Early histories of a war typically describe the war as it was declared by the states involved. It is not uncommon for later historians to group together a series of wars over a long period or spread over several theaters as part of a broader conflict or strategic campaign. The most familiar of these in the present day are probably the Cold War, which included the Korean War (1950–1953), the Vietnam War (1965–1973), and the Persian Gulf War (1990–1991); and the War on terror, which included the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Iraq War (2003–2011).World Book Encyclopedia, 2025 ed., s.v. "War" These groupings provide useful context for the wars involved. Note that some groupings overlap time periods, and it is possible for more than one war to be going on at the same time.
Afro-Eurasia 499 BC – 448 BC Greco-Persian Wars 322 BC – 275 BC Wars of the Diadochi 274 BC – 168 BC Syrian Wars 264 BC – 146 BC Punic Wars 66 BC – 628 AD Roman–Persian Wars 66 BC – 217 AD Roman–Parthian Wars 602–628 Byzantine–Sasanian War 66–136 Jewish–Roman wars 485–556 Samaritan revolts 622–755 Early Muslim conquests 629–11th century Arab–Byzantine wars 650s–737 Arab–Khazar wars 680–1355 Byzantine–Bulgarian wars 718–1492 Iberian Reconquista 830s–1043 Rus'–Byzantine wars 1048–1308 Byzantine–Seljuq wars 1090–1194 Nizari–Seljuk conflicts 1095–1291 Crusades 1299–1453 Byzantine–Ottoman wars 1676–1918 Russo-Turkish wars 1689–1815 Second Hundred Years' War 1722–1828 Russo-Persian Wars 1919–1923 Turkish War of Independence
Africa 1955–present Sudanese civil wars 1961–1974 Portuguese Colonial War 1975–2002 Angolan Civil War 1996–present Congo wars
Asia 133 BC – 89 AD Han–Xiongnu War 109 BC – 108 BC Gojoseon–Han War 220–280 Wars of the Three Kingdoms (China) 588–630 Göktürk–Persian wars 598–614 Goguryeo–Sui Wars 629-630 Tang conquest of the Eastern Turks 645–668 Goguryeo–Tang Wars 657 Tang conquest of the Western Turks 1206–1279 Mongol invasion of China 1231–1259 Mongol invasions of Korea 1274–1281 Mongol invasions of Japan 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea 1627–1636 Manchu invasions of Korea 1747–1793 Ten Great Campaigns 1830–1907 Great Game 1839–1860 Opium Wars 1894–1945 Sino-Japanese Wars 1902–1932 Unification of Saudi Arabia 1920–present Kurdish rebellions in Turkey 1930–1939 Soviet–Japanese border conflicts 1941–1945 Pacific War also includes a small piece of Oceania Region but mainly an Asian war. 1947–present Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts and Kashmir conflict 1948–present Arab–Israeli conflict 1950–1953 Korean War 1955–1975 Vietnam War 1961–1997 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict 1962 Sino-Indian War 1978–present Afghan Civil War 1979–1989 Soviet–Afghan War 2012–2019 Arab Winter 2023–present Middle Eastern crisis
Americas and Europe 1609–1890 American Indian Wars 1688–1763 French and Indian Wars 1754–1815 Sixty Years' War 1775-1783 American Revolutionary War 1803-1815 Napoleonic Wars 1860-1877 American Civil War and Reconstruction Era (re-admitting States to the Union)
Europe 58 BC – 50 BC Gallic Wars 1142–1445 Swedish–Novgorodian Wars 1296–1363 Wars of Scottish Independence 1135–1453 Wars between the kingdom of England and the French 1337–1453 Hundred Years' War 1438–1552 Russo-Kazan Wars 1455–1487 Wars of the Roses 1494–1559 Italian Wars 1496–1809 Russo-Swedish wars 1507–1572 Russo-Crimean Wars 1562–1598 French Wars of Religion 1639–1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms (Europe) 1648–1667 The Deluge 1785–2017 Chechen–Russian conflict 1792–1802 French Revolutionary Wars 1848–1871 Italian Wars of Independence 1912–1913 Balkan Wars 1941–1944 Continuation War (Finland-USSR) 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War 1991–2001 Yugoslav Wars 2014–present Russo-Ukrainian War
Global conflicts 1756–1763 Seven Years' War 1914–1918 World War I 1939–1945 World War II 1945–1992 Cold WarWorld Book Encyclopedia, 2025 ed., s.v. "Cold War" 2001–present War on terrorWorld Book Encyclopedia, 2025 ed., s.v. "War on terror"
References