List of wars involving the United Kingdom explained

This is a list of conflicts involving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its predecessor states (the Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland and generally the British Isles). Notable militarised interstate disputes are included. For a list of wars before the Acts of Union 1707 please see List of wars involving England & List of wars involving Scotland. To see wars that have been fought on the United Kingdom mainland, see the list of wars in Great Britain.

Historically, the United Kingdom relied most heavily on the Royal Navy and maintained relatively small land forces. Most of the episodes listed here deal with insurgencies and revolts in the various colonies of the British Empire.

During its history, the United Kingdom's 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.^[1]

*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

Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801)

Conflict	Britain & allies	Britain's opposition	Outcome
The Great Northern War (1700–1721)	Swedish Empire Brunswick-Lüneburg	Tsardom of Russia Kalmyk Khanate Cossack Hetmanate Denmark–Norway Poland–Lithuania Hanover	Inconclusive for Great Britain Britain did not gain or lose anything from the war and had exited the war a year before it 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.
The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714)including Queen Anne's War	Austria Portugal	Spain Bavaria	British victory Treaty of Utrecht: Philip V recognized as King of Spain by the Grand Alliance Territory in Canada and the West Indies ceded from France Territory in Europe ceded from Spain Indecisive or failure for Britain's various allies
Civil war: Post-Spanish Succession Caribbean Piracy (1715–1726)		Anglo-American-Caribbean privateers Republic of Pirates	Civil war; royal victory
Civil war: (1715–1716)Jacobite rising of 1715 including The Jacobite uprising in Cornwall	– [Kingdom of Great Britain]	Jacobites	Civil war, Hanoverian victoryJacobite restoration attempt defeated
The War of the Quadruple Allianceincluding The Nineteen Uprising in Great Britain (1717–1720)		Spain Jacobites (against the British Crown and government only)	British Allied victory: Royal navy won a battle; a small-scale Jacobite invasion was defeated Treaty of The Hague: Spanish attempt at expansion fails.
Dummer's War (1721–1725)	New England Colonies Mohawk	Wabanaki Confederacy	British victory Britain recognises the rights of the region's indigenous inhabitants.
The War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1748)Location: New Granada, Caribbean, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pacific and Atlantic		Spain Spanish Empire	Inconclusive/other outcome Status quo ante bellum British offensive in the Caribbean theatre defeated British invasion of Florida repulsed Spanish invasion of Georgia repulsed Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) leading to Treaty of Madrid (1750)
The War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748)including King George's War The War of Jenkins' Ear The First Carnatic War	Austria Hanover East India Company	Spain Spanish Empire Bavaria Naples and Sicily Sweden French East India Company	French Allied victory in Europe but British victory outside of Europe Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle: Defeat
Civil War: Jacobite rising of 1745 (1741–1745)		Jacobites	Civil war, British victoryJacobite restoration attempt defeated
The Second Carnatic War (1749–1754)	East India Company Forces of Nasir Jang Mir Ahmad Forces of Mohamed Ali Khan Walajan	French East India Company Forces of Chanda Shahib Forces of Muhyi ad-Din Muzaffar Jang Hidayat	British Allied victoryTreaty of Pondicherry Pro-British Mohamed Ali Khan Walajan became Nawab of the Carnatic
Seven Years' War (1756–1763)including Third Carnatic War French and Indian War Pomeranian War Third Silesian War Anglo-Spanish War	East India Company British America Hanover Iroquois Confederacy Portugal Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Hesse-Kassel Schaumburg-Lippe Cherokee Nation (before 1758) Catawba Mingo Lenape (from 1758) Wyandot of Ohio Country (British supported faction)	French East India Company Sweden Spain Spanish Empire Mughal Empire Wabanaki Confederacy Miꞌkmaq Algonquin Ojibwe Odawa Shawnee Lenape (until 1758) Wyandot of Fort Detroit (French supported faction)	British Allied victoryTreaty of Paris Extensive North American lands (incl. all of Canada) ceded from France Caribbean colonies ceded from France Senegal River colony (excluding Gorée) ceded from France Florida ceded from Spain French trading posts in India administered by British Sumatra ceded from France
Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761)		Cherokee	British victoryPro-British Attakullakulla becomes Cherokee leader
Tacky's War (1760)	Jamaican Government Jamaican Maroons	Ashanti Slaves	British Allied victory Slave defeat Death of Tacky Tacky's men commit suicide
Pontiac's Rebellion (1763–1766)		Native American Coalition: Odawa Potawatomi Ojibwe Mingo Seneca people Wyandot people Miami people Kickapoo people Illinois People	Inconclusive/Other Outcome British policy change British suzerainty over First Nation Tribes Niagara Falls area ceded from Seneca Nation
First Anglo-Mysore War (1766–1769)	East India Company Hyderabad State	Kingdom of Mysore	Mysore victoryHyderabad cedes territory to Mysore
First Anglo-Maratha War (1774–1783)	East India Company		Maratha victory Treaty of Salbai. Maratha support for Britain against Mysore
American Revolutionary War (1775–83) Anglo-French War (1778–83) Anglo-Spanish War (1779–83)		Spain Vermont Republic Oneida tribe Tuscarora tribe Watauga Association Catawba tribe	Civil War / American Allied victory The American Revolution started as a civil war within the British Empire. It became a larger international war in 1778 once France joined. Treaty of Paris 13 North American colonies recognised as the independent United States of America Territory in North America ceded to the newly independent United States of America Senegal River colony returned to France French recognises British suzerainty over the Gambia river Territory in India returned to France British retention and creation of British North America Menorca ceded to Spain East & West Florida ceded to Spain
4th Anglo-Dutch War (1780–83)		France	British victory
2nd Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784)		Kingdom of Mysore	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Treaty of Mangalore: Status quo ante bellum
3rd Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792)		Kingdom of Mysore	British Allied victoryTreaty of Seringapatam Half of Mysore territory ceded to East India Company
War of the First Coalition (1793–1797)	Dutch Republic (until 1795)^[2] ^[3] (until 1797)^[4] Hesse-Kassel (until 1795)^[5] Württemberg (until 1796)^[6] Baden (until 1796)	Kingdom of France (until 1792) French Republic (from 1792)French satellites:^[9] (from 1795)^[10] Sister republics^[11] Spain (from 1796, naval only)	French victory French annexation of the Austrian Netherlands, the Left Bank of the Rhine, Savoy and other smaller territories Santo Domingo to France Several French "sister republics" established End of millennial Venetian independence Treaty of The Hague, Treaty of Paris, Peaces of Basel, Treaty of Tolentino, Treaty of Campo Formio Establishment and survival of the French Republic Napoleon becomes a political actor Hostilities resume in 1798 with the formation of a Second Coalition against France
War of the Second Coalition (1797–1802)	(until 1801) Tuscany ^[12] ^[13] ^[14] ^[15] (until 1801)^[16] ^[17] Sardinia^[18]	Spain French client republics:^[19] Cisalpine Republic Helvetic Republic Ligurian Republic	French victoryTreaty of Lunéville, Treaty of Amiens Survival of the French Republic Previous annexations by France confirmed Hostilities resume in 1803 with the formation of a Third Coalition against France Territory changes Trinidad, **Ceylon and Malta to Britain Parma and Louisiana to France Tuscany to the House of Bourbon Foundation of the Septinsular Republic Reichsdeputationshauptschluss to France
Ibn Ufaisan's Invasion (1793)	Kuwait British East India Company	Emirate of Diriyah	British Allied victory Saudi retreat from Kuwait.
Second Maroon War (1795–1796)	British Jamaica	Jamaican Maroons	British victory
Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars (1795–1816)	Burrberongal Tribe from 1801:	Dharug Eora Tharawal Gandangara Irish-convict sympathisers	British victoryDisplacement of Aborigines from their land
Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)Location: Newfoundland, English Channel, Straits of Gibraltar, Balearic Islands, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata	from 1801:	Spain French Republic	Inconclusive/Other Outcome
Kandyan Wars (1796–1818)	from 1801:	Kingdom of Kandy	British victory End of 2357 years of Sinhalese independence
Irish Rebellion of 1798 (1798)		United Irishmen Defenders French Republic	British victory Rebellion defeated 1801 Act of Union
4th Anglo-Mysore War (1798–1799)		Kingdom of Mysore	British Allied victoryComplete annexation of Mysore by Britain and allies

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922)

Conflict	Britain & allies	Britain's opposition	Outcome
Temne War (1801–1807)		Kingdom of Koya	British Allied victoryNorthern shore of Sierra Leone ceded by Koya
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1802–1805)			British victoryExtensive territory in India ceded by the Maratha Empire
First Kandyan War (1803–1805)		Kandy	British victoryTerritory captured from Kandy
Civil War: Emmet's Insurrection (1803)		Forces of Robert Emmet	British victoryRebellion defeated
British Expedition to Ceylon (1803)		Chiefdom of Vanni	British Allied victory Vanni region lost to the British The last Tamil resistance against colonial rule was crushed.
War of the Third Coalition (1805–1806)		French Empire Batavia Italy Etruria Bavaria Württemberg	French Allied victory Fourth Peace of Preßburg: French victory Austria surrenders to France Pro-French Confederation of the Rhine formed
War of the Fourth Coalition (1806–1807)		French Empire Confederation of the Rhine Polish Legions Italy Naples Etruria Holland Swiss Confederation	French Allied victoryTreaties of Tilsit French victory Half of Prussia ceded to French allies Russia exits the war Anglo-Russian War begins
Ashanti–Fante War (1806–1807)		Fante Confederacy	Dutch victory
Anglo-Turkish War (1807–1809)			Turkish victoryTreaty of the Dardanelles Turkish military victory Commercial and legal concessions to British interests within the Ottoman Empire Promise to protect the empire against French encroachment
Gunboat War (1807–1814)		Denmark–Norway	British victoryTreaty of Kiel Denmark and Norway split up Heligoland ceded from Denmark
Anglo-Russian War (1807–1812)			Inconclusive/Other Outcome Treaty of Örebro: Anglo-Russian-Swedish pact against France
Peninsular War (1807–1814)	Portugal	French Empire	British Allied victoryTreaty of Paris Bourbon dynasty restored Tobago, St. Lucia, Mauritius ceded from France All other French possessions restored as per 1792 borders Abolition of French Slave Trade Swiss independence
Travancore rebellion (1808–1809)		Kingdom of Cochin	British victory
War of the Fifth Coalition (1809)	Tyrol Hungary Black Brunswickers Sicily	French Empire Warsaw Confederation of the Rhine Saxony Westphalia Kingdom of Italy Naples Swiss Confederation Holland	French Allied victory Treaty of Schönbrunn: Complete Austrian surrender Peninsular War continued
Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 (1809)		Al Qasimi	British victory
4th Xhosa War (1811–1812)		Xhosa tribes	British victoryXhosa tribes pushed beyond the Fish River, reversing their gains in the previous Xhosa wars
War of 1812 (1812–1815)	British North America	United States	Inconclusive/Other OutcomeTreaty of Ghent Status quo ante bellum with no boundary changes United States invasions of British Canada repulsed. All Pre-War borders restored under the Treaty of Ghent British invasions of the United States repulsed. All pre-war borders restored under the Treaty of Ghent
War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814)	Original Coalition Spain Portugal After Battle of Leipzig Saxony United Netherlands	Duchy of Warsaw Until January 1814 Denmark–Norway Confederation of the Rhine (Many member states defected after Battle of Leipzig)	British Allied victory Coalition victory, Treaty of Fontainebleau, First Treaty of Paris Bourbon Restoration; Napoleon's exile to Elba Various territorial changes Beginning of the Congress of Vienna Hostilities resume with the return of Napoleon to power in 1815
Second Kandyan War (1815)		Kandy	British victoryKandyan Convention Dissolution of the Kandy royal line British King declared King of Kandy
Hundred Days (1815)War of the Seventh Coalition		French Empire Naples	British Allied victoryTreaty of Paris General French defeat Restoration of the House of Bourbon Abolition of the slave trade (all signatories) ₣100,000,000 compensation from France
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818)			British victoryVirtually all territory south of the Sutlej River controlled by Britain
Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) Battle of Navarino	1821: Filiki Eteria Greek revolutionaries After 1822: Hellenic Republic	Ottoman Empire Egypt Algeria Tripolitania Tunis	British Allied victory First Hellenic Republic established and recognized
First Ashanti War (1823–1831)			Inconclusive/Other Outcome Stalemate after armistice
First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826)	East India CompanyNative tribes	Burmese Empire	British Allied victoryTreaty of Yandabo Assam, Manipur, Rakhine, and Taninthayi coast south of Salween river ceded from Burmah £1,000,000 compensation from Burma
British attack on Berbera (1827)	Royal Navy East India Company	Habr Awal	British Allied victory Destruction of large parts of Berbera Indemnity agreed upon for 1825 Habr Awal attack Crucial caravan trade halted temporarily
Revolt of the Mercenaries (1828)		German Mercenaries Irish Mercenaries	British Allied victory Mutiny suppressed
Baptist War (1831–1832)	Colony of Jamaica	Rebel slaves	British victory Slave defeat Rebellion suppressed
First Carlist War (1833–1840)		Carlists Forces of Infante Carlos Forces of King Miguel	Inconclusive/Other Outcome British withdrawal before war's conclusion British mediated Convention of Vergara
The 6th Xhosa War (1834–1836)		Xhosa tribes	British victoryExtensive territorial gains from Xhosa
Rebellions of 1837 (1837–1838)	Province of Upper Canada Province of Lower Canada British Loyalists	Patriotes Hunters' Lodges Reform Movement	British victory Patriote rebellion crushed by loyalist forces; Republic of Canada dismantled Defeat of Hunters' Lodges Unification of Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada
Pastry War (1838–1839) also known First Franco–Mexican War		Mexico	British Victory Mexican government accepts to pay the 600,000 pesos
First Anglo-Afghan War (1838–1842)		Emirate of Kabul Principality of Qandahar Khanate of Kalat Khulm (August 1840, November 1841 onwards.) Marri Bugti Afghan Tribes Barakzai Loyalists	Barakzai Afghan victory British retreat from Afghanistan
Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata (1845-1850) Battle of Vuelta de Obligado		Argentine Confederation	Argentine Confederation victory Arana-Southern Treaty France and Britain recognize the sovereignty of Argentina on La Plata River and its tributaries.
First Opium War (1839–1842)			British victoryTreaty of Nanking Five Chinese ports open to foreign trade $21,000,000 compensation from the Qing Empire Hong Kong Island ceded from the Qing Empire
Second Egyptian-Ottoman War (1839–1841)	Ottoman Empire	Egypt Eyalet Kingdom of the French Spain	British Allied victory Egypt renounced its claim to Syria.
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846)		Sikh Empire	British Allied victoryTreaty of Lahore Extensive territory ceded from the Sikh Empire Partial control over Sikh foreign affairs
The 7th Xhosa War (1846–1847)The War of the Axe		Xhosa tribes	British victoryTerritory ceded from Xhosa
Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1901)	Mexico Republic of Yucatán Guatemala	Maya	British Allied victory Republic of Yucatán rejoins the United Mexican States in 1848 Mayas achieve an independent state from 1847 to 1883 Mexico recaptures Yucatán Conflict between the Mexicans and the Mayans continued until 1933
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849)		Sikh Empire	British victoryComplete annexation of the Punjab by the East India Company
Battle of Tysami (1849)		Chui A-poo's pirates	British victory
The 8th Xhosa War (1850–1853)Mlanjeni's War		Xhosa tribes Khoikhoi tribes Native Kafir Police	British victoryXhosa-Khoi attacks defeatedStatus quo ante bellum
Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864)		Taiping Heavenly Kingdom	British Allied victory Qing dynasty victory Fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Weakening of the Qing dynasty
Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852–1853)		Burmese Empire	British victoryBurmese revolution ended fightingLower Burma annexed
Crimean War (1853–1856)	French Empire	Bulgarian Legion	British Allied victoryTreaty of Paris
Second Opium War (1856–1860)Arrow War	French Empire		British Allied victoryThe Treaty of Tientsin Kowloon ceded from the Qing Empire Peking opened to foreign trade 11 more Chinese ports opened to foreign trade Yangtze River opened to foreign warships 4,000,000 taels of silver compensation China banned from referring to subjects of the crown as barbarians
Anglo-Persian War (1856–1857)		Persia Herat	British Allied victoryPersian withdrawal from Herat
Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857–1858)	East India Company Nepal Jammu and Kashmir	Sepoys of the East India Company Mughal Empire Awadh Jhansi 7 Princely states	British Allied victoryAct for the Better Government of India Company rule in India dissolved Indian Empire established Ban on Christian missionaries in India
Bombardment of Kagoshima (1863)		Satsuma Domain	British victory Tactical stalemate and mitigated British victory
Ambela campaign (1863-64)		Yusufzai	British victory
British Expedition to Abyssinia (1867–1868)		Ethiopia	British victory
Klang War (1867–1874)Selangor Civil War		Forces of Raja Mahadi	British Allied victory
Third Ashanti War (1873–1874)			British victoryTreaty of Fomena: 50,000 oz of gold compensation from Ashanti Empire Ashanti withdrawal from coastal areas Ashanti banned from practising human sacrifice
Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880)		Afghanistan	British-Afzalid victoryTreaty of Gandamak Abdur Rahman Khan installed as Emir Afghanistan becomes a British protected state Districts of Quetta, Pishin, Sibi, Harnai and Thal Chotiali ceded to British India^[20]
Anglo-Zulu War (1879)		Zulu Kingdom	British victoryZululand annexed to Natal
'Urabi Revolt (1879–1882)		Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed 'Urabi	British Allied victory 'Urabi forces defeated and exiled
Basuto Gun War (1880–1881)		Basuto people	Basuto victory Basuto people maintain their partial autonomy British failure to disarm Basuto people
First Boer War (1880–1881)			South African victoryPretoria Convention South African Republic granted self-government
Mahdist War (1881–1899)	Italy Ethiopian Empire Egypt	Mahdist Sudan	British allied victory Britain and Egypt took over Sudan and turned it into a condominium known as the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Kassala temporarily occupied by Italy
Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885)		Burmese Empire	British victoryUpper Burma annexed to India
Sikkim Expedition (1888)		Tibet	British victoryTibet recognizes British suzerainty over Sikkim
Anglo-Manipur War (1891)		Kingdom of Manipur	British victory
First Matabele War (1893–1894)		Ndebele Kingdom	British victory
Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896)		Zanzibar	British victoryPro-British Sultan installed
Second Matabele War (1896–1897)		Matebele	British victory
	Cretan revolutionaries Kingdom of Greece Italy (until April 12, 1898) (until March 16, 1898)		British victory Establishment of the Cretan State. Withdraw of Ottoman forces from Crete.
Second Samoan Civil War(1898–1899)	Supporters of Tanumafili I United States United Kingdom	Supporters of Mata'afa	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Tripartite Convention
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901)	France	Righteous Harmony Society	British Allied victoryBoxer Protocol Anti-foreign societies banned in China
Second Boer War (1899–1902)		Foreign volunteers	British victoryTreaty of Vereeniging All Boers to surrender arms and swear allegiance to the Crown Dutch language permitted in education Promise to grant Boer republics self-government £3,000,000 compensation "reconstruction aid" to Afrikaners
War of the Golden Stool(1900)			Inconclusive/Other Outcome Status quo ante bellum De facto independent Ashanti state under British protectorate Ashanti retained control of the Golden Stool
Mahsud Waziri blockade (1900–1902)		Mahsud rebels	British victory
Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902)		Aro Confederacy	British victoryAro Confederacy destroyed
British expedition to Tibet (1903–1904)		Tibet	British victoryStatus quo ante bellum
Bazar Valley campaign (1908)		Rebel tribes	British victory
First World War (1914–1918)	Allied Powers	Central Powers German Empire	British Allied victoryTreaty of Versailles German demobilisation Treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Trianon: Demise of Austria-Hungary Russia pulls out in 1917 Russian Civil War Creation of the Soviet Union Creation of League of Nations: Mesopotamia ceded from the Ottoman Empire Palestine and Jordan ceded from the Ottoman Empire Tanganyika ceded from Germany Part of Kamerun ceded from Germany Part of Togoland ceded from Germany German New Guinea ceded to Australia German Samoa ceded to New Zealand German South-West Africa ceded to South Africa
Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920)	Estonia Latvia White Movement Baltic German volunteers^[21] Danish volunteers Finnish volunteers Swedish volunteers	---- Baltische Landeswehr	British Allied victory Independence of Estonia Vidzeme gained by the Republic of Latvia
Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920)	Latvia Estonia White Movement Poland Lithuania	West Russian Volunteer Army----	British Allied victory Independence of Latvia
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1920)	White Movement France Estonia	Latvian SSR Ukrainian SSR Commune of Estonia Mongolian Communists	Bolshevik victory Allied withdrawal from Russia Bolshevik victory over White Army Soviet Union new Russian power
Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923)	(in 1920) (until 1922) Kuva-yi Inzibatiye (in 1920) Georgia (in 1921)	Turkish National Movement Grand National Assembly (after 1920) Kuva-yi Nizamiye Kuva-yi Milliye (until 1920) Supported by: ^[22] Azerbaijan SSR Georgian SSR Bukharan PSR Afghanistan All-India Muslim League	Turkish Allied victoryTreaty of Lausanne Overthrow of the Ottoman sultanate Withdrawal of Allied forces from occupied lands of Turkey Establishment of the Republic of Turkey Starting of the series of reforms led by Atatürk
Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919)		Afghanistan	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Treaty of Rawalpindi Successful repel of Afghan invasion of north-west India Inconclusive military operation Reaffirmation of the Durand Line Afghan independence with full sovereignty in foreign affairs
Kuwait–Najd War (1919–1920)	Kuwait	Sultanate of Nejd Ikhwan^[23]	British Allied victory
Irish War of Independence (1919–1921)		Irish Republic	Irish Republic victory Anglo-Irish Treaty: Dominion status for 26 counties of Southern Ireland as the Irish Free State 6 counties of Northern Ireland remain part of UK United Kingdom retains the Ports of Berehaven, Spike Island and Lough Swilly
Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920 (1920)		Iraqi rebels	Inconclusive/Other Iraqi political victory Greater autonomy given to Iraq Faysal ibn Husayn installed as King British Mandate for Mesopotamia cancelled
1922 Burao Tax Revolt (1922)		Habr Yunis tribesmen	Tribal victory Tax policy abandoned

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present)

Conflict	Britain & allies	Britain's opposition	Outcome
Adwan Rebellion (1923)	Emir Abdullah's forces Hashemite allied tribesmen: Sheykh Minwar al-Hadid	Sultan al-Adwan's forces	British Allied victorySultan al-Adwan's defeat and exile
Ikhwan Revolt (1927–1930)		Ikhwan	British Allied victory Ikhwan attack on Kuwait repelled. The remnants of the Ikhwan incorporated into regular Saudi units. The Ikhwan leadership was either slain or imprisoned.
Great Arab Revolt in Palestine (1936–1939)		Arab Higher Committee	British Allied victory ^[24] Revolt suppressed
Palestine Emergency (1939–1948)		Yishuv	Yishuv victory^[25] Hand over to the United Nations British withdrawal from Mandatory Palestine Civil war in Mandatory Palestine begins
S-Plan 16 January 1939 – March 1940		Irish Republican Army	British victory ^[26] British victory IRA failed to force the withdrawal of British troops from Ireland
Second World War (1939–1945)		Axis Powers Finland Thailand	British Allied victoryNazi Germany formally surrenders 8 May 1945, ending the Second World War in Europe. On August 15, 1945, following the dropping of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan announces its surrender, ending the Second World War British (and Commonwealth), French, American, and Soviet troops occupy Germany until 1955, Italy and Japan lose their colonies, Europe is divided into 'Soviet' and 'Western' spheres of interest.
Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947 (1944–1947)	Allied Nuristani tribesmen	Rebel tribes: Zadran Mangal Safi	Afghan government & British victory Rebel invasion of India in 1944 repelled Rebels fully defeated by Afghan government in January 1947
1944–45 Insurgency in Balochistan (1944–1945)		Badinzai rebels	British victory Insurgency subsided by March 1945
Northern Campaign 2 September 1942 – December 1944	Royal Ulster Constabulary	Irish Republican Army	British victory IRA campaign failure
Greek Civil War (1946–1948)		D.S.E. (Δ.Σ.Ε.) Albania Bulgaria	British Allied victory Communist forces defeated, many D.S.E. soldiers exiled in Eastern Europe. Battalion of UK troops still in Greece until 1948
1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion (1945)		Armed Habr Je'lo tribesmen	British Pyrrhic victory Sheikh Bashir killed, unrest continues, anti-colonialist and nationalist sentiment increases in Somaliland
Indonesian National Revolution (1945–1949)	(until 1945)	Indonesia (volunteers) (defectors)	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Hand over to Dutch in 1946 Netherlands recognises Indonesian Independence
Operation Masterdom (1945–1946)		Việt Minh	British victory Hand over to French First Indochina War begins
Corfu Channel incident (1946–1948)			Inconclusive/Other Outcome World Court case concluded in 1949^[27] Britain breaks off talks aimed at establishing diplomatic relations with Albania.
Malayan Emergency (1948–1960)	British Commonwealth Federation of Malaya Fiji	Malayan Communist Party Malayan National Liberation Army	British Allied victory Destruction of the majority of MNLA guerrilla organisations, Communist leadership retreat to Thailand Preservation of capitalism and British economic interests
Korean War (1950–1953)	United Nations Command British Commonwealth Forces Korea India		Inconclusive/Other Outcome Korean Armistice Agreement Communist invasion of South Korea repelled UN invasion of North Korea repelled
1951 Anglo-Egyptian War (1951–1952)		Egypt Muslim Brotherhood	British victory Ended with the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.
Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960)	British Kenya	Mau Mau	British victory Defeat of Mau Mau Kenyan independence
Jebel Akhdar War (1954–1959)	Sultanate of Muscat and Oman	Imamate of Oman Ibadi sect Saudi Arabia	British Allied victory Dissolution of the Imamate of Oman
Cyprus Emergency (1955–1959)	United Kingdom Cyprus Colony	EOKA	Inconclusive/Other Outcome ^[28] ^[29] ^[30] EOKA was not defeated ^[31] Enosis not achieved^[32] Cyprus became an independent republic in 1959 with Britain retaining control of two Sovereign Base Areas, at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Suez Crisis (1956–1957)		Egypt	Inconclusive/Other OutcomeCoalition military victory^[33] ^[34] Egyptian political victory^[35] Anglo-French withdrawal following international pressure (December 1956) Israeli occupation of Sinai (until March 1957) UNEF deployment in Sinai^[36] Straits of Tiran re-opened to Israeli shipping
Border Campaign (1956–1962)		Irish Republican Army	British victoryIRA campaign fails
First Cod War (1958–1961)		Iceland	Icelandic victory Iceland expands its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles
Upper Yafa disturbances^[37] (1959)	Upper Yafa	Rebels	British victory
Dhofar Rebellion (1962–1975)		Various insurgents	British Allied victoryInsurgency defeated Modernisation of Oman
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1963–1966)	Commonwealth of Nations Malaysia	Indonesia	British Allied victoryIndonesia recognises Malaysian rule over former North Borneo
Aden Emergency (1963–1967)	Federation of South Arabia	NLF FLOSY	Yemeni NLF victory People's Republic of South Yemen established
The Troubles (1968–1998)	Loyalist paramilitaries Ulster Volunteer Force Ulster Defence Association Red Hand Commando Ulster Resistance Loyalist Volunteer Force	Provisional Irish Republican Army Official Irish Republican Army Irish National Liberation Army Irish People's Liberation Organisation Continuity Irish Republican Army Real Irish Republican Army	StalemateInconclusive/Other Outcome Good Friday Agreement: Devolution in Northern Ireland Power-sharing deal Cross-border cooperation Disarming of paramilitary groups Police reform Demilitarisation
Second Cod War (1972–1973)		Iceland	Icelandic victory UK accept Iceland's 50 nautical mile exclusive fishery zone
Third Cod War (1975–1976)		Iceland	Icelandic victory Iceland expands its exclusive fishery zone to 200 nautical miles
Falklands War (1982)		Argentina	British victory British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands re-established. End of Argentine occupation of Southern Thule island.
Multinational Force in Lebanon (1982–1984)		Islamic Jihad Organization Iran Progressive Socialist Party Amal Movement	Syrian Allied victory^[38] Multinational forces fail to prevent collapse of Lebanese Army into Syrian- or Israeli- supported militias^[39] ^[40] Multinational forces evacuated after the US embassy and US Marine barracks are bombed by the Islamic Jihad Organization Multinational forces oversee withdrawal of Palestine Liberation Organization Humanitarian crisis in Southern Lebanon Civil war continues until 1990 President Hafez al-Assad continues his occupation of Lebanon until his son and later president Bashar al-Assad orders a withdrawal from the country
Gulf War (1990–1991)		Iraq	British Allied victory Kuwait regains its independence
Bosnian War (1992–1995)	UNPROFOR	Western Bosnia	Military stalemateDayton Accords
Operation Desert Fox (1998)			British Allied victoryObjectives largely achieved
Kosovo War (1998–1999)			British Allied victory Kosovo occupied by Nato forces Kosovo administered by UNMIK
Sierra Leone Civil War (2000–2002)	Sierra Leone	Rebels RUF Liberia	British Allied victoryRebels defeated
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)		Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan	Taliban victory The Taliban militia, overthrown in 2001. British withdrawal in 2014. Taliban regained power on 15 August 2021, after 20 years of NATO deployment.
Iraq War (2003–2009)	Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein Poland Denmark	Iraq under Saddam Hussein Islamic State of Iraq Various insurgents	British Allied victory: Overthrow of Ba'ath Party government Occupation of southern Iraq Iraqi insurgency, emergence of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and Sectarian Violence^[41] Rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the successor of al-Qaeda in Iraq^[42] ^[43]
First Libyan Civil War (2011)	Many NATO members acting under UN mandate, including: Denmark and Anti-Gaddafi forces several Arab League states	Pro-Gaddafi forces	British Allied victory Fall of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Muammar Gaddafi killed National Transitional Council take control
Operation Shader (2014–present)	Iraq Syrian Opposition Denmark Norway Portugal Turkey Bahrain Jordan Morocco Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Egypt Libya Nigeria Cameroon Chad Niger	Boko Haram---- al-Nusra Front Khorasan---- Ahrar ash-Sham	Ongoing The UK's Operation Shader is ongoing as part of intervention in Iraq and Syria (2014–present) 3,000+ ISIL fighters killed in 1,700 British airstrikes.^[44] ^[45] Ongoing operations by UK Special Forces in Syria. British armed forces provide material and training to Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga.^[46] ^[47] As part of the American-led interventions in Syria and Iraq, contributes to the loss of all of ISIL's territory in Iraq (by December 2017) and Syria (by March 2019).
Operation Prosperity Guardian (2023–present)	Canada France Greece Italy Netherlands Norway Spain Bahrain Seychelles Sri Lanka New Zealand	Supreme Political Council	Ongoing US-led multinational coalition formed in December 2023 to respond to attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.^[48] ^[49]

See also

• List of wars involving England
• List of wars involving Scotland
• List of wars in Great Britain
• Military history of the United Kingdom
• Declaration of war by the United Kingdom

References

Bibliography

• Book: Cavanna, Thomas . Hubris, Self-Interest and America's Failed War in Afghanistan . 2015 . Lexington Books . Lanham, Maryland . 9781498506205 .
• Book: Lansford, Tom . Afghanistan at War: From the 18th Century Durrani Dynasty to the 21st Century . 2017 . ABC-CLIO . Santa Barbara, California . 9781598847604 .
• Tal, David (2001). The 1956 War: Collusion and Rivalry in the Middle East (Psychology Press). p. 203. ISBN 978-0-7146-4840-8

Further reading

• Barnett, Correlli. Britain and her army, 1509–1970: a military, political and social survey (1970).
• Black, Jeremy. A military history of Britain: from 1775 to the present (2008).
• Bradford, James C. ed. International Encyclopedia of Military History (2 vol. 2006).
• Brownstone, David and Irene Franck. Timelines of War: A Chronology of Warfare from 100,000 BC to the Present (1996), Global coverage.
• Cannon, John, ed. The Oxford Companion to British History (2003)
• 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
• Dupuy, R. Ernest and Trevor N. Dupuy. The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History: From 3500 B.C. to the Present (1993).
• Fortescue, John William. History of the British Army from the Norman Conquest to the First World War (1899–1930), in 13 volumes with six separate map volumes. Available online for downloading; online volumes; The standard highly detailed full coverage of operations.
• Haswell, Jock, and John Lewis-Stempel. A Brief History of the British Army (2017).
• Higham, John, ed. A Guide to the Sources of British Military History (1971) 654 pages excerpt; Highly detailed bibliography and discussion up to 1970; includes local and naval forces.
• James, Lawrence. Warrior Race: A History of the British at War (Hachette UK, 2010). excerpt
• Johnson, Douglas, et al. Britain and France: Ten Centuries (1980)
• Mulligan, William, and Brendan Simms, eds. The Primacy of Foreign Policy in British History, 1660–2000 (Palgrave Macmillan; 2011) 345 pages
• Book: Neville, Peter. Historical Dictionary of British Foreign Policy. 2013. Scarecrow Press. xix–xxxi. 9780810873711. timeline pp xix to xxxi
• Otte, T.G. The Makers of British Foreign Policy: From Pitt to Thatcher (2002)
• Ranft, Bryan. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy (Oxford UP, 2002).
• Rodger, N. A.M. The safeguard of the sea: A naval history of Britain, 660–1649 (Vol. 1. 1998). excerpt
  • Rodger, N.A.M.The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649–1815 (vol 2 2006) excerpt
• Sheppard, Eric William. A short history of the British army (1950). online
• Ward, A.W. and G.P. Gooch, eds. The Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy, 1783–1919 (3 vol, 1921–23), old detailed classic; vol 1, 1783–1815 ; vol 2, 1815–1866; vol 3. 1866–1919

Historiography

• Messenger, Charles, ed. Reader's Guide to Military History (2001) pp 55–74 etc.; annotated guide to most important books.
• Schroeder, Paul W. "Old Wine in Old Bottles: Recent Contributions to British Foreign Policy and European International Politics, 1789–1848." Journal of British Studies 26.01 (1987): 1–25.

Notes and References

1. Book: Laycock, S. . All the Countries We've Ever Invaded – And the Few We Never Got Round To . The History Press . 2012. .
2. Left the war after signing the Treaty of The Hague (1795) with France.
3. Including the Army of Condé
4. Nominally the Holy Roman Empire, under Austrian rule, also encompassed many other Italian states, such as the Duchy of Modena and the Duchy of Massa. Left the war after signing the Treaty of Campo Formio with France.
5. Left the war after signing the Peace of Basel with France.
6. Left the war after signing the Peace of Paris with France.
7. Left the war after signing the Treaty of Tolentino with France.
8. Left the war after signing the Treaty of Paris with France.
9. Including the Polish Legions formed in French-allied Italy in 1797, following the abolition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth after the Third Partition in 1795.
10. The French Revolutionary Army and Dutch revolutionaries overthrew the Dutch Republic and established the Batavian Republic as a puppet state in its place.
11. Various conquered Italian states, including the Cisalpine Republic from 1797
12. Left the war signing the treaty of Paris (August 1801).
13. Great Britain until 1800. Left the war signing the treaty of Amiens.
14. Left the war signing the treaty of Paris.
15. Including the Mamluks and the Barbary Coast. Left the war signing the Treaty of Paris (1802) with France.
16. Left the war signing the Treaty of Florence with France.
17. Left the war signing the Treaty of Badajoz (1801) with Spain and the Treaty of Madrid (1801) with France.
18. Following the refusal to enter in alliance against the Two Sicilies, France declared war on both Naples and Piedmont-Sardinia the same day, December 6. The Piedmontese Republic was proclaimed on 10 December 1798. The Sardinian king Charles Emmanuel IV fled to Cagliari.
19. And other supporting soldiers as the Polish Legions and some Mamluks in captivity.
20. Book: Blood . Peter R . Pakistan: A Country Study . 1996 . 20–21 . Diane Publishing . 9780788136313.
21. Book: Thomas. Nigel. Boltowsky. Toomas. Armies of the Baltic Independence Wars 1918–20. Osprey Publishing. 2019. Oxford. 9781472830777. 20.
22. Book: Jelavich, Barbara. History of the Balkans: Twentieth century. registration. 1983. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-27459-3. 131 .
23. Book: Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East – Volume 1. Reeva S. Simon . Philip Mattar . Richard W. Bulliet . 1996. 119. Fighting between Kuwait's forces and Wahhabi supporters of Ibn Sa'ud broke out in May 1920, and the former were soundly defeated. Within a few weeks, the citizens of Kuwait constructed a new wall to protect Kuwait City..
24. Web site: Book Review – 'Britain's Pacification of Palestine: The British Army, the Colonial State, and the Arab Revolt, 1936–9' by Matthew Hughes . 31 May 2019 .
25. Charters, David A. The British army and Jewish insurgency in Palestine, 1945–47. Springer, 1989, p. X
26. Crowley, pg 809
27. Book: Roselli, Alessandro . Italy and Albania: financial relations in the Fascist period . 2006 . I.B. Tauris . 9781845112547. 136–137 . 30 May 2010.
28. Book: French . David . Fighting EOKA The British Counter-insurgency Campaign on Cyprus, 1955-1959 . 2015 . Oxford University Press . 9780198729341 . 302 . that no one had emerged after four years of violence as an outright winner.
29. Book: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt5hhsjk.17 . 10.7249/j.ctt5hhsjk.17 . Cyprus, 1955–1959 . Paul . Christopher . Clarke . Colin P. . Grill . Beth . Dunigan . Molly . Paths to Victory . 2013 . 94–103 . RAND Corporation . 9780833081094 .
30. Book: Great Power Politics in Cyprus: Foreign Interventions and Domestic Perceptions . 9781443863254 . Alexandrou . Haralambos . Kontos . Michalis . Panayiotides . Nikos . 30 June 2014 . Cambridge Scholars .
31. Book: Global Boundaries: World Boundaries Volume 1 . 9781134880355 . Schofield . Clive H. . 31 January 2002 . Routledge .
32. Book: Novo . Andrew R . The EOKA Cause Nationalism and the Failure of Cypriot Enosis . 2022 . Bloomsbury Academic . 9780755635344 . 168 . Defeat of the ENOSIS cause.
33. Book: Mart, Michelle . Eye on Israel: How America Came to View the Jewish State as an Ally . 159 . 0791466876 . 2006-02-09 . SUNY Press .
34. Stewart (2013) p 133
35. Tal, David (2001). The 1956 War: Collusion and Rivalry in the Middle East ISBN 978-0-7146-4840-8. p 203
36. Book: Kunz, Diane B. . The Economic Diplomacy of the Suez Crisis . 187 . 0-8078-1967-0 . 1991 . Univ of North Carolina Press .
37. Web site: Upper Yafa (Disturbances): 7 Jul 1959: House of Commons debates. TheyWorkForYou. 2019-06-26.
38. News: Friedman. Thomas L.. America's Failure in Lebanon. 1984-04-08. The New York Times. 2020-03-08. 0362-4331.
39. Web site: September 23, 1982. Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Larry Speakes.
40. News: March 11, 1984. The Collapse of Lebanon's Army: U.S. Said to Ignore Factionalism. The New York Times. Brinkley. Joel.
41. News: Sectarian divisions change Baghdad's image. NBC News. 3 July 2006. 18 February 2007.
42. News: The JRTN Movement and Iraq's Next Insurgency | Combating Terrorism Center at West Point . Ctc.usma.edu . 2014-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110826043422/http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-jrtn-movement-and-iraq%E2%80%99s-next-insurgency . 2011-08-26 . dead .
43. News: Al-Qaeda's Resurgence in Iraq: A Threat to U.S. Interests. U.S. Department of State. 26 November 2010. 5 February 2014.
44. News: British air strikes have killed 3,000 ISIS militants over three years. Arj. Singh. Mikey. Smith. 20 September 2017. Daily Mirror.
45. Web site: UK Drone Strike Stats. 29 February 2012. Drone Wars UK.
46. News: UK troops training Kurdish forces. BBC News . 12 October 2014.
47. News: British trained Iraqi soldiers gear up to back Baghdad surge. Stephen. Farrell. 27 February 2007. Rustamiyah. www.thetimes.co.uk.
48. News: Austin announces US-led security operation focusing on Red Sea, Gulf of Aden after Houthi attacks on commercial shipping . CNN . December 19, 2023 . CNN . December 19, 2023.
49. News: US-led coalition of 10 nations to counter Houthi attacks on vessels in Red Sea . The Times of Israel . December 19, 2023 . The Times of Israel . December 19, 2023.