List of wars involving England explained

This is a list of wars involving the Kingdom of England before the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain by the Acts of Union 1707. For dates after 1708, see List of wars involving the United Kingdom.

- 36

- 29

- 12*e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, result of civil or internal conflict, result unknown or indecisive, inconclusive

10th and 11th centuries

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
927	937		England Deheubarth GwyneddKingdom of GwentBrycheiniog	ScotlandNorse-GaelsKingdom of StrathclydeKingdom of Dublin	Stalemate Status quo ante bellum
946	954	Northumbria's war of independence	EnglandEarl of Bamburgh	Northumbria	Victory Northumbria becomes absorbed by the Kingdom of England
1016	1016	Cnut the Great's invasion of England	England Edmund II Eadnoth the Younger Ulfcytel Snillingr	Kingdom of Denmark Cnut the Great	Defeat King Edmund, cedes all of England, save Wessex, to Cnut.^[1] Following Edmund's death on 30 November, Cnut ascends to the throne as the sole king of England. Personal union formed between Denmark and England under Danish hegemony.
1026	1026				Victory The Swedish and Norwegian attack to conquer Denmark while Canute is busy in England fails and Canute retains power Norway becomes a part of the North Sea empire and parts or the whole of Sweden are conquered by troops from England and Denmark including the capital, Gamla Uppsala Olaf II of Norway is forced into exile in Kievan Rus. Most of the Swedish forces, however, remain intact. The later invasion of Sweden seems to have ended badly, and in Anglo-Saxon sources the battle is described as a Swedish victory, and also that there was a great loss of English lives, and that the Swedes were in possession of the Battlefield. Sweden would continue to support Norwegian rebels loyal to Olaf II under the whole of Canute's reign. Most forces in the Battle of Stiklestad consisted of Swedes and the eventual Swedish support for Norwegian rebels would lead to the disintegration of the North Sea Empire and the Personal Union between Denmark and Norway. ^[2]
1066	1088	Norman Conquest of England	England Harold Godwinson Gyrth Godwinson Leofwine Godwinson	Duchy of Normandy William of Normandy Alan the Red William FitzOsbern Eustace II, Count of Boulogne	Defeat Norman Victory England becomes absorbed by the Duchy of Normandy
1067	1081	Norman invasion of Wales	England	Welsh kingdoms	Defeat Forced Norman Retreat
1075	1075	Revolt of the Earls	William I of England	Three earls Ralph de Gael Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northumberland	Internal Conflict, William was Victorious Waltheof was beheaded in 1076 Roger lost his lands and earldom, was imprisoned, and was beheaded in 1087. Ralph lost his lands and earldom, and was expelled from England
1096	1099	First Crusade	EnglandHoly Roman EmpireKingdom of FranceDuchy of ApuliaByzantine EmpireArmenian Kingdom of Cilicia	Great Seljuq EmpireDanishmendsAlmoravids Abbasids	Victory Recapture of Nicaea Formation of the Crusader States

12th century

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
1145	1149	Second Crusade	England (Holy land Crusade)Kingdom of Jerusalem (Holy land Crusade)Kingdom of France (Iberian and Holy Land Crusade)Holy Roman Empire (Wendish and Holy Land Crusade)Kingdom of Portugal (Iberian Crusade)Castile (Iberian Crusade)County of Barcelona (Iberian Crusade)León (Iberian Crusade)Byzantine Empire (Holy land Crusade)Kingdom of Denmark (Wendish Crusade)Duchy of Poland (Wendish Crusade)Kingdom of Sicily (Holy land Crusade)	Sultanate of Rum (Holy Land Crusade) Almoravids (Iberian Crusade) Almohads (Iberian Crusade)Zengids (Holy Land Crusade) Abbasids (Holy Land Crusade)Fatimids (Holy Land Crusade)Obotrite Confederacy (Wendish Crusade)	Partial Crusader Victory Crusader Victory in Iberian and Wendish Crusades Muslim Victory in the Holy Land Crusade
1189	1192	Third Crusade	EnglandKingdom of Jerusalem France Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of Hungary	AyyubidsZengidsSultanate of RumByzantine EmpireKingdom of Sicily	Partial Crusader victory

13th century

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
1202	1204	French invasion of Normandy (1202–1204)	England	France	Defeat England loses Normandy, Maine and Anjou to France
1209	1229	Albigensian Crusade	English volunteers Kingdom of France Duchy of Burgundy Duchy of Brittany County of Nevers County of Auxerre County of Saint-Pol Viscounty of Donges Viscounty of Torèna Papal States Episcopal Inquisition Dominican Order Militia of the Faith of Jesus Christ Hospitallers of the Holy Spirit Knights of Saint George Duchy of Austria Duchy of Berg Electorate of Cologne County of Aurenja County of Provence-Forcalquier	Cathars County of Toulouse Viscounty of Béziers and Albi County of Valentinois Lordship of Séverac Marquisate of Provence Viscounty of Béarn County of Astarac Crown of Aragon County of Foix County of Comminges Viscounty of Carcassonne Lordship of Menèrba Lordship of Tèrmes Lordship of Cabaret Lordship of Montsegúr Exiled knights	Crusader Victory
1213	1214	Anglo-French War (1213–1214)	England Holy Roman Empire County of Flanders County of Boulogne	France	Defeat Collapse of the Angevin Empire
1230	1230	English invasion of France (1230)	England	France	Defeat English Withdrawal
1239	1241	Barons' Crusade	England France Kingdom of NavarreKingdom of Jerusalem	Ayyubids	Crusader Diplomatic Victory
1242	1242	Saintonge War	England	France	Defeat
1271	1272	Ninth Crusade	England Kingdom of Cyprus Kingdom of Jerusalem County of TripoliIlkhanate Armenian Cilicia	Mamluks	Stalemate Status quo ante bellum
1277	1283	Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England	England	Principality of Wales	English victory
1294	1303	Gascon War	England	France	DefeatTreaty of ParisAquitaine becomes a Fief of France as well as England
1296	1328	First War of Scottish Independence	England	Kingdom of Scotland FranceConnachtThomondUí Maine TyrconnellBreifne O'RourkeOrielDesmondMagh Luirg	Inconclusive (Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton) Scottish independence from England maintained English victory in Ireland Reinstatement of Anglo-Scottish border from reign of Alexander III of Scotland

14th century

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
1324	1324	War of Saint-Sardos	England	France	Defeat
1332	1357	Second War of Scottish Independence	England	Kingdom of Scotland France	Defeat
1337	1453	Hundred Years' War	England Duchy of Burgundy Duchy of Brittany (Montfort) Portugal Navarre Flanders HainautLuxembourg	France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Aragon Brittany (Blois)	Defeat: Overall French Victory Edwardian War - English Victory Caroline War - French Victory Lancastrian War - French Victory
1351	1369	Castilian Civil War	England Forces of Peter of Castile Kingdom of Navarre Kingdom of Majorca Kingdom of Granada Duchy of AquitaineOtherElite European mercenaries	Forces of Henry of Trastámara Kingdom of France Crown of Aragon	English alliance defeat. Victory for Henry of Trastámara and his allies.
1377	1575	Anglo-Scottish Wars	Kingdom of England	Scotland	Stalemate
1381	1382	Third Ferdinand War	England Portugal	Castile	Defeat
1383	1385	1383–85 Crisis	England Portugal	Crown of Castile Kingdom of France Crown of Aragon	Victory

15th century

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
1470	1474	Anglo-Hanseatic War		Hanseatic League	Defeat, Hanseatic victory
1496	1498	Italian War of 1494–1498 (1494–1498)	League of Venice: Kingdoms of Spain Duchy of Milan Duchy of Mantua (from 1496)	Swiss mercenaries	Victory Forced French retreat

16th century

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
1512	1514	War of the League of Cambrai	Papal States Venice Holy Roman Empire Spain Swiss mercenaries	France Duchy of Ferrara Scotland	Defeat, French and Venetian victory
1522	1525	Italian War of 1521–26	Papal States Holy Roman Empire Spain	France Venice	Victory
1528	1529	War of the League of Cognac	France Papal States Venice Florence Duchy of Milan	Spain Holy Roman Empire Republic of Genoa	Defeat, Imperial-Spanish victory
1542	1546	Italian War of 1542–46	Holy Roman Empire Spain Saxony Brandenburg	France Ottoman Empire Jülich-Cleves-Berg	Inconclusive
1543	1550	Rough Wooing		Scotland France	Defeat, Treaty of Norham, French-Scottish victory
1556	1559	Italian War of 1551–59 Anglo-French War (1557-1559)	Holy Roman Empire Spain Duchy of Florence Duchy of Savoy	France Republic of Siena Ottoman Empire	Defeat, Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis, Loss of Calais
1562	1563	English expedition to France (1562-1563)	Huguenots (Before Edict of Amboise	France	Defeat, Treaty of Troyes (1564), Elizabeth I accepts French rule over Pale of Calais in exchange for 120,000 Crowns.
1562	1598	French Wars of Religion (1562–1598)	Protestants: Huguenots	Catholics Catholic League Spain	Victory Uneasy truce The Edict of Nantes granted the Huguenots substantial rights in certain areas Paris and other defined territories were declared to be permanently Catholic Failure of France's enemies to weaken France and to gain territories
1566	1648	Eighty Years' War	Dutch Republic FranceHuguenotsGerman Protestants	Holy Roman Empire Spain	Victory Peace of Münster, Netherlands becomes independent
1569	1573	First Desmond Rebellion	allied Irish clans	FitzGeralds of Desmond allied Irish clans	Victory Second Desmond Rebellion
1579	1583	Second Desmond Rebellion	allied Irish clans	FitzGeralds of Desmond Spain allied Irish clans	Victory Famine throughout Munster Plantation of Munster
1580	1583	War of the Portuguese Succession	Portugal loyal to Prior of Crato	Spain Portugal loyal to Philip of Spain	Defeat Decisive Spanish victory Philip of Spain crowned King of Portugal^[3]
1585	1604	Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)	Portuguese loyal to Prior of Crato French Huguenot forces	Spain Portugal under Philip of Spain French Catholic League Irish alliance Order of Saint John	Stalemate Status quo ante bellum Treaty of London
1594	1603	Nine Years' War (Ireland)		Alliance of Irish clans SpainScottish Gaelic mercenaries	Victory Treaty of Mellifont (1603) Flight of the Earls (1607)

17th century

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
1602	1661	Dutch-Portuguese War (1602–1661)	(until 1640) Johor Sultanate Kingdom of Kandy Kingdom of Kongo Kingdom of Ndongo	Kingdom of Portugal (until 1640) Kingdom of Cochin Potiguara Tupis	StalemateTreaty of Hague Formation of the Dutch Empire Portuguese Restoration War Dutch victory in the East Portuguese victory in South America and Africa
1625	1630	Anglo-Spanish War (1625–1630)	Support:	Spain	Status quo ante bellum Spain seeks and signs peace treaty with England in light of imminent war with France Treaty of Madrid, similar to previous Anglo-Spanish treaty although somewhat less strict regarding trade England bankruptcy practically ends English support to Dutch Republic in Eighty Years' War
1627	1629	Anglo-French War (1627–1629)			Status quo ante bellum Treaty of Suza Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1632)
1640	1668	Portuguese Restoration War	Kingdom of Portugal	Crown of Spain	Victory Treaty of Lisbon Charles II of Spain recognizes the sovereignty of the House of Braganza over Portugal and its colonial possessions
1652	1654	First Anglo-Dutch War			VictoryTreaty of Westminster
1654	1660	Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660)	(1657–59)	Spain Royalists of the British Isles	Victory Treaties of Madrid (1667 and 1670). Acquisition of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Dunkirk and Mardyck by the Commonwealth of England
1661	1665	Dano-Dutch War			Victory Cape Coast conquered
1665	1667	Second Anglo-Dutch War	Bishopric of Münster	Denmark	Defeat Uti possidetis Treaty of Breda
1672	1674	Third Anglo-Dutch War	Bishopric of Münster Electorate of Cologne	Denmark-Norway	DefeatStatus quo ante bellum Treaty of Westminster (1674)
1672	1678	Franco-Dutch War	Münster Cologne Swedish Empire	Spain Brandenburg-Prussia Lorraine Denmark–Norway	Major French territorial gains Treaty of Westminster (1674) Treaty of Nijmegen (1678-79) Franche-Comté and Spanish Netherlands cities ceded to France
1686	1690	Anglo-Mughal War	England East India Company	Mughal Empire	Defeat Victory for the Mughal Empire The British East India Company fined
1687	1688	Anglo-Siamese War	England East India Company	Kingdom of Ayutthaya (Siam) (Unauthorised piracy by English sailors under Siamese employ) • English defectors	InconclusiveEnglish factory rejected from Siam, after minor naval action, along with massacre in the aftermath: the war was not pursued. In 1688, a coup forced the closure of all official European trade in Siam for 150 years except for the Dutch.
1688	1697	Nine Years' War	Grand Alliance Spanish Empire Swedish Empire (until 1691)	Jacobites	Victory Treaty of Ryswick Louis XIV recognises William III of Orange as King of England, Scotland and Ireland.

18th century

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			England & allies	England's opposition
1700	1721	The Great Northern War (1700–1721)	England (until 1707) Great Britain (from 1707) Swedish Empire Brunswick-Lüneburg	Tsardom of Russia Kalmyk Khanate Cossack Hetmanate Denmark–Norway Poland–Lithuania Hanover	Inconclusive for England Britain did not gain or lose anything from the war and exited the war a year before it had ended due to financial trouble Russian Allied victory: Tsardom of Russia establishes itself as a new power in Europe. Decline of Swedish Empire and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
1701	1714	War of the Spanish Succession	England (until 1707) Great Britain (from 1707) Austrian monarchy Dutch Republic Holy Roman Empire Piedmont-Savoy Prussia Habsburg Spain Kingdom of Portugal	Spanish monarchy Bavaria (~1704) Cologne Mantua (~1708)	Victory Treaty of Utrecht: Philip V recognised as King of Spain by the Grand Alliance Spain cedes the Spanish Netherlands, Kingdom of Naples, Duchy of Milan and Sardinia to the Austrian Habsburgs; Sicily to the Duchy of Savoy; and Gibraltar and Menorca to Britain. France recognises British sovereignty over Rupert's Land and Newfoundland and cedes Acadia and its half of Saint Kitts to Britain. Indecisive or failure for Britain's various allies

Civil wars and revolutions

Start	End	Name of conflict	Belligerents		Outcome
			English Government	Rebels
1069	1070	Harrying of the North	William I of England	House of Wessex Kingdom of Denmark Anglo-Saxons Anglo-Scandinavians	Internal Conflict, William was VictoriousAn uprising which started 4 years after the Norman Conquest. Edgar Ætheling, the grandson of Edmund Ironside and the last notable heir to the House of Wessex, fought with the support of the King of Denmark Sweyn II, Anglo-Saxons, and Anglo-Scandinavians. It ended in defeat for the Anglo-Saxons & Anglo-Scandinavians. William the Conqueror paid Sweyn and his Danish fleet to go home, but the remaining rebels refused to meet him in battle, and he decided to starve them out by laying waste to the northern shires using scorched earth tactics. The Norman campaign to reconquer Northern England resulted in a genocide against the people living there.
1070	1071	Ely Rebellion	William I of England	King of Denmark Sweyn II Hereward the Wake Morcar Bishop Aethelwine of Durham	Internal Conflict, William VictoriusAn anti-Norman insurrection centred on the Isle of Ely. The Danish king Sweyn Estrithson sent a small army to try to establish a camp on the Isle of Ely. The Isle became a refuge for Anglo-Saxon forces under Earl Morcar, Bishop Aethelwine of Durham and Hereward the Wake in 1071.^[4] The area was taken by William the Conqueror only after a prolonged struggle.^[5]
1088	1088	Rebellion of 1088	EnglandWilliam Rufus	Duchy of NormandyRobert Curthose	Internal Conflict, William Rufus Victorius
1135	1154	The Anarchy	Supporters of Stephen of Blois	Supporters of Empress Matilda and Henry Curtmantle	Civil War Treaty of Wallingford Henry would do homage to Stephen, in return Stephen promised Henry would become King of England upon his death
1173	1174	Revolt of 1173–74	English royalists	English rebels Kingdom of France Kingdom of Scotland County of Flanders County of Boulogne Duchy of Brittany	Internal ConflictTreaty of Falaise Scotland cedes the castles of Roxburgh, Berwick, Jedburgh, Edinburgh, and Stirling over to English soldiers William is forced to recognize Henry's overlordship
1215	1217	First Barons' War	England Pro-Angevin forces	Rebel Barons France Kingdom of Scotland	Civil War, Angevinian victory Treaty of Lambeth Restoration of Magna Carta
1264	1267	Second Barons' War	English royalists	Rebel barons	Civil War, Royalist victory Capture and imprisonment of King Henry III by baronial forces Establishment of de facto Protectorate ruled by Simon de Montfort's Parliament until 1265 Restoration of Royal Authority in 1266 Peace treaty agreed with Dictum of Kenilworth in 1267 Statute of Marlborough issued in 1267; legal confirmation of the Magna Carta and Parliament
1264	1267	Welsh Uprising (1282)	English royalists	Dafydd ap Gruffydd	Internal Conflict, Royalist victory
1321	1322	Despenser War	England Edward II Hugh Despenser the Elder Hugh Despenser the Younger Earl of Pembroke Andrew Harclay	Contrariants Marcher Lords Earl of Lancaster Roger Mortimer Earl of Hereford Supported by: Kingdom of Scotland	Civil War, Decisive Royal victory Return of the Despensers Execution of rebels Revocation of the Ordinances of 1311 Strengthening of the monarchy until 1326
1326	1326	Invasion of England (1326)	Royal government Edward II Hugh Despenser the Younger Hugh Despenser the Elder Earl of Arundel	Contrariants Supported by: County of Hainaut^[6] Isabella of France Roger Mortimer Earl of Leicester Earl of Norfolk Earl of Kent	Civil War, Contrariants' victoryContinuation of the Despenser War. Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimers invasion led to: Executions of Hugh Despenser the Younger and Hugh Despenser the Elder Abdication of Isabella's husband, King Edward II for their son Edward III Edward II died, most likely assassinated by orders of Isabella and Mortimer.
1381	1381	Peasants' Revolt	Royal government	Rebel forces	Internal Conflict, Royal government victorious Most rebel leaders executed no further attempts by Parliament to impose a poll tax or to reform England's fiscal system.
1400	1415	Glyndŵr RisingPart of the Hundred Years' War	England	Welsh rebels Kingdom of France	Internal Conflict, Total English victory
1455	1485	Wars of the Roses	House of York Supported by: Burgundian State Lordship of Ireland Duchy of Brittany	House of Lancaster House of Tudor Supported by: Kingdom of France Kingdom of Scotland Principality of Wales Duchy of Brittany---- Yorkist rebels	Civil War, Victory for the House of Lancaster and their allies End of the Plantagenet dynasty House of York reigns for 24 years Extinction of the House of Lancaster House of Tudor inherits Lancastrian claim to the throne and defeats the Yorkist dynasty Establishment of the Tudor dynasty End of the middle ages in England Strengthening of the English monarchy under the Tudors Dawn of the English Renaissance
1497	1497	Cornish Rebellion of 1497	Henry VII Giles, Lord Daubeny		Internal Conflict, English victory
1549	1549	Prayer Book Rebellion	Edward VI Edward Seymour John Russell Anthony Kingston William Francis		Internal Conflict, Edwardian victory rebellion suppressed execution of rebel commanders
1639	1651	Wars of the Three Kingdoms	Royalists Confederates	Parliamentarians---- Scottish Covenanters	Civil War, Parliamentarian victory Bishops' Wars (1639) Covenanters defeat Scottish Royalists and England Second Bishops' War (1640) Covenanters defeat Scottish Royalists and England Irish Rebellion of 1641 Founding of the Irish Catholic Confederation and beginning of the Irish Confederate Wars First English Civil War (1642–46) Parliamentarian & Scottish Covenanters victory over the Royalists Irish Confederate Wars (1642–48) Parliamentarian conquest of Ireland Defeat of Royalists and crushing of Irish Catholic Confederation Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1644–47) Covenanters defeat Royalists and Irish Confederation Second English Civil War (1648) English Parliamentarian victory over the Royalists and Scottish Covenanters forces. Execution of King Charles I Exile of Charles II Establishment of the republican Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell Kirk Party takes power in Scotland Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649) English Parliamentarian & Protestant colonists victory over Irish Catholic Confederation and English Royalists English Parliamentarian conquest of Ireland End of the Irish Catholic Confederation Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 Third English Civil War (1650–1652) victory over Scotland Scotland absorbed into the Commonwealth of England
1685	1685	Monmouth Rebellion	Royal army of James II	Rebel army of Duke of Monmouth	Internal Conflict, Victory for James II
1688	1689	Glorious Revolution	James II	William of Orange Dutch military forces British military forces	Internal Conflict James II replaced as king by his daughter Mary II and her husband William III
1689	1746	Jacobite Rebellions	England (until 1707) Great Britain (from 1707)	Jacobites	Civil War, Royalist victory in England, Scotland and Ireland Williamite War in Ireland (1688–91) - The Battle of the Boyne saw the last battle between two rival claimants for the throne Jacobite rising of 1689 (1689-92) Jacobite rising of 1715 (1715–16) Jacobite rising of 1719 (1719) Jacobite rising of 1745 (1741–1746) - Jacobite restoration attempt defeated

See also

• List of English civil wars
• List of wars in Great Britain
• Military history of England
• List of wars involving England and France
• List of wars involving the United Kingdom

Sources

• Book: Guy, J. . Tudor England . 1988 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-285213-7 . 17677564 . John Guy (historian) . registration.
• Book: McCaffrey, Wallace . Recent Views on British History: Essays on Historical Writing since 1966 . 1984 . Rutgers University Press . 978-0-8135-0959-4 . Schlatter . Richard . Recent Writings on Tutor History . Wallace T. MacCaffrey.
• Book: Encyclopedia of Tudor England . 2011 . ABC-CLIO . 978-1-59884-298-2 . Wagner . John A. . Schmid . Susan Walters.

Further reading

• Barnett, Correlli. Britain and her army, 1509-1970: a military, political and social survey (1970).
• Carlton, Charles. This Seat of Mars: War and the British Isles, 1485-1746 (Yale UP; 2011) 332 pages; studies the impact of near unceasing war from the individual to the national levels.
• Chandler, David G., and Ian Frederick William Beckett, eds. The Oxford history of the British army (Oxford UP, 2003).
• Cole, D. H and E. C Priestley. An outline of British military history, 1660-1936 (1936). online
• Higham, John, ed. A Guide to the Sources of British Military History (1971) 654 pages excerpt; Highly detailed bibliography and discussion up to 1970.
• Sheppard, Eric William. A short history of the British army (1950). online

Historiography

• Messenger, Charles, ed. Reader's Guide to Military History (2001) pp 55–74; annotated guide to most important books.

Notes and References

1. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179341/Edmund-II Edmund II (king of England) @ Britannica.com
2. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780195334036.001.0001/acref-9780195334036-e-0424
3. Geoffrey Parker p. 73
4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/after_11.shtml Hereward and the Isle of Ely, BBC History, accessed 6 January 2008
5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/after_12.shtml The taking of Ely, BBC History, accessed 6 January 2008
6. Weir (2006), p 223