Europe’s Millennia of Internal Wars & Conflict: A Legacy of Violence and Colonialism
Throughout European history, there hasn’t been a century devoid of conflict. War, whether internal or external, has been a recurring aspect of European history across the centuries. Europe’s geopolitical dynamics, territorial ambitions, religious tensions, and other factors have contributed to a continuous cycle of wars and conflicts over the centuries.
The 11th century marked the tail end of the Viking Age, characterized by raids, invasions, and conquests across Europe. The subsequent centuries saw the emergence of powerful medieval kingdoms and empires, such as the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and various feudal states, engaging in frequent conflicts over territory, resources, and power. The Crusades, a series of religious wars initiated by Western European Christians to colonized the Holy Land, also took place during this period, resulting in significant bloodshed and upheaval.
The 13th and 14th centuries witnessed the devastating Hundred Years’ War between England and France, one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in medieval European history. Meanwhile, internal strife, such as the Wars of the Roses in England and the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines in Italy, further contributed to the region’s instability.
The Renaissance period, spanning the 14th to 17th centuries, was marked by cultural, artistic, and intellectual flourishing but was also marred by numerous conflicts, including the Italian Wars, the Thirty Years’ War, and the Ottoman-Habsburg wars. Religious divisions fueled by the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation led to widespread violence and persecution across Europe.
The 18th century, often referred to as the Age of Enlightenment, saw the rise of absolutist monarchies and the spread of revolutionary ideas advocating for liberty, equality, and fraternity. However, it was also a century marked by frequent warfare, including the War of the Spanish Succession, the Seven Years’ War, and the Napoleonic Wars, which reshaped the political landscape of Europe.
The 19th century witnessed significant social, economic, and technological transformations, but it was also an era of imperialism, nationalism, and conflict. The Napoleonic Wars gave way to a period of relative stability known as the Congress of Vienna order, but Europe was soon engulfed in revolutions, uprisings, and the Crimean War. The latter half of the century saw the unification of Italy and Germany, accompanied by wars of independence and territorial expansion.
The 20th century was perhaps the most turbulent in European history, marked by two devastating world wars that ravaged the continent and claimed millions of lives. The First World War, triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, led to a protracted conflict involving numerous European powers and their colonies. The interwar period was marked by economic instability, political upheaval, and the rise of totalitarian regimes, culminating in the outbreak of the Second World War, the deadliest conflict in human history.
The aftermath of the Second World War saw the division of Europe into rival blocs led by the United States and the Soviet Union, ushering in the Cold War era characterized by ideological, political, and military tensions. The Cold War saw proxy conflicts, espionage, and the threat of nuclear annihilation, keeping Europe on edge for much of the latter half of the 20th century.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought an end to the Cold War but also unleashed ethnic conflicts, civil wars, and nationalist movements across Eastern Europe and the Balkans. The breakup of Yugoslavia, in particular, led to some of the bloodiest conflicts in Europe since the Second World War, such as the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War.
Europe has experienced wars and conflicts throughout its history, with no century being entirely devoid of violence. While periods of relative peace have occurred, they have often been overshadowed by recurring cycles of warfare driven by political, economic, and ideological factors.
Looking over the past millennium, Europe has been inflicting on itself a multitude of self-wars, each with its own unique causes and consequences. From the Battle of Hastings in the 11th century to the Thirty Days’ War in the late 19th century, conflicts have erupted for various reasons, including territorial disputes, succession crises, religious differences, and struggles for independence. Despite the significant advancements in diplomacy, governance, and global cooperation over the centuries, the propensity for violence to address grievances or achieve political objectives remains a recurring theme in European history. This pattern suggests that, despite efforts to promote peace and cooperation, there persists a reliance on military solutions to resolve conflicts, highlighting the enduring challenges in fostering lasting peace and stability in the region.
In examining the Genocide in Palestine, as well as the broader historical context of European wars and colonialism, it becomes evident that violence continues to be a favored tool for addressing grievances and pursuing political objectives. The genocide in Gaza and the existence of an apartheid state in Israel underscore the deep-rooted nature of these conflicts, which have their origins in centuries of colonial expansion and geopolitical maneuvering.
Moreover, the support provided by European and colonial countries to Israel further illustrates the persistence of a mindset that prioritizes military solutions over diplomatic ones. Despite advancements in diplomacy and global governance, this support perpetuates a cycle of violence and oppression that exacerbates tensions in the region.
Ultimately, the current situation highlights the need for a fundamental shift in approach, one that prioritizes dialogue, negotiation, and respect for human rights over the perpetuation of violence and conflict. Until such a shift occurs, the cycle of violence is likely to continue, perpetuating suffering and instability in the region and beyond. This persistent reliance on militaristic solutions is starkly evident in the ongoing tragedy of the genocide in Palestine and the support lent to an apartheid state in Israel by European and colonial powers.
These contemporary conflicts, however, are not isolated incidents but rather manifestations of deeper historical injustices rooted in centuries of colonial expansion and geopolitical maneuvering. They underscore the urgent need for a paradigm shift in how we approach conflict resolution and global governance. It’s imperative to prioritize people over profit, centering the voices and well-being of affected communities above political expediency or economic interests.
Embracing decolonization entails reckoning with the legacy of imperialism and actively dismantling systems of oppression that perpetuate inequality and violence. Collaboration, rather than confrontation, must become the cornerstone of international relations, fostering dialogue, mutual understanding, and collective action to address shared challenges.
By adopting a people-centric approach and committing to the principles of decolonization and collaboration, there is hope for breaking the cycle of violence and building a more just and peaceful world. This transformation requires courage, empathy, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths, but the alternative—continued suffering, instability, and conflict—is simply untenable. The time for change is now, and it begins with a collective commitment to prioritize humanity over hostility, cooperation over conquest, and peace over perpetual conflict.
PEOPLEIZE, a global movement advocating for human equality, social justice, collaboration and peace, stands at the forefront of this transformative endeavor. Through organizing, advocacy campaigns, and community engagement, PEOPLEIZE empowers individuals and communities to challenge oppressive systems, amplify voices, and work towards a more equitable and compassionate world. Let’s join together to peopleize our planet and build a future where human equality, dignity, freedom, and peace prevail.
Below is a list of European wars spanning from the 11th century to 2024, illustrating the recurring pattern of conflict in the region.
11th century
Battle of Hastings (1066)
1002–1018 German–Polish War
1014–1208 Byzantine–Georgian wars
1014 Battle of Clontarf
1014 Battle of Kleidion
1015–1016 Pisan–Genoese expeditions to Sardinia
1015–1016 Cnut’s invasion of England
1018 Battle of Vlaardingen
1018 Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria
1024 Battle of Listven
1024 Rus’–Byzantine War
1040-1041 Bulgarian Uprising of Peter Delyan
1043 Rus’–Byzantine War
1044 Battle of Ménfő
1046 Vata pagan uprising
1048–1064 Invasion of Denmark
1050–1185 Byzantine–Norman wars
1051-1052 German-Hungarian War
1057 Battle of Petroe
1060 Battle of the Theben Pass
1063 German invasion of Hungary
1065–1067 War of the Three Sanchos
1066 Norwegian invasion of England
1066–1088 Norman conquest of England
1067–1194 Norman invasion of Wales
1067 Battle on the Nemiga River
1068 Pecheneg invasion of Hungary
1068 Battle of the Alta River
1072 Bulgarian Uprising of Georgi Voyteh
1073–1075 Saxon Rebellion
1074 Hungarian Civil War
1075 Revolt of the Earls
1077–1088 Great Saxon Revolt
1078 Battle of Kalavrye
1088 Rebellion of 1088
1091 Hungarian occupation of Croatia
1093 Battle of Schmilau
1093 Battle of the Stugna River
1097 Battle of Gvozd Mountain
1099–1204 Georgian–Seljuk wars
12th century
Monument of Didgori Battle, Georgia
1109 Battle of Głogów
1115 Battle of Welfesholz
1121 Battle of Didgori
1126 Battle of Chlumec
1125–1186 Guelphs and Ghibellines
1127–1129 Byzantine-Hungarian War
1130–1240 Civil war era in Norway
1135–1153 The Anarchy
1142–1445 Swedish–Novgorodian Wars
1144–1162 Baussenque Wars
1146 Battle of the Fischa
1159–1345 Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines
1164 Battle of Verchen
1167 Battle of Sirmium
1169–1175 Norman invasion of Ireland
1173–1174 Revolt of 1173–74
1185–1204 Uprising of Asen and Peter
1198 Battle of Gisors
1198–1290 Livonian Crusade
1198–1215 German throne dispute
13th century
Battle of Muret, 1213
1201 Battle of Stellau
1202 Siege of Zadar
1202–1214 Anglo-French War
1204–1261 Nicaean–Latin wars
1205 Battle of Serres (1205)
1205 Battle of Zawichost
1205 Battle of Adrianople (1205)
1206 Battle of Rodosto
1206 Battle of Rusion
1207 Battle of Messinopolis
1208 Battle of Beroia (1208)
1208 Battle of Philippopolis (1208)
1208–1227 Conquest of Estonia
1209–1229 Albigensian Crusade
1211 Welsh uprising of 1211
1215–1217 First Barons’ War
1216–1392 Guelphs and Ghibellines
1216–1222 War of Succession of Champagne
1220–1264 Age of the Sturlungs
1223–1241 Mongol invasion of Europe
1223–1480 Tatar raids against Rus’
1224 Siege of La Rochelle
1227 Battle of Bornhöved
1228–1230 War of the Keys
1230 Battle of Klokotnitsa
1231–1233 Friso-Drentic War
1234–1238 Georgian-Mongol War
1235 Siege of Constantinople (1235)
1239–1245 Teltow War
1241–1242 First Mongol invasion of Hungary
1242–1243 Mongol invasion of Bulgaria and Serbia
1242 Saintonge War
1242–1249 Prussian uprisings
1246–1282 War of the Babenberg Succession
1256–1258 War of the Euboeote Succession
1256–1381 Venetian–Genoese Wars
1256–1422 Friso-Hollandic Wars
1260 Battle of Kressenbrunn
1260–1274 Prussian uprisings
1262–1266 Scottish–Norwegian War
1264–1267 Second Barons’ War
1264–1265 Hungarian Civil War
1275–1276 The war against Valdemar Birgersson
1276–1278 6000-mark war
1276 War of Navarra
1277–1280 Uprising of Ivaylo
1278 Battle on the Marchfeld
1282 Cumanic uprising in Hungary
1282–1302 War of the Sicilian Vespers
1283–1289 War of the Limburg Succession
1284–1285 Aragonese Crusade
1285–1286 Second Mongol invasion of Hungary
1288–1295 War of the Outlaws
1296–1357 Wars of Scottish Independence
1297–1305 Franco-Flemish War
1298 Battle of Göllheim
14th century
Battle of Sluys, 1340, from a manuscript
Battle of Nájera, 1367
1301–1308 Hungarian Interregnum
1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs
1304 Battle of Skafida
1304–1310 The Swedish brother’s feud
1307 Battle of Lucka
1311 Battle of Halmyros
1311–1312 Rebellion of mayor Albert
1312 Battle of Rozgony
1321–1322 Despenser War
1321–1328 Byzantine civil war of 1321–28
1322 Battle of Bliska
1323–1328 Peasant revolt in Flanders
1324 War of Saint-Sardos
1326–1332 Polish–Teutonic War
1330 Hungarian-Wallachian War
1332 Battle of Rusokastro
1333–1338 Burke Civil War
1337–1453 Hundred Years’ War
1340–1392 Galicia–Volhynia Wars
1341–1347 Byzantine civil war of 1341–47
1342–1350 Zealot’s Rebellion
1343–1345 St. George’s Night Uprising
1345–1396 Bulgarian–Ottoman wars
1345 Battle of Peritheorion
1355 Battle of Ihtiman
1382/1385 Siege of Sofia
1396 Battle of Nicopolis
1347–1352 Neapolitan campaigns of Louis the Great
1350–1498 Wars of the Vetkopers and Schieringers
1350–1490 Hook and Cod wars
1356–1358 Jacquerie
1356–1375 War of the Two Peters
1362 Battle of Helsingborg
1362–1457 War of the Bands
1366–1367 Savoyard crusade
1366–1369 Castilian Civil War
1366–1526 Hungarian-Ottoman Wars
1366–1367 Savoyard crusade
1369–1370 First Fernandine War
1371–1413 Serbian–Ottoman wars
1371 Battle of Maritsa
1385/1387 Battle of Pločnik
1371 Battle of Baesweiler
1371–1379 War of the Guelderian Succession
1371–1381 War of Chioggia
1372–1373 Second Fernandine War
1373–1379 Byzantine civil war of 1373–79
1375 Gugler War
1375–1378 War of the Eight Saints
1381 Peasants’ Revolt
1381–1382 Third Fernandine War
1381–1384 Lithuanian Civil War (1381–84)
1382 Harelle and Maillotins Revolt
1381–1404 Second Georgian–Mongol War
1383–1385 Invasion of Portugal by Castille – Battle of Aljubarrota, 14 August 1385
1387 Battle of Margate
1389 Battle of Kosovo
1389–1392 Lithuanian Civil War (1389–92)
1395 Battle of Rovine
1396 Battle of Nicopolis
15th century
Battle of Formigny, 1450
1400–1415 Glyndŵr Rising
1401–1429 Appenzell Wars
1407–1468 Georgian-Turkoman War
1409–1411 Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War
1410–1435 War of Slesvig
1414 Hunger War
1419–1434 Hussite Wars
1422 Gollub War
1422 Battle of Arbedo
1425–1454 Wars in Lombardy
1431–1435 Polish–Teutonic War
1434–1436 Engelbrekt rebellion
1437 Budai Nagy Antal revolt
1438–1556 Russo-Kazan Wars
1440–1446 Old Zürich War
1441 Battle of Samobor
1443–1444 Long campaign
1444 Battle of Varna
1445 First Battle of Olmedo
1447–1448 Albanian–Venetian War
1449–1450 First Margrave War
1449 Battle of Castione
1449–1453 Revolt of Ghent
1450 Jack Cade’s Rebellion
1451–1455 Navarrese Civil War
1453 Fall of Constantinople
1453–1454 Morea revolt
1454–1466 Thirteen Years’ War
1455–1485 Wars of the Roses
1462 Night attack at Târgoviște
1462–1485 Rebellion of the Remences
1462–1472 Catalan Civil War
1463–1479 Venetian-Ottoman War
1465 Battle of Montlhéry
1465–1468 Wars of Liège
1466–1469 Irmandiño Wars
1467 Second Battle of Olmedo
1467 Hungarian – Moldavian war
1467–1479 War of the Priests
1468 Waldshut War
1468–1478 Bohemian War
1470–1471 Dano-Swedish War
1470–1474 Anglo-Hanseatic War
1474–1477 Burgundian Wars
1475 Battle of Vaslui
1475–1479 War of the Castilian Succession
1476 Battle of Valea Alba
1477–1488 Austrian–Hungarian War (1477–88)
1478 Carinthian Peasant Revolt
1478 Battle of Giornico
1479 Battle of Guinegate
1482–1484 War of Ferrara
1484 Battle of Lochmaben Fair
1485–1488 Mad War
1487 Battle of Crevola
1487 War of Rovereto
1488 Battle of Sauchieburn
1490-91 War of the Hungarian Succession
1492–1583 Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars
1493 Battle of Krbava Field
1493–1593 Hundred Years’ Croatian–Ottoman War
1494–1498 Italian War of 1494–98
1495–1497 Russo-Swedish War
1497 Cornish Rebellion of 1497
1497 Battle of Rotebro
1499 Swabian War
1499–1504 Italian War of 1499–1504 – 20,000 killed in action[1]
16th century
Battle of Pavia, 1525
Siege of Eger, 1552
St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre, 1572
Battle of Haarlemmermeer, 1573
Battle of Gravelines, 1588
A Burned Village, during the Cudgel War, 1596
c. 1500–1854 Lekianoba
1501–1512 Dano-Swedish War (1501–1512)
1502–1543 Guelders Wars
1503–1505 War of the Succession of Landshut
1508–1516 War of the League of Cambrai – 31,000 killed in action[1]
1509–1510 Polish–Moldavian War
1514 Poor Conrad’s Rebellion
1514 Dózsa rebellion
1514–1517 Saxon feud
1515 Slovene Peasant Revolt
1515–1523 Frisian peasant rebellion
1519–1521 Polish–Teutonic War
1520–1521 Revolt of the Comuneros
1521–1523 Revolt of the Brotherhoods
1521–1523 Swedish War of Liberation
1521–1526 Italian War of 1521–1526 – 30,000 killed in action[1]
1521–1791 Habsburg-Ottoman Wars
1522–1523 Knights’ War
1524–1525 German Peasants’ War
1526 Battle of Mohács
1526 Revolt of Espadán
1526–1530 War of the League of Cognac – 18,000 killed in action[1]
1526–1538 Hungarian Civil War
1526–1527 Jovan Nenad uprising
1529 First War of Kappel
1531 Second War of Kappel
1531–1532 War of Two Kings
1534 Silken Thomas Rebellion
1534–1535 Münster Rebellion
1534–1536 Count’s Feud
1536–1537 Reformation in Norway
1536–1537 Pilgrimage of Grace
1540 Salt War
1542–1546 Italian War of 1542–1546 – 47,000 killed in action[1]
1542–1543 Dacke War
1543 Siege of Esztergom
1543–1550 Rough Wooing
1546–1547 Schmalkaldic War
1549 Kett’s Rebellion
1549 Prayer Book Rebellion
1550 Battle of Sauðafell
1551–1559 Italian War of 1551–1559 – 75,000 killed in action[1]
1552–1555 Second Margrave War
1554 Wyatt’s rebellion
1554–1557 Russo-Swedish War
1558–1583 Livonian War
1559–1564 Spanish-Ottoman War – 24,000 killed in action[1]
1560 Siege of Leith
1562–1598 French Wars of Religion
1563–1570 Northern Seven Years’ War
1565 Great Siege of Malta
1566 Siege of Szigetvár
1568–1570 Morisco Revolt
1568–1648 Eighty Years’ War
1569–1580 Spanish-Ottoman War – 48,000 killed in action[1]
1569–1570 Rising of the North
1569–1573 First Desmond Rebellion
1573 Croatian–Slovene Peasant Revolt
1578 Georgian-Ottoman War
1579–1583 Second Desmond Rebellion
1580–1583 War of the Portuguese Succession
1583–1588 Cologne War
1585–1604 English-Spanish War – 48,000 killed in action[1]
1588–1654 Dutch–Portuguese War
1587–1588 War of the Polish Succession
1590–1595 Russo-Swedish War
1593 Battle of Sisak
1593–1606 Thirteen Years’ War
1593–1617 Moldavian Magnate Wars
1594–1603 Nine Years’ War (Ireland)
1595–1621 Moldavian Magnate Wars
1595 Battle of Călugăreni
1596–1597 Cudgel War
1598 First Tarnovo uprising
1598–1599 War against Sigismund
1599 Battle of Șelimbăr
17th century
Relief of Genoa, 1625
Battle of Rocroi, 1641
Morning after the Assault on Copenhagen, 1659
Four Days Battle, 1666
Louis XIV crosses the Rhine at Lobith, during the Franco-Dutch War, 1672
Siege of Buda, 1686
Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue, 1692
1600–1629 Polish–Swedish War
1601 Battle of Guruslău
1602 Savoyard escalade of Geneva
1604–1606 Bocskai Uprising
1605–1618 Polish–Muscovite War
1606–1607 Bolotnikov Rebellion
1606–1608 Zebrzydowski Rebellion
1610–1614 Spanish-Ottoman War – 15,000 killed in action[1]
1610–1617 Ingrian War
1611–1613 Kalmar War
1615–1618 Uskok War
1615–1617 Spanish-Savoian War – 2,000 killed in action[1]
1617–1621 Spanish-Venetian War – 5,000 killed in action[1]
1618–1619 Spanish-Ottoman War – 6,000 killed in action[1]
1618–1648 Thirty Years’ War
1624–1625 Siege of Breda – Spain vs. Holland, England
1635 Siege of Leuven – Spain vs. Holland, France
1637 Battle off Lizard Point – Spain vs. Holland
1638 Battle of Getaria – France vs. Spain
1639 Battle of the Downs – Spain vs. Holland
1643 Battle of Rocroi – France vs. Spain
1648 Battle of Lens – France vs. Spain
1618–1639 Bündner Wirren
1620–1621 Polish–Ottoman War
1625 Zhmaylo Uprising
1627–1629 Anglo-French War
1628–1631 War of the Mantuan Succession
1630 Fedorovych Uprising
1632–1634 Smolensk War
1637 Pavlyuk Uprising
1638 Ostryanyn Uprising
1639–1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms
1639–1640 Bishops’ Wars
1641–1653 Irish Confederate Wars
1642–1651 English Civil War
1642–1646 First English Civil War
1648–1649 Second English Civil War
1649–1651 Third English Civil War
1649–1653 Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
1640–1668 Spanish-Portuguese War – 80,000 killed in action[1]
1648–1659 Franco-Spanish War – 108,000 killed in action[1]
1648–1657 Khmelnytsky Uprising
1651 Kostka-Napierski Uprising
1651–1986 Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years’ War
1652–1674 Anglo-Dutch Wars
1653 Swiss peasant war of 1653
1654 First Bremian War
1654–1667 Russo-Polish War
1654–1660 English-Spanish War – 15,000 killed in action[1]
1655–1660 Second Northern War
1656 War of Villmergen
1666 Second Bremian War
1666–1671 Polish–Cossack–Tatar War
1667–1668 War of Devolution – 4,000 killed in action[1]
1670–1671 Razin’s Rebellion
1672 First Kuruc Uprising
1672-1676 Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676)
1672–1678 Franco-Dutch War – 342,000 killed in action[1]
1672–1673 Second Genoese–Savoyard War
1675–1679 Scanian War
1676–1681 Russo-Ottoman War
1678–1685 Thököly Uprising
1679 Covenanter Rebellion
1683–1684 War of the Reunions – 5,000 killed in action[1]
1683–1699 War of the Holy League – 384,000 killed in action[1]
1685 Monmouth Rebellion
1686 Second Tarnovo uprising
1688 Chiprovtsi uprising
1688–1697 Nine Years’ War – 680,000 killed in action[1]
1688 Glorious Revolution
1689 Karposh’s rebellion
1689–1692 First Jacobite Rising
1700 Lithuanian Civil War
18th century
Battle of Denain, 1712
Bringing Home the Body of King Charles XII of Sweden, after the Siege of Fredriksten, 1718
Battle of Hohenfriedberg, 1745
Battle of Fleurus, 1794
1700–1721 Great Northern War – 30,000 Russians killed in action[2]
1701–1714 War of the Spanish Succession – 1,251,000 killed in action[1]
1703–1711 Rákóczi’s War of Independence
1707–1708 Bulavin Rebellion
1712 Toggenburg War
1714–1718 Venetian-Ottoman War
1715–1716 Jacobite rising of 1715
1718–1720 War of the Quadruple Alliance – 25,000 killed in action[1]
1722–1723 Russo-Persian War
1727–1729 British-Spanish War – 15,000 killed in action[1]
1733–1738 War of the Polish Succession – 88,000 killed in action[1]
1735–1739 Russo-Ottoman War
1740–1748 War of the Austrian Succession – 359,000 killed in action[1]
1740–1763 Silesian Wars
1741–1743 Russo-Swedish War
1745–1746 Jacobite rising of 1745
1756–1763 Seven Years’ War – 992,000 killed in action[1]
1757 Battle of Khresili
1763–1864 Russo-Circassian War
1768–1772 War of the Bar Confederation
1768–1774 Russo-Ottoman War
1770 Battle of Aspindza
1770 Orlov Revolt
1774–1775 Pugachev’s Rebellion
1775–1783 American Revolutionary War
1778–1779 War of the Bavarian Succession
1784 Kettle War
1784–1785 Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan
1785 Battle of the Sunja
1787 Dutch Patriot Revolt
1787–1792 Russo-Ottoman War
1788–1790 Russo-Swedish War
1790 Saxon Peasants’ Revolt
1792 Polish–Russian War of 1792
1792–1802 French Revolutionary Wars – 663,000 killed in action[1]
1794 Kościuszko Uprising
1795 Battle of Krtsanisi
1798 Irish Rebellion of 1798
1798 Peasants’ War
19th century
Napoleon crossing the Alps before the Battle of Marengo, 1800
Battle of Austerlitz, 1805
Battle of Waterloo, 1815
Battle of Malakoff, 1855
Prussian troops quarter just outside paris, Franco-Prussian War, 1871
1803 Irish Rebellion of 1803
1803 Souliote War
1803–1815 Napoleonic Wars
1804–1813 First Serbian Uprising
1804–1813 Russo-Persian War
1806–1812 Russo-Ottoman War
1808–1809 Finnish War
1809 Polish–Austrian War
1815–1817 Second Serbian Uprising
1817–1864 Russian conquest of the Caucasus
1821–1829 Greek War of Independence
1821 Wallachian uprising
1823 French invasion of Spain
1826–1828 Russo-Persian War
1827 War of the Malcontents
1828–1829 Russo-Ottoman War
1828–1834 Liberal Wars
1830 July Revolution
1830 Belgian Revolution
1831 Ten Days’ Campaign
1830–1831 November Uprising
1831 Canut revolts
1831–1832 Bosnian Uprising
1831–1836 Tithe War
1832 War in the Vendée and Chouannerie of 1832
1832 June Rebellion
1832 Siege of Antwerp
1833–1839 First Carlist War
1833–1839 Albanian Revolts of 1833–39
1843–1844 Albanian Revolt of 1843–44
1846 Galician slaughter
1846 Revolution of Maria da Fonte
1846 Solís Uprising
1846–1849 Second Carlist War
1846–1847 Patuleia
1847 Albanian Revolt of 1847
1847 Sonderbund War
1848–1849 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence
1848–1851 First Schleswig War
1848–1849 First Italian War of Independence
1852-1853 Montenegrin–Ottoman War
1853–1856 Crimean War
1854 Epirus Revolt of 1854
1858 Mahtra War
1859 Second Italian War of Independence
1861–1862 Montenegrin–Ottoman War
1863–1864 January Uprising
1864 Second Schleswig War
1866 Austro-Prussian War
1866–1869 Cretan Revolt
1866 Third Italian War of Independence
1867 Fenian Rising
1869 Krivošije uprising
1870–1871 Franco-Prussian War
1872–1876 Third Carlist War
1873–1874 Cantonal Revolution
1875–1877 Herzegovina uprising
1876–1878 Serbian–Ottoman War
1876 Bulgarian April Uprising
1876 Razlovtsi insurrection
1876–1878 Montenegrin–Ottoman War
1877–1878 Russo-Ottoman War
1878–1879 Kresna–Razlog uprising
1878 Epirus Revolt of 1878
1885 Bulgarian unification
1885 Serbo-Bulgarian War
1897 Thirty Days’ War
20th century
Explosion of the Hawthorn Ridge mine, 1 July 1916, marked the beginning of the Battle of the Somme.
Republican International Brigadiers on a Soviet T-26 tank at the Battle of Belchite, 1937
German Stuka dive bombers in the Eastern Front (World War II) 1941–45
A Soviet IS-2 tank in Leipzig during the 1953 East Germany Uprising
Icelandic patrol ship ICGV Odinn and British frigate HMS Scylla clash during the Second Cod War
A “Sniper at work” sign in Crossmaglen, a symbol of the IRA sniper campaign in South Armagh during the last stages of the Northern Ireland Troubles
UNPROFOR troops on their way up “Sniper Alley” in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War
A Russian helicopter downed by Chechen militants, during the First Chechen War
The Russian Army’s Vostok Battalion in South Ossetia
1903 Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising
1904–1908 Macedonian Struggle
1904–1905 Russo-Japanese War
1905 Łódź insurrection
1905 Revolution of 1905
1906–1908 Theriso revolt
1907 1907 Romanian Peasants’ Revolt
1910 Albanian Revolt of 1910
1910 5 October 1910 revolution
1911 Albanian Revolt of 1911
1911–1912 Italo-Turkish War
1912 Albanian Revolt of 1912
1912–1913 Balkan Wars
1912–1913 First Balkan War
1913 Tikveš Uprising
1913 Second Balkan War
1913 Ohrid–Debar Uprising
1914 Peasant Revolt in Albania
1914–1918 World War I – 19,174,335 deaths
1914 Caucasus Campaign
1916 Noemvriana
1917 Toplica Uprising
1918 Judenburg mutiny
1918 Cattaro Mutiny
1918 Aster Revolution
1918 Radomir Rebellion
1918 Finnish Civil War
1916 Easter Rising
1917 Russian Revolution
1917 February Revolution
1917 July Days
1917 Polubotkivtsi uprising
1917 Kornilov affair
1917 October Revolution
1917 Junker mutiny
1917 Kerensky–Krasnov uprising
1917–1921 Russian Civil War
1917–1918 Red Army invasion of Georgia
1917–1921 Ukrainian War of Independence
1917–1921 Ukrainian–Soviet War
1918–1919 Polish–Ukrainian War
1918–1924 Left-wing uprisings against the Bolsheviks
1918 Left SR uprising
1921 Kronstadt rebellion
1918–1922 Heimosodat
1918 Viena expedition
1918 Aunus expedition
1918–1920 Petsamo expeditions
1918–1920 National revolt of Ingrian Finns
1921–1922 East Karelian Uprising
1918–1920 Estonian War of Independence
1918–1925 Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
1918–1920 North Russia Intervention
1918–1922 Siberian Intervention
1918 Georgian–Armenian War
1918–1920 Georgian–Ossetian conflict (1918–20)
1918–1919 Georgian-Russian conflict over Sochi
1918–1920 Armenian–Azerbaijani War
1918–1920 Latvian War of Independence
1918–1920 Lithuanian Wars of Independence
1918–1919 Lithuanian–Soviet War
1919 Lithuanian War of Independence (War against the Bermontians)
1920 Polish–Lithuanian War
1919–1921 Polish–Soviet War
1921 Georgian–Russian War
1924 Georgian Uprising against Soviet Union
1919–1920 Revolutions and interventions in Hungary (1918–20)
1918–1919 Hungarian–Romanian War
1918–1919 Hungarian–Czechoslovak War
1919 Sejny Uprising
1919 Khotyn Uprising
1918–1919 Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia
1918–1958 Polish–Czechoslovak border conflicts
1919 Polish-Czech war for Teschen Silesia
1918–1919 German Revolution
1918–1919 Greater Poland Uprising
1919–1922 Greco-Turkish War
1918–1921 Franco-Turkish War
1920 Armenian-Turkish War
1919 Christmas Uprising
1919–1920 Unrest in Split
1919–1921 Silesian Uprisings
1919 First Silesian Uprising
1920 Second Silesian Uprising
1921 Third Silesian Uprising
1919–1922 Irish War of Independence
1920 Husino rebellion
1920 Vlora War
1920 Kapp Putsch
1920 Ruhr Uprising
1920 Slutsk Defence Action
1920–1924 Biennio Rosso
1921 Uprising in West Hungary
1921 February Uprising
1921 Charles IV of Hungary’s attempts to retake the throne
1922–1923 Irish Civil War
1923 Corfu incident
1923 September Uprising
1923 Klaipėda Revolt
1923 Leonardopoulos–Gargalidis coup d’état attempt
1924 1924 Estonian coup d’état attempt
1924 August Uprising
1925 Incident at Petrich
1932 Mäntsälä rebellion
1933 Casas Viejas incident
1933 Anarchist uprising in Spain (1933)
1934 Asturian miners’ strike of 1934
1934 Austrian Civil War
1935 1935 Greek coup d’état attempt
1936–1939 Spanish Civil War
1938 1938 Greek coup d’état attempt
1939 German occupation of Czechoslovakia
1939 Hungarian invasion of Carpatho-Ukraine
1939 Italian invasion of Albania
1939–1965 Spanish Maquis
1939–1940 S-Plan
1939–1945 World War II
1939 Nazi German invasion of Poland
1939 Soviet invasion of Poland
1939–1940 Winter War(Soviet invasion of Finland)
1940 Phoney War
1940 Operation Weserübung
1940 Norwegian campaign
1940 Occupation of Iceland
1940 Invasion of Luxembourg
1940 Battle of the Netherlands
1940 Battle of Belgium
1940 Battle of France
1940 Italian invasion of France
1940 Soviet invasion of the Baltic States
1940 Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina
1940 Battle of Britain
1940–1941 Greco-Italian War
1941–1945 Soviet–German War
1941–1945 Yugoslav anti-fascist resistance movement
1941–1944 Continuation War
1941 Uprising in Montenegro
1942 Case Blue
1942–1944 Northern Campaign
1942–1956 Ukrainian Insurgent Army
1943 Italian Campaign
1944 Operation Market Garden
1944 Warsaw Uprising
1944 Western Allied invasion of Germany
1944–1945 Lapland War
1944–1945 Slovak National Uprising
1944–1945 Liberation of France
1944–1945 Battle of the Bulge
1945 Second Battle of the Alps
1945 Battle of Berlin
1944–1956 Guerrilla war in the Baltic states
1945–1949 Greek Civil War
1946–1948 Corfu Channel incident
1947–1962 Romanian anti-communist resistance movement
1953 Uprising in East Germany
1955–1959 Cyprus Emergency
1956 Uprising in Poznań
1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956–1962 Operation Harvest
1958 First Cod War
1959–2011 Basque conflict
1967 Greek coup d’état
1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
1968–1998 The Troubles
1970–1984 Unrest in Italy
1972–1973 Second Cod War
1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus
1974 Carnation Revolution
1975 Coup of 25 November 1975
1975–1976 Third Cod War
1976–2016 Corsican conflict
1981 Spanish coup d’état attempt
1986 Evros River incident
1988–1994 First Nagorno-Karabakh War
1989–1995 Gagauzia conflict
1989 Romanian Revolution
1990 Log Revolution
1990–1991 Soviet attacks on Lithuanian border posts
1990–present Transnistria conflict
1990–1992 Transnistria War
1991 January Events
1991 The Barricades
1991–2001 Yugoslav Wars
1991 Ten-Day War
1991–1995 Croatian War of Independence
1992–1995 Bosnian War
1992–1994 Croat–Bosniak War
1995–1998 Insurgency in Kosovo
1998–1999 Kosovo War
1999–2001 Insurgency in the Preševo Valley
2001 2001 insurgency in Macedonia
1991–1992 Georgian war against Russo-Ossetian alliance
1991–1993 Georgian Civil War
1991–2017 Chechen–Russian conflict
1994 Battle of Grozny (November 1994)
1994–1996 First Chechen War
1999–2009 Second Chechen War
2009–2017 Insurgency in the North Caucasus
1992 East Prigorodny Conflict
1992–1993 War in Abkhazia
1993 1993 Cherbourg incident
1993 1993 Russian constitutional crisis
1995–1996 Imia/Kardak military crisis
1997–1998 Cyprus Missile Crisis
1997 Albanian civil unrest
1997–present Dissident Irish Republican campaign
1998 Six-Day War of Abkhazia
21st century
Damaged building during the Russo-Ukrainian war, in Lysychansk, Ukraine, 4 August 2014
2001 Georgia, Kodori crisis
2001 2001 insurgency in Macedonia
2004–2013 Unrest in Kosovo
2004 2004 unrest in Kosovo
2008 2008 unrest in Kosovo
2011–2013 North Kosovo crisis
2022–2024 North Kosovo crisis
2004 Georgia, Adjara crisis
2004 Georgia, South Ossetia clashes
2006 Georgia, Kodori crisis
2008 Russo-Georgian war
2014–present Russo-Ukrainian War (outline)
2014 Pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
2014–present Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
2014–2022 War in Donbass
2021–2022 Prelude to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
2022–present Russian invasion of Ukraine
2022–present Belarusian and Russian partisan movement
2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh war
2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh
