War Timeline
Every war since 1946 on a single timeline — who fought, against whom, and for how long. Filter by continent, type of war, or the country or group that fought.
Continent
Type
Sort
129
wars
13
still ongoing
27
at once, at the peak in 1988
Wars active each year
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
1989 Berlin Wall falls
1991 USSR dissolves
2001 September 11
Cold War · 1946–1991
Post–Cold War
War
Africa
43 warsFrance vs MDRM+Europe1947
1947
United Kingdom vs Mau Mau+Europe1953–1956
1953–1956
France vs FLN+Europe1955–1961
1955–1961
Egypt vs France, Israel, United Kingdom+Asia, Europe1956
1956
Cameroon vs UPC1960
1960
Portugal vs FNLA+Europe1961–1962
1961–1962
France vs Tunisia+Europe1961
1961
Sudan vs SSLM1963–1972
1963–1972
DR Congo (Zaire) vs AFC, CRP1964–now
1964–now
Egypt vs Israel+Asia1967–1973
1967–1973
Nigeria vs Republic of Biafra1967–1970
1967–1970
Portugal vs Frelimo+Europe1972–1973
1972–1973
Angola vs UNITA1975–2001
1975–2001
Ethiopia vs EPLF1975–1991
1975–1991
Ethiopia vs GLF, TPLF1976–2022
1976–2022
Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) vs PF1976–1979
1976–1979
Ethiopia vs Somalia1977–1978
1977–1978
Ethiopia vs WSLF1977–1978
1977–1978
Chad vs FUCD, RAFD, UFDD1978–2006
1978–2006
South Africa vs SWAPO1978–1988
1978–1988
Morocco vs POLISARIO1979–1980
1979–1980
Uganda vs LRA1981–2004
1981–2004
Mozambique vs Renamo1981–1991
1981–1991
Ethiopia vs OLF1981
1981
Ethiopia vs SLM1981
1981
Sudan vs RSF, SFA, SPLM/A-North1983–now
1983–now
Chad vs Libya1987
1987
Somalia vs Al-Shabaab1988–now
1988–now
Rwanda vs FDLR-FOCA1990–2009
1990–2009
Algeria vs AQIM, GIA1994–1999
1994–1999
Sierra Leone vs AFRC, RUF1995–1999
1995–1999
Burundi vs CNDD-FDD, Palipehutu-FNL1997–2002
1997–2002
Congo vs Cocoyes, Ninjas, Ntsiloulous1997–1998
1997–1998
Eritrea vs Ethiopia1998–2000
1998–2000
Liberia vs LURD, MODEL2003
2003
Libya vs Forces of the House of Representatives2011–2019
2011–2019
Nigeria vs JAS2013–2017
2013–2017
South Sudan vs SPLM/A - IO2014
2014
Nigeria vs IS2015–now
2015–now
Libya vs IS2016
2016
Mali vs JNIM2022–now
2022–now
Burkina Faso vs JNIM2022–now
2022–now
Ethiopia vs Fano2023–now
2023–now
Americas
11 warsBolivia vs Popular Revolutionary Movement1946
1946
Paraguay vs Opposition coalition (Febreristas, Liberals and Communists)1947
1947
Costa Rica vs National Liberation Army1948
1948
Cuba vs M-26-71958
1958
El Salvador vs Honduras1969
1969
Nicaragua vs Contras1978–1988
1978–1988
El Salvador vs FMLN1981–1989
1981–1989
Peru vs MRTA, Sendero Luminoso1983–1992
1983–1992
Colombia vs ELN, FARC1985–2005
1985–2005
United States of America vs al-Qaida2001
2001
Haiti vs Viv Ansanm2025–now
2025–now
Asia
61 warsPhilippines vs CPP1946–1991
1946–1991
France vs Viet minh+Europe1946–1954
1946–1954
China vs PLA1946–1949
1946–1949
China vs Taiwanese insurgents1947
1947
Myanmar (Burma) vs NUG, PSLF1948–now
1948–now
Yemen (North Yemen) vs Forces of the Presidential Leadership Council1948–2022
1948–2022
India vs Pakistan1948–1971
1948–1971
India vs CPI1948–1951
1948–1951
Hyderabad vs India1948
1948
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria vs Israel+Africa1948
1948
Myanmar (Burma) vs KNU1949–1992
1949–1992
China vs Taiwan1949–1958
1949–1958
North Korea vs South Korea1950–1953
1950–1953
United Kingdom vs CPM+Europe1950–1953
1950–1953
Indonesia vs Republic of South Moluccas1950
1950
Indonesia vs Darul Islam, Permesta Movement, PRRI1953–1961
1953–1961
China vs Tibet1956–1959
1956–1959
Lebanon vs Amal, NSF1958–1984
1958–1984
Laos vs Pathet Lao1959–1973
1959–1973
Iraq vs KDP, PUK1961–1991
1961–1991
Myanmar (Burma) vs KIO1961–1984
1961–1984
China vs India1962
1962
Iraq vs IS1963–2017
1963–2017
Myanmar (Burma) vs SSA, SSNLO, SURA1964–1970
1964–1970
South Vietnam vs Vietnam (North Vietnam)1965–1975
1965–1975
Cambodia (Kampuchea) vs KNUFNS1967–1978
1967–1978
Israel vs Syria1967–1973
1967–1973
Israel vs Jordan1967
1967
Pakistan vs Mukti Bahini1971
1971
Sri Lanka vs JVP1971
1971
Pakistan vs BLF1974
1974
Cyprus vs Turkey1974
1974
Indonesia vs CNRT1975–1978
1975–1978
Indonesia vs OPM1976–1981
1976–1981
Afghanistan vs NRF, Taleban1978–2021
1978–2021
Philippines vs ASG, MILF1978–2000
1978–2000
Iran vs KDPI1979–1982
1979–1982
China vs Vietnam (North Vietnam)1979
1979
Iran vs Iraq1980–1988
1980–1988
Iran vs MEK1981–1982
1981–1982
Israel vs Hamas, Palestinian Mujahideen Movement, PIJ, PRC1982–now
1982–now
Syria vs Syrian insurgents1982–2024
1982–2024
Sri Lanka vs LTTE1987–2009
1987–2009
India vs Sikh insurgents1988–1992
1988–1992
Iraq vs Kuwait1990–1991
1990–1991
Azerbaijan vs Republic of Artsakh1992–2020
1992–2020
Turkey vs PKK1992–2016
1992–2016
Tajikistan vs UTO1992–1996
1992–1996
Georgia vs Republic of Abkhazia1993
1993
Yemen (North Yemen) vs Democratic Republic of Yemen1994
1994
India vs Kashmir insurgents2000–2005
2000–2005
Afghanistan vs United Kingdom, United States of America+Americas, Europe2001
2001
Nepal vs CPN-M2002–2005
2002–2005
Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America vs Iraq+Americas, Europe, Oceania2003
2003
Israel vs Hezbollah2006–2024
2006–2024
Pakistan vs HGB, IMP, TTP2008–now
2008–now
Syria vs IS2013–2020
2013–2020
Afghanistan vs IS2016–2019
2016–2019
Turkey vs IS2016
2016
Philippines vs IS2017
2017
Iran vs Israel2025–now
2025–now
Europe
14 warsGreece vs DSE1946–1949
1946–1949
Russia (Soviet Union) vs UPA1946–1948
1946–1948
Russia (Soviet Union) vs BDPS1946–1947
1946–1947
Hungary vs Russia (Soviet Union)1956
1956
France vs OAS1961–1962
1961–1962
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Serbian irregulars, Serbian Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina1992–1995
1992–1995
Croatia vs Serbian Republic of Krajina1992–1995
1992–1995
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Croatian irregulars, Croatian Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina1993
1993
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia1994
1994
Russia (Soviet Union) vs Chechen Republic of Ichkeria1995–2004
1995–2004
Ukraine vs DPR, LPR, United Armed Forces of Novorossiya2014–2015
2014–2015
Ukraine vs DPR2014
2014
Ukraine vs LPR2014
2014
Russia (Soviet Union) vs Ukraine2022–now
2022–now