
riots (Black vs. Arab), erupted on both sides of the
border in 1989. Artillery fire exchanged in Jan. of 1990.
Each nation accuses the other of mistreatment of
minorities and of support for each other's rebel groups.
Senegal seeks border revision.
Nigeria-Cameroon
Dispute (1991-1998)-Border
dispute over the oil-rich Bakassi region. A cease-fire
agreement was signed in 1996, but each side accuses the
other of numerous violations. In 1998, 221 prisoners of
war were repatriated. In 2002, the World Court awarded
the land to Cameroon.
Wars
of East Africa
Ugandan
Uprisings
(1898?-1899?)--Native Ugandan troops mutinied against
their colonial British officers, causing difficulty for
British forces fighting Mahdist forces in the Sudan.
Mau-Mau
War (1952-1956)-
Fought against British colonial rule.
Zanzibar
Uprising (1964)
Buganda
Separatist Revolt (1966)-Uganda's
Buganda ethnic group.
Uganda-Tanzania
War (1979)-Began
as a border conflict in which Uganda's dictator, Idi Amin
Dada, tried seizing Tanzanian territory. Tanzania
counter-attacked and entered Uganda. Amin fled the
country and his rule ended. Ugandan rebel forces
accompanied the Tanzanian army. Amin's allies included
troops from Libya and Palestinian
fighters.
bin
Laden's War
(1998-Present)
-Terrorist conflict between the United States and
irregular forces led by Osama bin Laden. The violence has
also involved Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and
Afghanistan.
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Wars
of the Horn of Africa
Somali
"Mad Mullah" Jihad
(1899-1905)--Somali
tribesmen led by religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd Allah
Hasan waged a desert guerrilla war against Britain, Italy
and Ethiopia. Following repeated defeats by the Somalis,
the colonial powers offered him territory in Italian
Somaliland in exchange for peace. He resumed his war in
1908 and harassed the occupiers of his country until
1920.
Eritrean
War of Independence
(1962-1991)-
Fought against Ethiopia. Also considered to be the First
Eritrean-Ethiopian War.
Somali
Border Wars with Ethiopia and Kenya
(1964-1967)
Oromo
Insurgency
[Ethiopia] (1973?-Present)
Ogaden
War (1977-1978)-
Ethiopia against Somalia and Somali rebels in the Ogaden
desert area. The Soviet Union and Cuba also involved on
Ethiopia's side. Can be considered a part of the Cold
War.
Eritrean
Islamic Jihad (EIJ) Insurgency (?)
Somali
Civil War (1990-Present)
Yemen-Eritrea
Border Conflict (1996)
Second
Eritrea-Ethiopia War (1998-2000)
Ethiopian
Intervention in Somali Civil
War
(2006-Present)-
The long-standing Somali Civil War (1988-Present) entered
a new phase with the growth of the Union of Islamic
Courts, an Islamic militant group, gained control of
Mogadishu and the central part of Somali. The UIC is in
opposition to the official, yet weak, government based in
Baidoa. In late 2006, Ethiopia sent troops to Baidoa to
support the government against the Islamic forces. In
late December, 2006, Ethiopian planes bombed the
Mogadishu airport and ground troops seized control of
three towns, including one on the border. Ethiopian
forces then launched a full campaign against the Islamic
Union Courts, seized Mogadishu and put the Transitional
government into power. The Islamist forces continued to
fight as guerrillas into 2007.
Wars
of North Africa
First
Sudanese War of 1881-1885-
Second
Sudanese War
(1896-1899)--Britain
and Egypt vs. the Mahdist "dervish" Army of Khalifa
Abdullah. Britain decided to re-conquer the Sudan from
the Mahdist cult that had defeated Britain's General
"Chinese" Gordon in the
First Sudanese War of
1881-1885.
One of the driving forces in the timing of this offensive
was the interest of Italy, Belgium and, most of all,
France in the Sudan region. The Anglo-Egyptian army
commanded by Lord Kitchener defeated the Mahdists at the
Battle of Omdurman on September 2, 1898. On November 24,
1899, Khalifa Abdullah and the remainder of his army were
wiped out and the Sudan fell under Anglo-Egyptian
rule.
French
Conquest of Chad
(1897-1914)-
French forces continued their conquest of the Sahara by
moving into the area of Lake Chad, razing villages and
forcing compliance with Paris' rule. In 1900, French
troops defeated Rabah Zobeir, a follower of the Sudanese
Mahdi. Other native leaders and tribes continued
resistance to the French invasion.
Algerian
War of Independence
(1954-1962)-
Algeria won independence from France after a very bloody
guerilla war.
First
Sudanese Civil War
(1955-1972)-
A civil war between the largely Muslim Arab north and the
mostly Christian Black south.
French-Tunisian
Clashes (1958, 1961)
Algerian-Moroccan
Border War (1963-1964)
Saharan
War (1975-Present)-Morocco
and Mauritania against the Polisario Front. Mauritania
left the war in 1978. Note--Polisario began fighting the
Spanish colonial rulers of the "Spanish Sahara" in the
early 1970's.
Egypt-Libya
War (1977)-Short
border conflict.
Second
Sudanese Civil War
(1983-2005)-
A second civil war between the largely Muslim Arab north
and the mostly Christian Black south.
Algerian
Civil War (1992-Present)-Islamic
guerillas trying to overthrow military-based secular
government. This war began after a military coup which
voided election results which would have given power to
fundamentalist Islamic political parties.
Darfur
War (2003-Present)-
An ongoing
conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan, which
pits the Janjaweed, a militia force made up with fighters
from the local Baggara tribes, Darfur-based
anti-government rebels, such as the Darfur Liberation
Front (DLF) . The Sudanese government supports the
Janjaweed with arms and by launching military attacks on
the Darfur rebels.
Chad-Sudan
Border Conflict
(2005-2006)-
Part of the larger Darfur War, Chad and Sudan accused
each other of supporting each other's rebels, leading to
conflict.
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Wars
of Central Africa
Batetelan
Uprisings (1895 and
1897-1900)--The
Batetela tribe in the Congo revolted against the harsh
rule of Belgian King Leopold II. The first revolt in 1895
was put down, but lingering discontent with colonial rule
and exploitation led to a second revolt in 1897. Despite
the
Dhani
Mutiny
by
native troops commanded by Belgian Baron Francois Dhani
in 1898 or 1899, the colonial forces suppressed the
Batetelan rebels.
Rwanda
Hutu Uprising (1959)
Congo
"Crisis" (1960- 1967)
Tutsi
Invasion of Rwanda (1963)
Tutsi
Invasion of Rwanda (1964)
Congolese
(Brazzaville) Rebellions (1965-1969)
Rwandan
Civil War (1990-1994)
Burundian
Civil War (1995-Present)
Zairian/Congolese
Civil War (1996-1997)-Also
involved Angola, Rwanda and Uganda on the rebel
side.
Congo
(Brazzaville) Civil War
(1997)-Also
involved Angola.
Congo
(Kinshasa) Civil War
(1998-2002)-Also
involved Angola, Chad, Namibia and Zimbabwe on the
Kinshasa government side and Rwanda and Uganda on the
rebel side. The rebels sought the overthrow of Laurent
Kabila of Congo. Following the assassination of President
Kabila, negotiations began which led to a new coalition
government headed by the late President's son while
including members of the rebel groups. The war ended in
late 2002.
Rwanda-Uganda
Conflict (1999)-A
rather strange part of the multi-nation Congo War, the
former allies battled in the streets of Kisingani,
Congo. Each nation backs a rival rebel group in the
anti-Kabila rebellion.
Wars
of Southern Africa
The
Second Boer War
(1899-1902)--Britain
vs. The Boer Republics (Orange Free State and Transvaal)
in what is now South Africa.
Mozambican
Revolts (1895-1899) -
Native uprisings against Portuguese colonial rule in
Mozambique.
Madagascar
Rebellion (1947)-Against
French rule. France crushed the revolt.
South
African Civil War (1960-1994?)
Angolan
War of Independence
(1961-1975)-
Fought against Portugal.
Mozambican
War of Independence
(1964-1975)-
Fought against Portugal.
Namibian
War of Independence (1966-1990)
Rhodesian
Civil War (1967-1979)-
Can also be considered the Zimbabwe War of Independence.
Rebels of the black majority fought a guerilla war
against the white minority government of Ian Smith. Smith
had declared unilateral independence from Britain rather
than end white rule. The war concluded with a peace
agreement in which each adult received the right to vote
regardless of race.
Angolan
Civil War (1975-2002)-
Following independence from Portugal, the two primary
rebel groups, the Marxist MPLA and the "pro-Western"
UNITA movements battled for control of Angola. Each side
received significant outside assistance. The MPLA enjoyed
massive aid from the Soviet Union as well as combat
troops from Cuba. Early in the conflict, Zaire sent
troops to aid UNITA, while the United States (mostly
through the Central Intelligence Agency) sent weapons and
mercenaries. South Africa also aided UNITA with large
cross-border incursions. South Africa's involvement came
out of concern that a pro-Communist regime would aid
SWAPO rebels fighting for Namibia's independence from
South Africa. The war finally ended after the death of
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