List of wars involving the United Kingdom

This is a list of wars and humanitarian 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 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]

British victory

British defeat

Another result (e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, result of civil or internal conflict, result unknown or indecisive, inconclusive)

Ongoing conflict

Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1801)

Conflict	Britain & allies	Britain's opposition	Outcome
The Great Northern War (1700–1721)	Swedish Empire Ottoman Empire United Provinces Brunswick-Lüneburg Great Britain	Tsardom of Russia Kalmyk Khanate Cossack Hetmanate Denmark–Norway Electorate of Saxony Poland–Lithuania Prussia Hanover	Russian Allied victory: Britain did not gain or lose anything from the war and exited the war a year before it had ended due to financial trouble 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 Dutch Republic Savoy Great Britain Prussia Portugal	France 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)	Great Britain	Anglo-American-Caribbean privateers Republic of Pirates	British victory Piracy outlawed by Treaty of Utrecht Anti-Caribbean Piracy campaign by Royal Navy Disestablishment of the Republic of Pirates in 1718 Defeat of Edward Teach in 1718 Defeat of Calico Jack in 1720 Defeat of Black Bart in 1722 Defeat of Edward Low in 1724 Most outlawed Caribbean privateers captured or killed by 1726, marking the end of the Golden Age of Piracy
Civil war: (1715–1716) Jacobite rising of 1715 including The Jacobite uprising in Cornwall	Great Britain	Jacobites	British victory Jacobite restoration attempt defeated
The War of the Quadruple Alliance including The Nineteen Uprising in Great Britain (1717–1720)	Holy Roman Empire France Dutch Republic Savoy	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	Great Britain	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 Great Britain Hanover Dutch Republic Saxony Sardinia Russia East India Company	France Prussia Spain Spanish Empire Bavaria Saxony Naples and Sicily Genoa 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)	Great Britain	Jacobites	British victory Jacobite 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 victory Treaty 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	Great Britain East India Company British America Prussia 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)	France New France French East India Company Holy Roman Empire Russian Empire Sweden Spain Spanish Empire Saxony Sardinia Mughal Empire Wabanaki Confederacy Miꞌkmaq Algonquin Ojibwe Odawa Shawnee Lenape (until 1758) Wyandot of Fort Detroit (French supported faction)	British Allied victory Treaty 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)	Great Britain	Cherokee	British victory Pro-British Attakullakulla becomes Cherokee leader
Tacky's War (1760)	Great Britain Jamaican Government Jamaican Maroons	Ashanti Slaves	British Allied victory Slave defeat Death of Tacky Tacky's men commit suicide
Pontiac's Rebellion (1763–1766)	Great Britain	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 Maratha Empire Hyderabad State	Kingdom of Mysore	Mysore victory Hyderabad cedes territory to Mysore
First Anglo-Maratha War (1774–1783)	East India Company	Maratha Empire	Maratha victory Treaty of Salbai.[2][3] Maratha support for Britain against Mysore
American Revolutionary War (1775–83) Anglo-French War (1778–83) Anglo-Spanish War (1779–83) 4th Anglo-Dutch War (1780–83)	Great Britain Iroquois Cherokee Hanover Loyalists	United States France Spain Dutch Republic Vermont Republic Kingdom of Mysore Oneida tribe Tuscarora tribe Watauga Association Catawba tribe	American Allied victory 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 Territory in India ceded by the Dutch
2nd Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784)	East India Company Maratha Empire Hyderabad State	Kingdom of Mysore France	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Treaty of Mangalore: Status quo ante bellum
3rd Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792)	East India Company Maratha Empire Hyderabad State Travancore	Kingdom of Mysore	British Allied victory Treaty of Seringapatam: Half of Mysore territory ceded to East India Company
French Revolutionary Wars (1793–1802)	Austria Great Britain Prussia French Royalists Dutch Republic Spain Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Sardinia Naples and Sicily Italian states Ottoman Empire Russia	French Republic Polish Legions Spain Sister republics: Batavian Republic Helvetic Republic Cisalpine Republic Roman Republic Parthenopaean Republic	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Treaty of Amiens: General French victory UK recognises the French Republic Cape Colony returned to the Batavian Republic British withdrawal from Egypt French withdrawal from the Papal States Tobago ceded from France Trinidad ceded from Spain Ceylon ceded from the Batavian Republic
Ibn Ufaisan's Invasion (1793)	Kuwait Great Britain British East India Company	Emirate of Diriyah	British Allied victory Saudi retreat from Kuwait.
Second Maroon War (1795–1796)	Great Britain British Jamaica	Jamaican Maroons	British victory Maroon defeat Treaty signed established that the Maroons would beg on their knees for the King's forgiveness, return all runaway slaves, and be relocated elsewhere in Jamaica Breach of treaty caused deportation of several Maroons to Nova Scotia and later to Sierra Leone in Africa
Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars (1795–1816)	Burrberongal Tribe Great Britain from 1801: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland	Dharug Eora Tharawal Gandangara Irish-convict sympathisers	British victory Displacement 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	Great Britain from 1801: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland	Spain French Republic	Inconclusive/Other Outcome
Kandyan Wars (1796–1818)	Great Britain from 1801: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland	Kingdom of Kandy	British victory End of 2357 years of Sinhalese independence
Irish Rebellion of 1798 (1798)	Kingdom of Ireland Great Britain	United Irishmen Defenders French Republic	British victory Rebellion defeated 1801 Act of Union
4th Anglo-Mysore War (1798–1799)	East India Company Maratha Empire Hyderabad State	Kingdom of Mysore	British Allied victory Complete 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)	Susu tribes	Kingdom of Koya	British Allied victory Northern shore of Sierra Leone ceded by Koya
Second Anglo-Maratha War (1802–1805)	East India Company	Maratha Empire	British victory Extensive territory in India ceded by the Maratha Empire
First Kandyan War (1803–1805)		Kandy	British victory Territory captured from Kandy
Civil War: Emmet's Insurrection (1803)		Forces of Robert Emmet	British victory Rebellion defeated
British Expedition to Ceylon (1803)	Dutch Republic United Kingdom	Chiefdom of Vanni Kingdom of Kandy	British Allied victory Vanni region lost to the British The last Tamil resistance against colonial rule was crushed.
Ashanti–Fante War (1806–1807)	Ashanti Empire Dutch Empire	Fante Confederacy United Kingdom	Dutch victory
Anglo-Turkish War (1807–1809)	United Kingdom	Ottoman Empire	Turkish victory Treaty 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)	United Kingdom	Denmark–Norway	British victory Treaty of Kiel: Denmark and Norway split up Heligoland ceded from Denmark
Anglo-Russian War (1807–1812)	United Kingdom	Russian Empire	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Treaty of Örebro: Anglo-Russian-Swedish pact against France
Peninsular War (1807–1814)	Spain Portugal United Kingdom	French Empire	British Allied victory Treaty 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)	East India Company	Travancore Kingdom of Cochin	British victory
Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 (1809)	United Kingdom	Al Qasimi	British victory
4th Xhosa War (1811–1812)	United Kingdom Cape Colony	Xhosa tribes	British victory Xhosa tribes pushed beyond the Fish River, reversing their gains in the previous Xhosa wars
War of 1812 (1812–1815)	United Kingdom British North America Tecumseh's Confederacy	United States	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Treaty of Ghent; Status quo ante bellum with no boundary changes United States invasions of British Canada repulsed British invasions of the United States land returned to United States under Treaty of Ghent
War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814)	Original Coalition Russian Empire Prussia Austrian Empire United Kingdom Sweden Spain Portugal Two Sicilies Kingdom of Sardinia After Battle of Leipzig Saxony Bavaria Württemberg Netherlands Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands	First French Empire Napoleonic Italy Kingdom of Naples Duchy of Warsaw[nb 1] 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)	United Kingdom	Kandy	British victory Kandyan Convention: Dissolution of the Kandy royal line British King declared King of Kandy
Hundred Days (1815) War of the Seventh Coalition	United Kingdom Prussia France Hanover German Confederation Austria Russia Sweden Netherlands Spain Portugal Sardinia Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Tuscany	French Empire Naples	British Allied victory Treaty 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)	East India Company	Maratha Empire	British victory Virtually all territory south of the Sutlej River controlled by Britain
First Ashanti War (1823–1831)	British Empire	Ashanti Empire	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Stalemate after armistice
First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826)	East India Company Native tribes	Burmese Empire	British Allied victory Treaty 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)	United Kingdom Royal Navy East India Company	Isaaq Sultanate 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)	Brazil United Kingdom France	German Mercenaries Irish Mercenaries	British Allied victory Mutiny suppressed
Baptist War (1831–1832)	United Kingdom Colony of Jamaica	Rebel slaves	British victory Slave defeat Rebellion suppressed
First Carlist War (1833–1840)	Forces of Queen Isabella II French Kingdom Forces of Queen Maria II Auxiliary Legion	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)	Free Khoikhoi	Xhosa tribes	British victory Extensive territorial gains from Xhosa
Rebellions of 1837 (1837–1838)	United Kingdom 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	France United Kingdom	British Victory Mexican government accepts to pay the 600,000 pesos
First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842)	East India Company	Emirate of Afghanistan	Afghan victory British retreat from Afghanistan
First Opium War (1839–1842)	United Kingdom	Qing dynasty	British victory Treaty 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 British Empire	Egypt Eyalet Kingdom of the French Spain	British Allied victory Egypt renounced its claim to Syria.
First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846)	East India Company Patiala State	Sikh Empire	British Allied victory Treaty 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	United Kingdom Cape Colony	Xhosa tribes	British victory Territory ceded from Xhosa
Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1901)	Mexico Republic of Yucatán Guatemala United Kingdom British Honduras	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)	East India Company	Sikh Empire	British victory Complete annexation of the Punjab by the East India Company
Battle of Tysami (1849)	United Kingdom	Chui A-poo's pirates	British victory
The 8th Xhosa War (1850–1853) Mlanjeni's War	United Kingdom Cape Colony	Xhosa tribes Khoikhoi tribes Native Kafir Police	British victory Xhosa-Khoi attacks defeated Status quo ante bellum
Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864)	Qing dynasty France United Kingdom	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 victory Burmese revolution ended fighting Lower Burma annexed
Crimean War (1853–1856)	French Empire Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Sardinia	Russian Empire Bulgarian Legion	British Allied victory Treaty of Paris
Second Opium War (1856–1860) Arrow War	French Empire United States United Kingdom	Qing dynasty	British Allied victory The 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)	Afghanistan East India Company	Persia Herat	British Allied victory Persian withdrawal from Herat
Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857–1858)	East India Company Nepal Jammu and Kashmir Princely states: Jaipur Bikaner Marwar Rampur Kapurthala Nabha Bhopal Sirohi Udaipur Patiala Sirmur Alwar Bharathpur Bundi Jaora Bijawar Ajaigarh Rewa Kendujhar Hyderabad	Sepoys of the East India Company Mughal Empire Awadh Jhansi 7 Princely states	British Allied victory Act for the Better Government of India: Company rule in India dissolved Indian Empire established Ban on Christian missionaries in India
Bombardment of Kagoshima (1863)	British Empire	Satsuma Domain	British victory Tactical stalemate and mitigated British victory
British Expedition to Abyssinia (1867–1868)	United Kingdom	Ethiopia	British victory
Klang War (1867–1874) Selangor Civil War	Forces of Raja Abdullah of Klang British Straits Settlements	Forces of Raja Mahadi	British Allied victory
Third Ashanti War (1873–1874)		Ashanti Empire	British victory Treaty 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)	India	Afghanistan	British victory Treaty of Gandamak: Full British military withdrawal Subsidies paid to the Afghans Afghanistan becomes a British protectorate[4] Districts of Quetta, Pishin, Sibi, Harnai and Thal Chotiali ceded to British India[5]
Anglo-Zulu War (1879)	Natal	Zulu Kingdom	British victory Zululand annexed to Natal
‘Urabi Revolt (1879–1882)	United Kingdom Khedivate of Egypt	Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi	British Allied victory ‘Urabi forces defeated and exiled
First Boer War (1880–1881)		South African Republic	South African victory Pretoria Convention: South African Republic granted self-government
Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885)		Burmese Empire	British victory Upper Burma annexed to India
Sikkim Expedition (1888)	India	Tibet	British victory Tibet recognizes British suzerainty over Sikkim
Anglo-Manipur War (1891)		Kingdom of Manipur	British victory
First Matabele War (1893–1894)	South Africa Company	Ndebele Kingdom	British victory
Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896)		Zanzibar	British victory Pro-British Sultan installed
Second Matabele War (1896–1897)	South Africa Company	Matebele	British victory
Cretan Revolt (1897–1898)	Cretan revolutionaries Kingdom of Greece British Empire France Italy Russian Empire Austria-Hungary (until April 12, 1898) German Empire (until March 16, 1898)	Ottoman Empire	British victory Establishment of the Cretan State. Withdraw of Ottoman forces from Crete.
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901)	United Kingdom Russia Japan France United States Germany Italy Austria-Hungary	Righteous Harmony Society Qing dynasty	British Allied victory Boxer Protocol: Anti-foreign societies banned in China
Second Boer War (1899–1902)		Orange Free State South African Republic Foreign volunteers	British victory Treaty 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
Mahsud Waziri blockade (1900–1902)	India	Mahsud rebels	British victory
Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902)		Aro Confederacy	British victory Aro Confederacy destroyed
British expedition to Tibet (1903–1904)	India	Tibet	British victory Status quo ante bellum
Bazar Valley campaign (1908)	India	Rebel tribes	British victory
First World War (1914–1918)	Allied Powers France British Empire United Kingdom Canada Newfoundland Australia New Zealand India South Africa Russia United States Italy Japan China Serbia Montenegro Romania Belgium Greece Portugal Brazil Other Allies	Central Powers Germany German Empire Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria	British Allied victory Treaty 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 United Kingdom Latvia White Movement Baltic German volunteers[6] Danish volunteers Finnish volunteers Swedish volunteers	Russian SFSR 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 United Kingdom	German Empire West Russian Volunteer Army Russian SFSR Latvian SSR	British Allied victory Independence of Latvia
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918–1920)	White Movement British Empire United Kingdom Canada Australia India South Africa United States France Japan Czechoslovakia Greece Estonia Serbia Italy Poland Romania China	Russian SFSR Far Eastern Republic 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)	Greece France Armenia (in 1920) United Kingdom Ottoman Empire (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: Russian SFSR[7] Azerbaijan SSR Georgian SSR Bukharan PSR Afghanistan All-India Muslim League Italy	Turkish Allied victory Treaty 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)	India	Afghanistan	Inconclusive/Other Outcome[8][9] Successful repel of Afghan invasion of north-west India Inconclusive military operation[10] Reaffirmation of the Durand Line Afghan independence with full sovereignty in foreign affairs
Kuwait–Najd War (1919–1920)	Kuwait British Empire India	Sultanate of Nejd Ikhwan[11]	British Allied victory
Irish War of Independence (1919–1921)	Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)	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	British victory Revolt suppressed, greater autonomy given to Iraq
1922 Burao Tax Revolt (1922)	United Kingdom • British Somaliland	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)	United Kingdom Emir Abdullah's forces Hashemite allied tribesmen: Sheykh Minwar al-Hadid	Sultan al-Adwan's forces	British Allied victory Sultan al-Adwan's defeat and exile
Ikhwan Revolt (1927–1930)	Kuwait Nejd and Hejaz RAF	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)	United Kingdom Yishuv	Arab Higher Committee	British Allied victory [12] Revolt suppressed
Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine (1939–1948)	United Kingdom	Yishuv	Yishuv victory[13] British withdrawal from Mandatory Palestine
S-Plan 16 January 1939 – March 1940	United Kingdom	Irish Republican Army	British victory [14] British victory IRA failed to force the withdrawal of British troops from Ireland
Second World War (1939–1945)	Allied Powers United States Soviet Union United Kingdom China France Poland Canada Australia New Zealand British India South Africa Yugoslavia Greece Denmark Norway Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg Czechoslovakia Ethiopia Brazil Mexico Gorkha Kingdom	Axis Powers Germany Japan Italy Hungary Romania Bulgaria Independent State of Croatia Slovakia Finland Iraq Thailand Manchukuo Mengjiang	British Allied victory Nazi 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)	Afghanistan • Allied Nuristani tribesmen British Empire • British India	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)	United Kingdom	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 (1944–1948)	Kingdom of Greece United Kingdom United States	D.S.E. (Δ.Σ.Ε.) Albania Yugoslavia Bulgaria	British Allied victory Communist forces defeated, many D.S.E. soldiers exiled in Eastern Europe. Battalion of UK troops still in Greece till 1948
1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion (1945)	United Kingdom • British Somaliland	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)	United Kingdom Netherlands Japan (until 1945)	Indonesia	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Hand over to Dutch in 1946 Netherlands recognises Indonesian Independence
Operation Masterdom (1945–1946)	United Kingdom India France Empire of Japan	Việt Minh	British victory Hand over to French First Indochina War begins
Corfu Channel incident (1946–1948)	United Kingdom	Albania	Inconclusive/Other Outcome World Court case concluded in 1949[15] Britain breaks off talks aimed at establishing diplomatic relations with Albania.
Malayan Emergency (1948–1960)	British Commonwealth United Kingdom Federation of Malaya Australia New Zealand Southern Rhodesia Fiji Kenya Thailand	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 South Korea United States British Commonwealth Forces Korea United Kingdom Canada Australia New Zealand India Belgium France Philippines Colombia Ethiopia Greece Luxembourg Netherlands South Africa Thailand Turkey	North Korea China Soviet Union	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Korean Armistice Agreement Communist invasion of South Korea repelled UN invasion of North Korea repelled
1951 Anglo-Egyptian War[16] (1951–1952)	United Kingdom	Egypt Muslim Brotherhood	British victory Ended with the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.
Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960)	United Kingdom British Kenya	Mau Mau	British victory Defeat of Mau Mau Kenyan independence
Jebel Akhdar War (1954–1959)	Sultanate of Muscat and Oman United Kingdom	Imamate of Oman Ibadi sect Saudi Arabia	British Allied victory Dissolution of the Imamate of Oman
Cyprus Emergency (1955–1959)	United Kingdom Cyprus Colony TMT	EOKA	EOKA victory [17] [18] EOKA was not defeated [19] Cyprus became an independent republic in 1959 with Britain only retaining control of two Sovereign Base Areas, at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Suez Crisis (1956–1957)	United Kingdom France Israel	Egypt	Inconclusive/Other Outcome Coalition military victory[20][21][22] Egyptian political victory[20] Anglo-French withdrawal following international pressure (December 1956) Israeli occupation of Sinai (until March 1957) UNEF deployment in Sinai[23] Straits of Tiran re-opened to Israeli shipping
Border Campaign (1956–1962)	United Kingdom	Irish Republican Army	British victory IRA campaign fails
First Cod War (1958–1961)	United Kingdom	Iceland	Icelandic victory[nb 2] Iceland expands its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles
Upper Yafa disturbances[26] (1959)	British Empire Upper Yafa	Rebels	British victory
Dhofar Rebellion (1962–1975)	Oman United Kingdom Iran Jordan	Various insurgents	British Allied victory Insurgency defeated Modernisation of Oman
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (1963–1966)	Commonwealth of Nations Malaysia United Kingdom Australia New Zealand	Indonesia	Inconclusive Indonesia recognises Malaysian rule over former North Borneo
Aden Emergency (1963–1967)	Federation of South Arabia United Kingdom	NLF FLOSY	Yemeni NLF victory People's Republic of South Yemen established
The Troubles (1968–1998)	United Kingdom	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	Stalemate Inconclusive/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)	United Kingdom	Iceland	Icelandic victory[nb 2] UK accept Iceland's 50 nautical mile exclusive fishery zone
Third Cod War (1975–1976)	United Kingdom	Iceland	Icelandic victory[nb 2] Iceland expands its exclusive fishery zone to 200 nautical miles
Falklands War (1982)	United Kingdom	Argentina	British victory British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands re-established.
Multinational Force in Lebanon (1982–1984)	United Kingdom France United States Italy	Islamic Jihad Organization Iran Syria Progressive Socialist Party Amal Movement	Syrian Allied victory[27] Multinational forces fail to prevent collapse of Lebanese Army into Syrian- or Israeli- supported militias[28][29] 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)	Kuwait United States United Kingdom Saudi Arabia France Egypt Syria Other Allies	Iraq	British Allied victory Kuwait regains its independence
Bosnian War (1992–1995)	UNPROFOR NATO	Republika Srpska Serbian Krajina Western Bosnia	Military stalemate Dayton Accords
Operation Desert Fox (1998)	United States United Kingdom	Iraq	British Allied victory Objectives largely achieved
Kosovo War (1998–1999)	United States United Kingdom France Canada Denmark Germany Italy Kosovo Liberation Army	FR Yugoslavia	British Allied victory Kosovo occupied by Nato forces Kosovo administered by UNMIK
Sierra Leone Civil War (2000–2002)	Sierra Leone United Kingdom	Rebels RUF Liberia	British Allied victory Rebels defeated
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)	Afghanistan United States United Kingdom Canada Germany Italy France Denmark Poland Romania Turkey Australia Spain Netherlands ISAF	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)	United States United Kingdom Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein Australia Poland Denmark Iraqi Kurdistan	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[30] Rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the successor of al-Qaeda in Iraq[31][32]
First Libyan Civil War (2011)	Many NATO members acting under UN mandate, including: United States United Kingdom France Denmark Italy Canada and Anti-Gaddafi forces several Arab League states Sweden	Pro-Gaddafi forces	British Allied victory Fall of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Muammar Gaddafi killed National Transitional Council take control
Operation Shader (2014–present)	United States United Kingdom Iraq Syrian Opposition Australia Belgium Canada Denmark France Germany Italy Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal Spain Turkey Bahrain Jordan Morocco Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Rojava Egypt Libya Nigeria Cameroon Chad Niger Russia	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 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.[33][34] Ongoing operations by UK Special Forces in Syria. British armed forces provide material and training to Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga.[35][36] 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).

Notes

Duchy of Warsaw as a state was in effect fully occupied by Russian and Prussian forces by May 1813, though most Poles remained loyal to Napoleon
Militarised interstate dispute over fishing rights in waters near Iceland;[24] Iceland has never fought in a full-scale war.[25]

References

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Lansford, Tom (2017). Afghanistan at War: From the 18th Century Durrani Dynasty to the 21st Century. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598847604.

Lists of wars involving European countries
Sovereign states	Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom
States with limited recognition	Abkhazia Artsakh Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria
Dependencies and other entities	Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard