From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of interstate wars since 1945. Interstate warfare has been defined as
military conflict between separate
states over a territory,
[1] including
irregular military forces legitimized by the
laws of war applicable to interstate wars due to the
invasion or
annexation being unlawful. This does not include
civil wars and
wars of independence , or smaller clashes with limited casualties (less than 100 combat deaths). The largest interstate war in history,
World War II , involved
most of the world's countries , after which the
United Nations (UN) was established in 1945 to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts.
[2] The post-WWII era has, in general, been characterized by the
absence of direct, major wars between
great powers , such as the
United States and (until 1991) the
Soviet Union .
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
1945–1989
Denotes war with more than 10,000 combat deaths at minimum
Start
Finish
Name of conflict
States in conflict
Combat deaths
Min estimate
Max estimate
November 1945
December 15, 1946
Iran crisis of 1946
Iran
Azerbaijan People's Government
Republic of Mahabad
2,000+
22 October 1947
5 January 1949
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
India
Pakistan
2,604
7,500
14 May 1948
10 March 1949
1948 Arab–Israeli War
Israel
Egypt
Iraq
Transjordan
Syria
Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
Yemen
13,073
26,373
13 September 1948
18 September 1948
Operation Polo
India
Hyderabad
32,190
202,190
25 June 1950
27 July 1953
[8]
Korean War
[9]
UN Command
South Korea United States
United Kingdom
Australia
Belgium
Canada
France
Philippines
Colombia
Ethiopia
Greece
Luxembourg
Netherlands
New Zealand
South Africa
Thailand
Turkey
2,568,927
4,096,927
6 October 1950
24 October 1950
Battle of Chamdo
China
Tibet
294
5,814
3 September 1954
1 May 1955
First Taiwan Strait Crisis
China
Republic of China
United States
914
1,054
1 November 1955
15 May 1975
Vietnam War
North Vietnam
FNL
Khmer Rouge
Khmer Issarak
Pathet Lao
China
North Korea
Soviet Union
South Vietnam United States
[a] South Korea
[b]
Thailand
Australia
[c]
New Zealand
[d]
Laos
Khmer Republic
Philippines
1,326,494
3,447,494
29 October 1956
7 November 1956
Suez Crisis
Israel
[10]
[11]
United Kingdom
France
Egypt
[12]
2,848
4,198
1 November 1956
4 November 1956
Soviet invasion of Hungary Part of the
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Soviet Union
Hungary
3,222
23 October 1957
30 June 1958
Ifni War
Spain
France
Morocco
1,197
23 August 1958
2 December 1958
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
Taiwan
United States
China
1,054
17 April 1961
20 April 1961
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Cuba
United States
2,298
19 July 1961
23 July 1961
Bizerte crisis
France
Tunisia
654
657
19 December 1961
15 August 1962
Operation Trikora
Indonesia
Netherlands
223
20 October 1962
21 November 1962
Sino-Indian War
China
India
2,105
6,197
20 January 1963
11 August 1966
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
Malaysia
Singapore
United Kingdom
Australia
New Zealand
Indonesia
874
25 September 1963
20 February 1964
Sand War
Morocco
Algeria
69
500
6 February 1964
6 April 1964
1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War
Ethiopia
Somalia
1,000
2,000
5 August 1965
23 September 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
India
Pakistan
6,800
13,459
5 October 1966
3 December 1969
Korean DMZ Conflict
South Korea United States
North Korea
739
5 June 1967
10 June 1967
Six-Day War
Israel
[13]
Egypt
Syria
Jordan Arab Expeditionary Forces:
12,336
19,264
1 July 1967
7 August 1970
War of Attrition
Israel
Egypt
Soviet Union
Cuba
Jordan
Syria
6,442
14,290
11 September 1967
1 October 1967
Nathu La and Cho La clashes
India
China
120
441
20 August 1968
21 August 1968
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
Soviet Union
Bulgaria
East Germany
Hungary
Poland
Czechoslovakia
254
14 July 1969
18 July 1969
Football War
El Salvador
Honduras
3,000
2 March 1969
11 September 1969
Sino-Soviet border conflict
China
Soviet Union
132
860
3 December 1971
16 December 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
India
[14]
[15]
[16]
Pakistan
11,500
12,843
6 October 1973
25 October 1973
Yom Kippur War
Israel
Egypt
Syria
Combat support :
10,521
21,300
20 July 1974
18 August 1974
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Turkey
Cyprus
Greece
6,009
9,509
April 1974
March 1975
1974–75 Shatt al-Arab conflict
Iran
Iraq
1,000+
30 October 1975
6 September 1991
Western Sahara War
Morocco
Mauritania
France
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Algeria
10,000
20,000
7 December 1975
17 July 1976
Indonesian invasion of East Timor
Indonesia
East Timor
51,000+
13 July 1977
23 March 1978
Ogaden War
Ethiopia
Cuba
South Yemen
Soviet Union
Somalia
39,836
21 July 1977
24 July 1977
Egyptian–Libyan War
Egypt
Libya
500
29 January 1978
11 September 1987
Chadian–Libyan War
Chad
France
Libya
8,500+
9 October 1978
3 June 1979
Uganda–Tanzania War
Tanzania
Mozambique
Uganda
Libya
4,135
4,323
21 December 1978
26 September 1989
Cambodian–Vietnamese War
Vietnam
People's Republic of Kampuchea
Democratic Kampuchea
Thailand
270,000
297,000
17 February 1979
16 March 1979
Sino-Vietnamese War
Vietnam
China
36,945
175,000
24 February 1979
19 March 1979
Yemenite War of 1979
North Yemen
South Yemen
1,084
16 March 1979
1 November 1991
Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979–1991)
Vietnam
China
6,000
24 December 1979
15 February 1989
Soviet–Afghan War
Soviet Union
Afghanistan
Afghan Mujahideen
[21]
Afghan Interim Government (from 1988)
600,000
2,000,000
22 September 1980
20 August 1988
Iran–Iraq War
Iran
[22]
Iraq United States
[e]
405,000
1,200,000
2 April 1982
14 June 1982
Falklands War
United Kingdom
Argentina
907
June 1982
August 1982
1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War
Somalia
Ethiopia
18 April 1983
April 1983
Chadian–Nigerian War
Nigeria
Chad
100+
25 October 1983
29 October 1983
Invasion of Grenada
United States
Antigua and Barbuda
Barbados
Dominica
Jamaica
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Grenada
Cuba
102
25 December 1985
30 December 1985
Agacher Strip War
Mali
Burkina Faso
142
20 February 1988
12 May 1994
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Armenia
Azerbaijan
37,413
56,000
9 April 1989
18 July 1991
Mauritania–Senegal Border War
Mauritania
Senegal
200+
20 December 1989
31 January 1990
United States invasion of Panama
United States
Panama
540
3,338
1990–present
Denotes war with more than 10,000 combat deaths at minimum
Start
Finish
Name of conflict
States in conflict
Combat deaths
Min. estimate
Max. estimate
2 August 1990
28 February 1991
Persian Gulf War
Kuwait United States
United Kingdom
Saudi Arabia
France
Italy
Canada
Australia
Egypt
Syria
Qatar
Iraq
29,231
59,231
2 November 1990
21 July 1992
Transnistria War
Moldova
Transnistria
Russia
316
637
5 January 1991
24 June 1992
South Ossetia war (1991–1992)
Georgia
South Ossetia
Russia
1,000+
27 June 1991
7 July 1991
Ten-Day War
Slovenia
Yugoslavia
76
20 September 1991
3 January 1992
Croatian War of Independence
Croatia
Yugoslavia
5,040
7,279
6 April 1992
19 May 1992
Bosnian War
[23]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Yugoslavia
[f]
Serbia and Montenegro
[g]
14 August 1992
27 September 1993
War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)
Abkhazia
Russia
Georgia
25,000
30,000
19 September 1994
31 March 1995
Operation Uphold Democracy
United States
Haiti
302
26 January 1995
28 February 1995
Cenepa War
Peru
Ecuador
84
410
24 October 1996
16 May 1997
First Congo War
AFDL
Rwanda
Uganda
Burundi
Angola
SPLA
Eritrea
Zaire
Sudan
Chad
Ex-
FAR /
ALiR
Interahamwe
CNDD-FDD
UNITA
ADF
FLNC
235,000
250,000
28 February 1998
10 June 1999
Kosovo War
Kosova
NATO
[h]
Yugoslavia
16,056
16,879
3 May 1998
18 June 2000
Eritrean–Ethiopian War
Ethiopia
Eritrea
53,000
300,000
3 May 1999
26 July 1999
Kargil War
India
Pakistan
884
5,600
7 August 1999
30 April 2000
Second Chechen War
Russia
Ichkeria
20,000
5 June 2000
10 June 2000
African Six-Day War Part of the
Second Congo War
Rwanda
Uganda
4,051+
7 October 2001
17 December 2001
United States invasion of Afghanistan Part of the
Afghan conflict
United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
Afghanistan
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
9,550
14,388
19 March 2003
1 May 2003
2003 invasion of Iraq
United States
United Kingdom
Australia
Poland
Iraq
10,996
53,016
28 June 2006
Ongoing
Gaza–Israel conflict
Israel
Gaza Strip
42,783
10 June 2008
13 June 2008
Djiboutian–Eritrean border conflict
Eritrea
Djibouti
144
10 June 2008
4 July 2012
Pakistani-U.S. skrmishes Part of the
War in Afghanistan
United States
Afghanistan
Pakistan
55
1 August 2008
12 August 2008
Russo-Georgian War
Russia
Georgia
730
737
19 March 2011
31 October 2011
2011 military intervention in Libya Part of the
First Libyan Civil War
NATO
Qatar
Sweden
United Arab Emirates
Libya
72
403+
26 March 2012
26 September 2012
Heglig Crisis
Sudan
South Sudan
316
1,485
30 January 2013
Ongoing
Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war Part of the
Syrian Civil War
Israel
Iran
Syria
645
671
20 February 2014
Ongoing
Russo-Ukrainian War
(outline)
Ukraine
Russia
198,813
22 September 2014
Ongoing
American intervention in the Syrian civil war Part of the
Syrian Civil War
United States
Syria
Russia
Iran
Islamic State
192+
1 April 2016
5 April 2016
2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Azerbaijan
Artsakh
Armenia
137
2,060
24 August 2016
Ongoing
Turkish occupation of northern Syria Part of the
Syrian Civil War
Turkey
5,702+
10,705+
27 February 2020
6 March 2020
Operation Spring Shield Part of the
Syrian Civil War
Turkey
Syria
Iran
238
446
27 September 2020
10 November 2020
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
Azerbaijan
Armenia
7,726
15 December 2020
1 December 2022
Al-Fashaga conflict
Sudan
Ethiopia
Eritrea
97
108+
27 January 2022
20 September 2022
2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes
Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
146
263+
See also
Notes
^ After 8 March 1965.
^ From 11 September 1964 to 23 March 1973.
^ From June 1965 to 12 March 1972.
^ From July 1965 to 9 December 1971.
^ From 19 October 1987 to 18 April 1988.
^ Until 27 April 1992.
^ After 27 April 1992.
^ After 24 March 1999.
^ Until 30 September 2022.
^ Until 30 September 2022.
References
^ Ray, James Lee (2002).
"Does Interstate War Have A Future?" . Conflict Management and Peace Science . 19 (1): 53–80.
doi :
10.1177/073889420201900105 .
ISSN
0738-8942 .
JSTOR
26273613 .
S2CID
220780771 .
^
"History of the UN | United Nations Seventieth Anniversary" . www.un.org . Retrieved 2022-03-09 .
^ Gaddis, John Lewis (1989).
The Long Peace: Inquiries Into the History of the Cold War . Oxford University Press.
ISBN
0-19-504335-9 .
^ Saperstein, Alvin M. (March 1991). "The "Long Peace"— Result of a Bipolar Competitive World?". The Journal of Conflict Resolution . 35 (1): 68–79.
doi :
10.1177/0022002791035001004 .
S2CID
153738298 .
^ Duffield, John S. (2009). "Explaining the Long Peace in Europe: the contributions of regional security regimes". Review of International Studies . 20 (4): 369–388.
doi :
10.1017/S0260210500118170 .
ISSN
0260-2105 .
S2CID
145698353 .
^ Fettweis, Christopher J. (2017). "Unipolarity, Hegemony, and the New Peace". Security Studies . 26 (3): 423–451.
doi :
10.1080/09636412.2017.1306394 .
ISSN
0963-6412 .
S2CID
148993870 .
^ Human Security Research Group,
Simon Fraser University (2013).
"Human Security Report 2013: The Decline in Global Violence" (PDF) . Retrieved 11 November 2018 .
^
US State Department statement regarding "Korea: Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission" and the Armistice Agreement "which ended the Korean War."
^
"The Korean War (article) | 1950s America" . Khan Academy . Retrieved 2022-03-18 .
^
"Israel Routs Egypt"
^
"Israel invades Egypt; Suez Crisis begins"
^
"Nasser lost the war in military terms"
^
"Six-Day War" . Encyclopedia Britannica .
^ Lyon, Peter (2008).
Conflict between India and Pakistan: An Encyclopedia . ABC-CLIO. p.
166 .
ISBN
978-1-57607-712-2 . India's decisive victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war and emergence of independent Bangladesh dramatically transformed the power balance of South Asia
^ Kemp, Geoffrey (2010).
The East Moves West India, China, and Asia's Growing Presence in the Middle East . Brookings Institution Press. p.
52 .
ISBN
978-0-8157-0388-4 . However, India's decisive victory over Pakistan in 1971 led the Shah to pursue closer relations with India
^ Byman, Daniel (2005).
Deadly connections: States that Sponsor Terrorism . Cambridge University Press. p.
159 .
ISBN
978-0-521-83973-0 . India's decisive victory in 1971 led to the signing of the Simla Agreement in 1972
^ Shazly, p. 278.
^ Perez, Louis A. (2014). Cuba Between Reform And Revolution (Paperback ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 300.
ISBN
978-0199301447 . Cuba also dispatched combat troops to Syria in 1973 during the Yom Kipur War
^ Gott, Cuba, A New History , p. 280.
^ Tobji, Mahjoub (2006). Les officiers de Sa Majesté: Les dérives des généraux marocains 1956–2006 . 107: Fayard.
ISBN
978-2213630151 . {{
cite book }}
: CS1 maint: location (
link )
^ W. Michael Reisman, James Silk (1988).
"WHICH LAW APPLIES TO THE AFGHAN CONFLICT?" (PDF) .
American Journal of International Law . 82 : 485-486.
^
"Iran 'won' the war with Iraq but at a heavy price" . Atlantic Council . 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2022-02-27 .
^
"Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity: Topical Digests of the Case Law of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia" . Human Rights Watch. February 2004.
Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2017 . [F]or the period material to this case (1992), the armed forces of the Republika Srpska were to be regarded as acting under the overall control of and on behalf of the FRY (the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ). Hence, even after 19 May 1992 the armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina between the Bosnian Serbs and the central authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be classified as an international armed conflict.
1990–1999 2000–2019 2020–present Related