Wars are of varying durations. Most only last some years. However, wars of exceptional duration have happened historically. They have lasted for very short durations, like weeks or days, or very long durations, like decades or centuries.
Longest wars This is a list of wars that have lasted more than 25 years. War or conflictStart dateEnd dateDuration Second Hundred Years' War Hundred Years' War Tuareg rebellions Ongoing Crisis of the Roman Republic Kurdish separatism in Iran Ongoing Kurdish rebellions in Turkey Ongoing Russo-Circassian War Zemene Mesafint Xinjiang conflict Ongoing Iraqi–Kurdish conflict Dagohoy rebellion Korean conflict Ongoing Anglo-Afghan War Eighty Years' War Spanish conquest of Petén Rohingya insurgency Ongoing Muslim conquest of Transoxiana Kashmir conflict Ongoing Internal conflict in Myanmar Ongoing Arab–Israeli conflict Ongoing Insurgency in Balochistan Ongoing Umayyad conquest of Hispania Karen conflict Ongoing Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes Ongoing Muslim conquest of Sicily French conquest of Algeria South Thailand insurgency Ongoing Papua conflict Ongoing Sino-Indian border dispute Ongoing Cross border attacks in Sabah Ongoing Insurgency in Northeast India Ongoing Muslim conquest of the Maghreb Colombian conflict Ongoing Insurgency in Manipur Ongoing Sixty Years' War Dutch–Portuguese War Lelantine War Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Ongoing Israeli–Lebanese conflict Civil conflict in the Philippines Ongoing Western Sahara conflict Ongoing War on drugs Ongoing Cabinda War Ongoing Communist insurgency in Burma Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria Moro conflict Caucasian War Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–2025) Internal conflict in Peru Ongoing Maoist insurgency in Turkey Ongoing Cold War (Indirect War) (outline) Chadian Civil Wars Kongo Civil War Sino-Dutch conflicts Thirty-Eight Years' War Umayyad invasion of Gaul Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire Chichimeca War Polish–Czechoslovak border conflicts Bab al-Tabbaneh–Jabal Mohsen conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Ongoing Sectarianism in Pakistan Ongoing Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Ongoing Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Ongoing Internal conflict in Bangladesh Ongoing Georgian–Ossetian conflict Ongoing DHKP/C insurgency in Turkey Ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Somali Civil War Ongoing Holy Man's Rebellion Oromo conflict Ongoing Ayutthaya-Lan Na War Casamance conflict Chiapas conflict First War of Scottish Independence Insurgency in Laos Libyan resistance movement Second Viking invasion of the British Isles Aceh War Āfāqī Khoja Holy War Insurgency in Meghalaya Ongoing Allied Democratic Forces insurgency Ongoing The Troubles Thirty Years' War Eritrean War of Independence Norman Conquest of Sicily Murid War Insurgency in Aceh Intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine Communal conflicts in Nigeria Ongoing FULRO insurgency Nicaraguan Revolution Portuguese Restoration War Communist insurgency in Sarawak Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen Ongoing Angolan Civil War Peloponnesian War Russo-Finnish wars Sri Lankan Civil War Omani Civil War (1718–1744) 26 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 4 days Livonian War
Shortest wars This is a list of wars that have lasted less than one year. War or conflictStart dateEnd dateDuration Toyota War 2026 Iran war Ongoing Gulf War Franco-Prussian War19 July 187028 January 18716 months, 1 week and 2 daysSand War Spanish–American War Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising Falklands War Austro-Prussian War Turkish-Cypriot War of 1974 German invasion of Belgium (1940) Serbo-Bulgarian War Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Twelve-Day War Russo-Georgian War German invasion of the Netherlands Six Day War Rwandan-Ugandan War Football War Wagner Group rebellion German invasion of Luxembourg10 May 194010 May 1940less than 24 hours2023 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes19 September 2023 (13:17)20 September 2023 (13:00)23 hours 43 minutes2008 invasion of Anjouan25 March 2008 (05:00)25 March 2008 (12:00)7 hours1940 German invasion of Denmark09 April 1940 (04:15)09 April 19406 hours2026 United States invasion of Venezuela03 January 2026 (02:01)03 January 2026 (04:29)2 hours 28 minutesAnglo-Zanzibar war27 August 1896 (09:00)27 August 1896 (09:37)38 minutes
See also List of wars extended by diplomatic irregularity
Notes
References