The shortest and longest war in human history. The longest wars in the history of mankind The longest war in the world

In the history of civilization there have always been military clashes. And each protracted conflict was distinguished by its duration. We bring to your attention the top 10 longest wars in the history of mankind.

Vietnam War

The well-known military conflict between the United States and Vietnam lasted eighteen years (1957-1975). In the history of America, some facts of these events are still hushed up. In Vietnam, this war is considered not only a tragic, but also a heroic period.

The immediate cause of serious clashes was the coming of the Communists to power in China and South Vietnam. Accordingly, the US president no longer wanted to put up with the potential for a communist "domino effect." Therefore, the White House decided to use military force.

American combat units outgunned the Vietnamese. But on the other hand, the national army brilliantly applied guerrilla methods in the fight against the enemy.

As a result, the war ended with a mutually beneficial agreement between the states.

North War

Perhaps the longest war in the history of Russia is the Northern one. In 1700, Russia faced one of the most powerful powers of that era - Sweden. The first military failures of Peter I became an incentive for the start of serious transformations. As a result, by 1703 the Russian autocrat had already won a number of victories, after which the entire Neva was in his hands. That is why the tsar decided to establish a new capital there - St. Petersburg.

A little later, the Russian army conquered Dorpat and Narva.

Meanwhile, the Swedish emperor demanded revenge, and in 1708 his units again invaded Russia. It was the beginning of the decline of this northern power.

First, Russian soldiers defeated the Swedes near Lesnaya. And then - and near Poltava, in the decisive battle.

The defeat in this battle put an end not only to the ambitious plans of Charles XII, but also to the prospects of the Swedish "great power".

A few years later the new one sued for peace. The corresponding agreement was concluded in 1721, and for the state it became deplorable. Sweden has practically ceased to be considered a great power. In addition, she lost almost all her possessions.

Peloponnesian conflict

This war lasted twenty-seven years. And such ancient states-polises as Sparta and Athens were involved in it. The conflict itself did not begin spontaneously. In Sparta there was an oligarchic form of government, in Athens - democracy. There was also a kind of cultural confrontation. In general, these two strong leaders could no longer meet on the battlefield.

The Athenians made sea raids on the shores of the Peloponnese. The Spartans also invaded the territory of Attica.

After some time, both warring parties entered into a peace treaty, but a few years later Athens violated the terms. And the hostilities began again.

In general, the Athenians lost. So, they were defeated at Syracuse. Then, with the support of Persia, Sparta managed to build its own fleet. This flotilla finally defeated the enemy at Egospotami.

The main outcome of the war was the loss of all Athenian colonies. In addition, the policy itself was forced to join the Spartan Union.

A war that lasted three decades

For three decades (1618-1648), literally all European powers took part in religious clashes. It all started with a conflict between German Protestants and Catholics, after which this local incident turned into a large-scale war in Europe. Note that Russia was also involved in this conflict. Only Switzerland remained neutral.

During the years of this merciless war, the number of inhabitants of Germany decreased by several orders of magnitude!

By the end of the clashes, the warring parties concluded a peace treaty. The consequence of this document was the formation of an independent state - the Netherlands.

The clash of factions of the British aristocracy

In medieval England in the second half of the 15th century, there were active hostilities. Contemporaries called them the war of the Scarlet and White Roses. In fact, it was a series of civil wars, which, in general, lasted 33 years. It was a confrontation between factions of the aristocracy for power. The main participants in the conflict were representatives of the Lancaster and York branches.

Years later, after numerous battles in the war, the Lancasters won. But after some time, a representative of the Tudor dynasty came to the throne. This royal family ruled for almost 120 years.

Liberation in Guatemala

The Guatemalan conflict lasted thirty-six years (1960-1996). It was a civil war. The opposing sides are representatives of Indian tribes, primarily the Maya, and the Spaniards.

The fact is that in Guatemala in the 50s, with the support of the United States, a coup d'état was carried out. Members of the opposition began to form a rebel army. The freedom movement expanded. The partisans repeatedly managed to occupy cities and villages. As a rule, governing bodies were created immediately.

Meanwhile, the war dragged on. The Guatemalan authorities acknowledged that a military solution to this conflict is impossible. As a result, peace was concluded, which was the official protection of 23 groups of Indians in the country.

In general, about 200 thousand people died during the war, most of them Mayans. Approximately another 150,000 are considered missing.

Half century conflict

The war between the Persians and the Greeks lasted half a century (499-449 BC). By the beginning of the conflict, Persia was considered a powerful and warlike power. Greece or Hellas as such did not exist at all on the map of the Ancient World. There were only fragmented policies (city-states). They seemed unable to resist the great Persia.

Be that as it may, suddenly the Persians began to suffer crushing defeats. Moreover, the Greeks were able to agree on joint military operations.

At the end of the war, Persia was forced to recognize the independence of the Greek cities. In addition, she had to give up the occupied territories.

And Hellas was waiting for an unprecedented rise. The country then began to enter a period of highest prosperity. She had already laid the foundations of culture, which later the whole world began to follow.

A war that lasted one century

What is the longest war in history? You will learn more about this later. But the century-old conflict between England and France was among the record holders. In fact, it lasted more than one century - 116 years. The fact is that both sides were forced to agree to a truce in this long battle. The reason was the plague.

In those days, both states were regional leaders. They had powerful armies and serious allies.

Initially, England began hostilities. The island kingdom sought to regain, first of all, Anjou, Maine and Normandy. The French side was eager to expel the British from Aquitaine. Thus, she tried to unite all her territories.

The French formed their militia. The British used hired soldiers for military operations.

In 1431, the legendary Joan of Arc, who was a symbol of French freedom, was executed. After that, the militias began, above all, to use guerrilla methods in the fight. As a result, years later, war-weary England conceded defeat, losing almost all possessions on French territory.

Punic War

At the very beginning of the history of Roman civilization, Rome managed to practically subjugate all of Italy. By this time, the Romans wanted to extend their influence to the territory of the rich island of Sicily. These interests were also pursued by the powerful trading power of Carthage. The inhabitants of ancient Rome called the Carthaginians the Puns. As a result, hostilities began between these countries.

One of the longest wars in the world lasted 118 years. True, active hostilities lasted four decades. The rest of the war went on in a kind of sluggish phase.

Ultimately, Carthage was defeated and destroyed. Note that over the years of the war, about a million people died, which was a lot for those times ...

335 year strange war

The obvious record holder for the duration was the war between the Scilly archipelago and the Netherlands. How long was the longest war in history? It lasted more than three centuries and was very different from other military conflicts. At least the fact that for all 335 years the opponents have not been able to shoot at each other.

In the first half of the 17th century, the Second Civil War was going on in England. The famous defeated the royalists. Fleeing from the chase, the losers arrived on the shores of the Scilly archipelago, which belonged to a prominent royalist.

Meanwhile, part of the Dutch fleet decided to support Cromwell. They hoped for an easy victory, but this did not happen. After the defeat, the Dutch authorities demanded compensation. The royalists responded with a categorical refusal. Then, at the end of March 1651, the Dutch officially declared war on Scilly, after which ... they returned home.

A little later, the royalists were persuaded to surrender. But this strange "war" officially continued. It ended only in 1985, when it was discovered that formally Scilly is still at war with Holland. The following year, this misunderstanding was settled, and the two countries were able to sign a peace treaty ...

Original taken from edward journal in History of Russia, the longest wars

In the history of mankind there are wars that differ in their duration. In this series, the record holder, of course, is the Hundred Years War between England and France, which lasted from 1337 to 1453, i.e., almost 116 years. But there are also long wars in the history of Russia. It is about them that I would like to talk in this article.

Caucasian War (1817-1864) - 47 years.

As a result of the Russian-Iranian and Russian-Turkish wars, the North Caucasus was surrounded by Russian territory by the beginning of the 11th century. Attempts by the tsarist administration to impose their own rules on the local peoples met with resistance, which at times turned into a fierce one. The highlanders were especially outraged by the prohibitions on raids (a traditional form of fishing for the local population, accompanied by robbery and taking prisoners), the need to participate in the construction of bridges, roads, fortresses, and new taxation. Additional difficulties were caused by the different level of socio-economic and political development of the North Caucasian peoples and the religious factor.

“Muridism became the ideological support of the highlanders. The teaching of Muridism required blind obedience from every true believer. Muridism placed on its followers the obligation to conduct a "holy war", ghazawat, against the infidels until they were converted to Islam or completely destroyed. The call for ghazavat, addressed to all mountain peoples, was a powerful stimulus for resistance and at the same time contributed to overcoming the disunity of the peoples who inhabited the North Caucasus.

Initially, the highlanders did not like the actions of General Yermolov: the construction of fortresses, roads, deforestation. All this facilitated control over the North Caucasus.

The reason for the war was the actions of General A.P. Yermolov, who began active offensive operations - he built fortress settlements, laid roads between them, cut down forests, moving deep into the territories of the mountain peoples. In 1818, the Groznaya fortress arose on the Suzha River. It began the systematic advance of the Russians from the old border line along the Terek to the very foot of the mountains. Yermolov's activity evoked a response from the mountain peoples. (The name Yermolov became a household name for the highlanders, and for a long time children were scared of them in this region). In 1819, almost all the rulers of Dagestan united in an alliance to fight against the Russians, and four years later the Kabardian princes did the same. And a chain reaction began. In 1824, an uprising in Chechnya was raised by a former military man B. Taymazov. Gazi-Magomed, who became the first imam of Chechnya and Dagestan in 1828, fought both with Russian troops and with the Avar khans, considering them supporters of Russia. The war began to take on a protracted character.

Russian fortress "Groznaya"

In 1827, Yermolov, suspected by Nicholas I of having connections with the Decembrists, was replaced as commander of the Separate Caucasian Corps by I.F. Paskevich. Paskevich abandoned Yermolov's methods of conquering the Caucasus and considered it sufficient to conduct separate military expeditions and build strongholds. It was Paskevich who began to lay the road along the Black Sea coast, which later turned into the Black Sea coastline. These fortifications further turned the highlanders against the Russians.

Ethnic Avar imam Shamil led the struggle of the mountain peoples against the Russian Empire

In 1834, Shamil was elected the third imam. On the territory subject to him, he created an imamat - a theocratic state, where all power belongs to one person - the imam. Sharia law was in force here, and strict discipline reigned. Shamil managed to organize the highlanders into a regular army. With the help of the British and Turks, he equipped his troops with the latest weapons, including artillery. For the 1840s the greatest successes of the highlanders in the struggle against Russia are accounted for - the capture of several Russian fortifications, the encirclement of the Russian expeditionary corps under the command of M. Vorontsov, the governor in the Caucasus.

Aul Vedeno has long been the residence of Shamil

The end of the Crimean War was marked by the intensification of hostilities against Shamil. The number of armed forces in the Caucasus was increased, some new types of weapons appeared. The new commander-in-chief in the North Caucasus, A.I. Baryatinsky, applied flexible tactics: he abandoned the practice of punitive expeditions, managed to enlist the support of both the local nobility and the common people. All this began to bear fruit, besides, over the long years of the Caucasian War, Russia learned to fight in mountainous areas, so events began to develop more intensively. In April 1859, the residence of Shamil, the village of Vedeno, was taken. On August 25, 1859, Shamil, along with 400 associates, was besieged in Gunib and on August 26 surrendered to the army of Baryatinsky.

Surrender of Imam Shamil

However, the appearance of Russian settlers in the Caucasus led to the discontent of the local population and the uprising in 1862 of the peoples of Abkhazia. It was suppressed only in 1864. May 21, 1864 is considered the day of the end of the Caucasian War - the longest war in the history of Russia.

Livonian War (1558-1583) - 25 years.

Ivan IV had to solve many foreign policy tasks, and in different directions: the Baltic (northwest), Crimean (south), Lithuanian (west), Kazan and Nogai (southeast), Siberian (east). Most of these areas were "inherited" from the foreign policy of Ivan IV's predecessors - Ivan III and Vasily III (grandfather and father, respectively). The accession of the Kazan, Astrakhan khanates, the Siberian khanates, Bashkiria can be added to the asset of Ivan IV, the difficult relationship with the Crimean Horde, which literally terrorized Russia with its constant raids, the lawsuit over the western Russian lands with Poland and Lithuania, being drawn into a large-scale, a long war for access to the Baltic Sea.

Territorial increments of the 16th century

The rapidly growing Russian state (in the period from 1462 to 1533 alone, the territory of the state grew 6.5 times - from 430 thousand sq. Km. to 2.8 million sq. Km.) Needed new trade links, ways. One of the main problems of Russia during this period was the difficult situation with sea routes. The lack of seaports (Arkhangelsk was built only in 1584) and access to the European seas made it difficult for Russia to enter the world economic system.

Castle of the Livonian Order. The best preserved of all the castles of that time in the region

The choice of the Baltic direction was one of the reasons for the split among the closest associates of Ivan IV - Sylvester, A. Adashev, A. Kurbsky leaned towards the Black Sea direction, believing that the threat from the south is more real, and the potential conquest of the Crimea promises great prospects. However, the king, thus breaking with his recent associates, chose the northwestern direction, believing that Livonia is weak and will not offer serious resistance.

Capture by Ivan the Terrible Livonian Fortress Kokenhausen

Indeed, initially everything went well for Russia - in about two years, Russian troops defeated the Livonian Order and occupied almost all of Livonia, including Narva, which for some time became the main Russian port in the Baltic. Such a course of events did not suit Sweden, Lithuania, Poland (in 1569 Lithuania and Poland united into one state - the Commonwealth), for which the strengthening of Russia's position in the Baltic meant the emergence of a new competitor, loss of profits. From that moment on, the Livonian War gradually develops into the largest war of the 16th century, in which several countries of Eastern and Northern Europe were drawn into.

The course of the Livonian War

Russia turned out to be neither diplomatically nor politically prepared for such a war, which, moreover, turned out to be so protracted. Against the backdrop of the beginning of the mid-1560s. Russia's oprichnina had to face the combat-ready armies of Poland and Lithuania, and then with, perhaps, the best Swedish army at that time in Europe. Added to this were factors that, apparently, could have a positive impact on the course of the war for Russia. (Ivan IV was twice considered as a candidate for the Polish throne in the 1570s; successful negotiations with Sweden, interrupted due to a change of king; a failed military alliance with England; Crimean raids that lasted virtually the entire Livonian War).

As a result of the Livonian War, Russia lost not only the conquered territories, but also part of its lands in the Baltic states and Belarus, lost access to the Baltic Sea (at the end of the 16th century, Russia again briefly managed to get access to the sea, but this turned out, alas, to be a short-term event).

Northern War (1700-1721) - 21 years old

Peter I initially made efforts to develop a strategy for access to the southern seas, and only in the face of a lack of allies did he radically change the direction of Russia's foreign policy to the northwest. Here the allies were found. They turned out to be Poland, Saxony, Denmark, which formed the Northern Union, and, unfortunately, soon turned out to be untenable as a military force. I must say that, despite the fact that the "best years" of Sweden remained in the 17th century, Sweden, led by the young (18 years old), but talented King Charles XII, represented a serious military and naval force. This confirmed the beginning of the Northern War - Sweden quickly withdrew Denmark from the war, defeated the numerically superior Russian troops in the battle of Narva, and then left Russia alone (by 1706), defeating the Polish-Saxon troops.

Battle of Narva

Military failures stimulated Peter I to a whole series of transformations (limiting the number of foreign officers in the troops, the introduction of recruitment, the formation of the Baltic Fleet, the construction of blast furnace and hammer factories for the needs of artillery, the creation of a network of military and naval educational institutions, etc.). As a result, after a series of victories, by 1703 the entire course of the Neva was in the hands of the Russians. On May 16 (27), 1703, the future capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, was laid. In 1704, Russian troops captured Narva and Derpt, establishing themselves on the Baltic coast. After a short break, Carl XII decided to invade Russia. The victory at the Battle of Golovchin in the summer of 1708 was the last major success of the Swedish army. And then followed the epic battles at the village of Lesnaya and the battle of Poltava, which led to the defeat of the Swedish army and the flight of Karl XII to the Ottoman Empire.

Poltava

In 1709, the Northern Union was recreated (Prussia also joined it), and in 1710 Russia captured Riga, Vyborg, Revel and other Baltic cities. In 1713-1715. Russia captured Finland, and in 1714 a major victory was won in a naval battle near Cape Gangut. In May 1718, the Åland Congress opened, designed to work out the terms of a peace treaty between Russia and Sweden. However, the death of Charles XII interrupted the negotiations that had begun.

Battle of Gangut

England acted in this case as an instigator, creating anti-Russian public opinion and inciting other countries against Russia. And she partially succeeded in her plan - in 1719, Austria, Saxony and Hanover organized an anti-Russian coalition. Nevertheless, against the backdrop of such a difficult international situation for Russia, new victories were won by the Russian fleet near the islands of Ezel and Grengam.

The Order of Judas was made in a single copy in 1709 by order of Tsar Peter I to reward the traitor Hetman Mazepa

On August 30, 1721, Russia and Sweden signed the Treaty of Nystadt. As a result of the war, Ingria, Karelia, Estonia, Livonia and part of Finland were annexed to Russia. But most importantly, Russia has solved the problem of access to the Baltic Sea and for many years established itself on this section of the main waterways as a leading maritime power.
Vladimir Gizhov, Ph.D.,
Especially for the Russian Horizon magazine

Even the shortest war can cause an incalculable amount of pain and suffering. What to say about longest wars in human history which lasted for decades and claimed millions of lives.

In some wars, soldiers fought all their lives and never got to see the end of a conflict that began before they were even born.

10. Great Northern War - 1700-1721 (21 years old)

The longest war in Russian history was fought between Sweden and a coalition of Nordic countries. And the “main prize” in it was the lands of the Baltic states. It is curious that the formal reason for Russia's entry into the war was "untruths and insults" that were allegedly inflicted on Peter I by the Swedes during his trip to Europe.

The war ended with the defeat of Sweden and the emergence of a new powerful player in the geopolitical arena of Europe - the Russian Empire, with a strong army and navy. It was during the Northern War that St. Petersburg was founded, located in the place where the Neva River flows into the Baltic Sea.

9. War of the Scarlet and White Roses - 1455-1487 (32 years)

One of the consequences of the Hundred Years' War (which was also included in the ranking of the longest military conflicts in history) was the War of the Roses that raged in Northern England. The throne of England was at stake, and roses were the hallmarks of the warring parties.

King Henry VI was a weak and unhealthy ruler, with various factions of courtiers vying for power. Sometimes the king fell into madness, which also did not add to his popularity and trust.

The legitimacy of Henry's reign was challenged by Richard, Duke of York. The House of Lancaster, from which Henry was born, and the House of Richard of York fought for three decades until the Lancastrians were finally victorious.

And Henry Tudor, from a side branch of the House of Lancaster, married the daughter of Edward IV of York, Elizabeth, thus uniting the two warring houses. Thus was founded the Tudor dynasty, which lasted on the throne until 1603. But that, as they say, is a completely different story.

8 Banana Wars - 1898-1934 (36 years)

A long series of conflicts in various Latin American countries, the so-called "banana wars", began in 1898 with the US intervention in Cuba as part of the Spanish-American War. And it ended only in 1934, when President Roosevelt withdrew troops from the island of Haiti.

American forces (primarily marines) defended US interests not only in Cuba, but also in Honduras, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Much of the conflict was fought to protect American commercial and economic interests, especially fruit exports.

7. Cold War - 1946-1990 (44 years old)

This confrontation between the USSR and the USA was not a military conflict in the international legal sense of the word. It was a confrontation between two ideologies - socialist and capitalist. And although the two countries were not at war with each other on the battlefield, they actively intervened in conflicts around the world in order to create and maintain spheres of influence.

Both sides fought indirect wars with each other in Korea, Vietnam and a number of other countries, financed riots and revolutions, created ever more powerful weapons, and in 1962 the world was on the verge of nuclear war. The Cold War ended a little before the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

6. Greco-Persian Wars 499-449 BC e (50 years)

Scientists draw all the information about the Greco-Persian wars from Greek sources, there are simply no others. It is known that military conflicts took place between the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids and the Greek city-states, which defended their independence.

As a result of one of the longest wars in history, Athens defeated Persia, captured most of its territory, and the war ended with the Treaty of Kallia. The Achaemenid Empire lost its possessions in the Aegean Sea, on the coast of the Hellespont and the Bosphorus, and was also forced to recognize the political independence of policies in Asia Minor.

5. Civil war in Burma - 1948-2012 (64 years old)

This is the longest civil war in modern history fought between the Burmese government and communist forces, which included several ethnic minorities. By the name of one of them (the Karen), this war is also called the Karen conflict.

Over the decades of fighting, numerous war crimes by the Burmese army have been widely documented, including the killing of civilians and the sexual abuse of women and girls.

As a result of systematic attacks on ethnic minority civilians, about three million people have fled Burma. Most of them fled to neighboring Thailand.

4. Dutch War of Independence - 1568-1648 (80 years old)

When the Dutch Revolution began, Spain was one of the world's great superpowers. By the time it ended, the "Spanish Age" had also ended.

Seventeen provinces fought for independence from Spanish rule, and their first leader was William of Orange. After William's death, Moritz of Orange replaced him as commander of the Dutch army.

The Dutch War of Independence (aka the Eighty Years' War) was the defining conflict of its era. It ensured the triumph of the Reformation in northwestern Europe and along the way reshaped the geopolitics of the continent, giving rise to the first modern republics of Europe.

3. Hundred Years War - 1337-1453 (116 years old)

One of the longest wars in world history was fought between England and France. And although it is called "Centenary", it went on with four breaks for 116 years. Strictly speaking, it was a series of military Anglo-French conflicts.

The struggle was for British-controlled French territory and control of the French throne. The rulers of England and France have been related by kinship for centuries, so the British claim to the French throne did have some basis.

The war ended with the surrender of the British in 1453, after more than a century of bloodshed. The victorious French took almost all of the English possessions in France, thus beginning a long era during which England remained largely isolated from European affairs.

Up to 3.5 million people are believed to have died during the Hundred Years' War.

2. Punic Wars - 264-146 BC. (118 years old)

You may have heard the expression "Carthage must be destroyed" in school history lessons. Do you remember why Carthage had to be destroyed? So that his main enemy - Rome - could strengthen his position in the Western Mediterranean. This was precisely the goal of the three Punic Wars.

During the second Punic War, one of them managed to inflict a crushing defeat on Rome. Unfortunately for the Carthaginians, this victory did not mark the end of the war. After the Third Punic War, the Carthaginian region became part of the Roman Empire, and the city itself was burned to the ground.

1. Araucanian War - 1536-1825 (289 years old)

A series of irregular conflicts known as the Araucanian War began in 1536 when the Creole population of the Spanish Empire attempted to colonize the Mapuche people living in Chile. Spain encountered a strong army during the exploration of the Strait of Magellan and, although outnumbered, was able to kill thousands of Mapuche warriors due to superior firepower.

Despite numerous attempts by the Spaniards to subdue the Mapuche, this people remained independent of Spanish rule. Battles between him and the Spanish were common for almost 300 years, until the independence of Chile.

Peace was established on January 7, 1825 - but even then the Mapuche were not integrated into Chilean society until their land was conquered in 1883. And some still protest against Chilean rule.

The longest bloodless war in history - 1651-1986. (335 years old)

The longest 335-year war was a bloodless conflict between the Netherlands and the tiny archipelago of Scilly. It all started back in 1651 during the English Civil War. The Dutch, seeing an opportunity to recoup some of their losses from royalist raids, immediately sent a fleet of twelve warships to the royalist base of Scilly to demand reparations. Having received no satisfactory response from the royalists, the Dutch admiral Maarten Tromp declared war on them on March 30, 1651.

And already in June of the same year, the Dutch forced the royalist fleet to surrender. The Dutch fleet did not fire a single shot. Due to the ambiguity of declaring war on one nation against a small part of another, the Netherlands did not officially announce a peace treaty.

The Dutch ambassador only visited Scilly in 1986 to proclaim the end of 335 years of conflict. At the same time, the Dutch ambassador joked that it was terrible for the inhabitants of Scilly "to know that we could attack at any moment."

A series of the longest wars in history - 452-1485. (1033 years)

The Anglo-Welsh Wars, which were fought between the Anglo-Saxons and the Welsh from the 5th to the 15th centuries, became the longest wars known to mankind.

They began with attacks by pagan Germanic tribes colonizing parts of Britain's east and south coasts against the British (called "Wealsc" by the Anglo-Saxons). And continued until the late Middle Ages, when Wales was eventually subjugated and annexed by England.

The final of the Anglo-Welsh wars was the Battle of Bosworth, during which the troops of the English king Richard III (the last of the York family) were defeated by the troops of Henry Tudor from the House of Lancaster.

The history of mankind is the history of wars. Endless conflicts constantly redrawn maps, destroyed peoples and gave rise to great empires. There were also such wars that lasted for more than a century, that is, there were generations of people who in their lifetime have seen nothing but war.

1. War without shots (335 years)

This unusual war between the Scilly archipelago and the Netherlands is unlike any other war, and indeed is a mere formality. For 335 years, the rivals have never fired at each other, but it all started not so rosy.
It was during the Second English Civil War, when Oliver Cromwell pressed the supporters of the English king. The fleeing royalists embarked on ships and headed for the Isles of Scilly, which were owned by one of the king's followers. The Netherlands all this time vigilantly followed the development of the intra-English conflict, and when Parliament began to win, they decided to support it, sending their ships against the weakened royalist fleet, counting on an easy victory. But it was not for nothing that the British were considered the best naval commanders in the world, they were able to inflict a crushing defeat on the Dutch. A few days later, the main forces of the Dutch fleet also arrived at the islands, demanding that the British reimburse the cost of sunken ships and property. They were refused, after which, at the end of March 1651, the Dutch declared war on the Isles of Scilly, with which they sailed home. After 3 months, Cromwell persuaded the supporters of the king to surrender, but the Netherlands could not conclude a peace treaty, because it was not clear with whom it should have been concluded at all, since the Isles of Scilly had already also gone under the control of the English parliament, with which Holland did not seem to be at war.
The end of the war was put in 1985 by the chairman of the council, Scilly R. Duncan, who discovered in the archives that the territory he ruled formally continued to fight with the Netherlands. On April 17 of the following year, the Dutch ambassador was not too lazy to sail to the island, who signed the belated peace agreement.

Huge buildings covering a large area are the most expensive construction projects in which huge amounts of money have been invested. They are not about...

2. Punic Wars (118 years)

At the beginning of the formation of the Roman Republic, the Romans were able to subjugate most of the Apennine Peninsula. But the rich island of Sicily remained unconquered. The same goal was achieved by Carthage, a powerful trading power in North Africa. The Romans called the inhabitants of Carthage puns. Having landed simultaneously in Sicily, the two armies inevitably began to fight. There were three Punic Wars in total, which stretched intermittently for 118 years with long intervals of low-level conflict. At the end of the Punic Wars, Carthage was finally destroyed. It is believed that this conflict claimed up to a million lives, which at that time was an incredible number.

3. Hundred Years War (116 years)

It was a war that broke out between medieval France and England and lasted for more than a century. Throughout the war, the parties involved had to take time out during the plague. It was a time when both countries were the strongest powers in Europe with powerful armies and allies. The war was started by England, whose king set out to return the hereditary lands in Normandy, Anjou and the Isle of Man. The French, on the other hand, wanted to drive the British out of Aquitaine and unite all the lands under the French crown. If the British used hired soldiers, then the French militia fought.
During the Hundred Years War, the star of Joan of Arc flashed, which brought many victories to France, but was treacherously executed. After losing their leader, the militias switched to guerrilla warfare methods. In the end, England ran out of resources and conceded defeat, losing virtually all possessions on the continent.

4. Greco-Persian War (50 years)

The war between the Hellenes and the Iranians lasted from 499 to 449 BC. e. At the beginning of the conflict, Persia was a warlike and powerful power. And Hellas as a single state did not even exist yet; instead, there were disunited city-states (policies). It seemed that they had no chance to resist the mighty Persia. But this did not stop the Greeks from starting to destroy the Persian armies. In the process of this, the Hellenes were able to agree to act jointly. After the end of the conflict, Persia recognized the independence of the policies and abandoned the previously captured lands. For Hellas, the heyday has come. Since then, it has become the basis of the culture on the basis of which modern European civilization appeared.

5. Guatemalan War (age 36)

This war began in 1960 and ended in 1996. It was civil in nature. On the one hand, Indian tribes (especially the Maya) participated in it, and on the other, the descendants of the Spaniards. In the 1950s, a coup d'état took place in Guatemala with the complicity of the United States. The opposition began to raise an army of rebels, which was constantly growing. The partisans often captured not only villages, but also large cities, creating their own governing bodies there. Neither side had the strength to win, and the war dragged on. The authorities had to admit that military measures would not be able to resolve the conflict.
The war ended in peace, in which 23 different groups of indigenous people - Indians - were protected. During the conflict, about 200,000 people died, mostly Maya, and about 150,000 more are considered missing.

6. War of the Scarlet and White Roses (33 years old)

In the second half of the 15th century, a war raged in England with a poetic name - the War of the Scarlet and White Roses. In fact, it was a string of civil conflicts that stretched over 33 years. The highest aristocrats, representing two branches - Yorks and Lancasters, fought for power. After many bloody skirmishes, in the end, the Lancasters took over. However, these seas of shed blood were in vain - the Tudors ascended the English throne after a while, who ruled the country for almost 120 years.

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7. Thirty Years War (30 years)

This is a prototype of the world war (1618-1648), in which almost all European countries took part, and the reason was the Reformation that began in Europe - the separation of Catholics and Protestants. The war began with a conflict between German Lutherans and Catholics, and then all powers gradually became involved in this local dispute.
Participated in the Thirty Years' War and Russia, only the Swiss remained neutral. The war was unusually bloody, for example, it reduced the population of Germany several times. In the end, it ended with the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia. In Europe, this war destroyed so much everything and everywhere that there was simply no winner in it.

8. Peloponnesian War (age 27)

The ancient city-states of Athens and Sparta took part in the Peloponnesian War. The beginning of the conflict was not accidental. If democracy operated in Athens, then in Sparta there was an aristocracy. Between these policies there was not only a cultural confrontation, but also other strife. In the end, these two strongest cities of Hellas had to find out which of them was more important. If the Athenians raided the Peloponnese peninsula from the sea, then the Spartans terrorized the territory of Attica. After some time, peace was concluded between them, which was soon violated by the Athenians.
After this, the war between Sparta and Athens resumed. The Spartans had the advantage, and Athens received a sensitive defeat at Syracuse. Using the assistance of Persia, the Spartans built their own navy, with the help of which they inflicted a final defeat on their rivals at Aegospotami. As a result of the war, Athens lost all its colonies, and the Athenian policy itself was forcibly included in the Spartan Union.

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9. Northern War (21 years old)

The Northern War became the longest in Russian history. In 1700, young Peter's Russia clashed with Sweden, which was very powerful at that time. At first, Peter I received slaps in the face from the Swedish king, but they served as an incentive to start significant changes in the country. Therefore, by 1703, the Russian army managed to win several victories, until it established control over the entire Neva. There, the first emperor of Russia decided to build a new capital of the empire, St. Petersburg, because he could not stand Moscow. A little later, the Russians captured Narva and Dorpat. The Swedish king was eager to take revenge, so his troops in 1708 again attacked Russia. This was a fatal decision for Sweden, whose star then rolled into the sunset.
First, Peter defeated the Swedes under the forest, and then near Poltava, where the decisive battle took place. After the defeat at Poltava, Charles XII forgot not only about the local revenge on the Russian Tsar, but also about the plans to create a "great Sweden". The new king of Sweden, Fredrik I, asked Russia for peace, which was concluded in 1721 and was deplorable for Sweden, which ceased to be a great European power and lost most of its conquered possessions.

10 Vietnam War (age 18)

The US fought tiny Vietnam from 1957 to 1975, but never managed to defeat it. If for America this war is the greatest shame, then for Vietnam it is a tragic, but also a heroic time. The reason for the intervention was the coming of the Communists to power in China and North Vietnam. The American authorities did not want to get a new communist country, so they decided to get involved in an open armed conflict on the side of the forces ruling in South Vietnam. The technical superiority of the American army was overwhelming, but it was leveled by guerrilla methods of warfare and the high morale of the Vietnamese soldiers. As a result, the Americans had to get out of Vietnam.

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In the history of mankind, various wars occupy a huge place.

They redrawn maps, gave birth to empires, destroyed peoples and nations. The earth remembers wars that lasted more than a century. We recall the most protracted military conflicts in the history of mankind.

1. War without shots (335 years old)

The longest and most curious of the wars is the war between the Netherlands and the Scilly archipelago, which is part of Great Britain.

Due to the lack of a peace treaty, it formally went on for 335 years without firing a shot, which makes it one of the longest and most curious wars in history, and even the war with the least losses.

Peace was officially declared in 1986.

2. Punic War (118 years)

By the middle of the III century BC. the Romans almost completely subjugated Italy, swung at the entire Mediterranean and wanted Sicily first. But the mighty Carthage also claimed this rich island.

Their claims unleashed 3 wars that stretched (intermittently) from 264 to 146. BC. and got the name from the Latin name of the Phoenicians-Carthaginians (puns).

The first (264-241) is 23 years old (began just because of Sicily).

The second (218-201) - 17 years (after the capture of the Spanish city of Sagunta by Hannibal).

The last (149-146) - 3 years.

It was then that the famous phrase "Carthage must be destroyed!" was born. Pure warfare took 43 years. The conflict in total - 118 years.

Results: Besieged Carthage fell. Rome won.

3. Hundred Years War (116 years)

Went in 4 stages. With pauses for truces (the longest - 10 years) and the fight against the plague (1348) from 1337 to 1453.

Opponents: England and France.

Reasons: France wanted to oust England from the southwestern lands of Aquitaine and complete the unification of the country. England - to strengthen influence in the province of Guienne and return those lost under John the Landless - Normandy, Maine, Anjou. Complication: Flanders - formally was under the auspices of the French crown, in fact it was free, but depended on English wool for cloth making.

Reason: the claims of the English king Edward III from the Plantagenet-Anjou dynasty (maternal grandson of the French king Philip IV the Handsome of the Capetian family) to the Gallic throne. Allies: England - German feudal lords and Flanders. France - Scotland and the Pope. Armies: English - mercenary. under the command of the king. The basis is infantry (archers) and knightly units. French - a knightly militia, led by royal vassals.

Turning point: after the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431 and the Battle of Normandy, the national liberation war of the French people began with the tactics of guerrilla raids.

Results: October 19, 1453 the English army capitulated in Bordeaux. Having lost everything on the continent, except for the port of Calais (it remained English for another 100 years). France switched to a regular army, abandoned knightly cavalry, gave preference to infantry, and the first firearms appeared.

4. Greco-Persian War (50 years)

All in all, war. Stretched with lulls from 499 to 449. BC. They are divided into two (the first - 492-490, the second - 480-479) or three (the first - 492, the second - 490, the third - 480-479 (449). For the Greek policies-states - the battle for independence. For the Achaeminid Empire - captivating.

Trigger: Ionian rebellion. The battle of the Spartans at Thermopylae is legendary. The battle of Salamis was a turning point. The point was put by "Kalliev Mir".

Results: Persia lost the Aegean Sea, the coasts of the Hellespont and the Bosphorus. Recognized the freedom of the cities of Asia Minor. The civilization of the ancient Greeks entered the time of the highest prosperity, laying the culture, which, even after millennia, the world was equal to.

4. Punic war. The battles lasted 43 years. They are divided into three stages of wars between Rome and Carthage. They fought for dominance in the Mediterranean. The Romans won the battle. Basetop.ru

5. Guatemalan War (age 36)

Civil. It proceeded in outbreaks from 1960 to 1996. A provocative decision by US President Eisenhower in 1954 triggered a coup.

Reason: the fight against the "communist infection".

Opponents: Bloc "Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity" and the military junta.

Victims: almost 6 thousand murders were committed annually, only in the 80s - 669 massacres, more than 200 thousand dead (of which 83% were Maya Indians), over 150 thousand went missing. Outcomes: Signing of the "Treaty for a Lasting and Lasting Peace", which protected the rights of 23 groups of Native Americans.

Outcomes: Signing of the "Treaty for a Lasting and Lasting Peace", which protected the rights of 23 groups of Native Americans.

6. War of the Scarlet and White Roses (33 years old)

Confrontation of the English nobility - supporters of two tribal branches of the Plantagenet dynasty - Lancaster and York. Stretched from 1455 to 1485.

Prerequisites: “bastard feudalism” is the privilege of the English nobility to pay off military service from the lord, in whose hands large funds were concentrated, with which he paid for the army of mercenaries, which became more powerful than the royal one.

The reason: the defeat of England in the Hundred Years War, the impoverishment of the feudal lords, their rejection of the political course of the wife of the feeble-minded king Henry IV, hatred of her favorites.

Opposition: Duke Richard of York - considered the right to power of the Lancasters illegitimate, became regent under an incapacitated monarch, in 1483 - king, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth.

Results: Violated the balance of political forces in Europe. Led to the collapse of the Plantagenets. She placed the Welsh Tudors on the throne, who ruled England for 117 years. Cost the lives of hundreds of English aristocrats.

7. Thirty Years War (30 years)

The first military conflict of a pan-European scale. Lasted from 1618 to 1648. Opponents: two coalitions. The first is the union of the Holy Roman Empire (in fact, Austrian) with Spain and the Catholic principalities of Germany. The second is the German states, where power was in the hands of Protestant princes. They were supported by the armies of reformist Sweden and Denmark and Catholic France.

Reason: The Catholic League was afraid of spreading the ideas of the Reformation in Europe, the Protestant Evangelical Union was striving for this.

Trigger: Revolt of Czech Protestants against Austrian domination.

Results: The population of Germany has decreased by a third. The French army lost 80 thousand. Austria and Spain - more than 120. After the Treaty of Münster in 1648, a new independent state, the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (Holland), was finally established on the map of Europe.

8. Peloponnesian War (age 27)

There are two of them. The first is the Lesser Peloponnesian (460-445 BC). The second (431-404 BC) is the largest in the history of Ancient Hellas after the first Persian invasion of the territory of Balkan Greece. (492-490 BC).

Opponents: Peloponnesian Union led by Sparta and the First Marine (Delosian) under the auspices of Athens.

Reasons: The desire for hegemony in the Greek world of Athens and the rejection of their claims by Sparta and Corypha.

Contradictions: Athens was ruled by an oligarchy. Sparta is a military aristocracy. Ethnically, the Athenians were Ionians, the Spartans were Dorians. In the second, 2 periods are distinguished.

The first is "Archidamus War". The Spartans made land invasions into the territory of Attica. Athenians - sea raids on the coast of the Peloponnese. It ended in the 421st signing of the Peace of Nikiev. After 6 years, it was violated by the Athenian side, which was defeated in the battle of Syracuse. The final phase went down in history under the name Dekeley or Ionian. With the support of Persia, Sparta built a fleet and destroyed the Athenian at Aegospotami.

Results: After the conclusion in April 404 BC. Theramenian world of Athens lost the fleet, tore down the Long Walls, lost all the colonies and joined the Spartan alliance.

9. Great Northern War (age 21)

There was a northern war for 21 years. She was between the northern states and Sweden (1700-1721), the opposition of Peter I to Charles XII. Russia fought mostly on its own.

Reason: Possession of the Baltic lands, control over the Baltic.

Results: With the end of the war in Europe, a new empire arose - the Russian Empire, which has access to the Baltic Sea and has a powerful army and navy. The capital of the empire was St. Petersburg, located at the confluence of the Neva River into the Baltic Sea.

Sweden lost the war.

10 Vietnam War (age 18)

The Second Indochinese War between Vietnam and the United States and one of the most destructive of the second half of the 20th century. Lasted from 1957 to 1975. 3 periods: guerrilla South Vietnamese (1957-1964), from 1965 to 1973 - full-scale US military operations, 1973-1975. - after the withdrawal of American troops from the territories of the Viet Cong. Opponents: South and North Vietnam. On the side of the South - the United States and the military bloc SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization). North - China and the USSR.

The reason: when the communists came to power in China, and Ho Chi Minh became the leader of South Vietnam, the White House administration was afraid of the communist "domino effect". After Kennedy's assassination, Congress gave President Lyndon Johnson carte blanche to use military force in the Tonkin Resolution. And already in March 65, two battalions of US Army Navy SEALs left for Vietnam. So the States became part of the Vietnamese Civil War. They applied the “search and destroy” strategy, burned the jungle with napalm - the Vietnamese went underground and responded with a guerrilla war.

Who benefits: American arms corporations. US losses: 58 thousand in combat (64% under the age of 21) and about 150 thousand suicides of American veterans of the explosives.

Vietnamese victims: over 1 million who fought and more than 2 civilians, only in South Vietnam - 83 thousand amputees, 30 thousand blind, 10 thousand deaf, after the operation "Ranch Hand" (chemical destruction of the jungle) - congenital genetic mutations.

Results: The Tribunal of May 10, 1967 qualified the US actions in Vietnam as a crime against humanity (Article 6 of the Nuremberg Statute) and banned the use of CBU-type thermite bombs as weapons of mass destruction.

* Extremist and terrorist organizations banned in the Russian Federation: Jehovah's Witnesses, National Bolshevik Party, Right Sector, Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Islamic State (ISIS, ISIS, Daesh), Jabhat Fatah ash-Sham", "Jabhat al-Nusra", "Al-Qaeda", "UNA-UNSO", "Taliban", "Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people", "Misanthropic Division", "Brotherhood" Korchinsky, "Trident named after. Stepan Bandera”, “Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists” (OUN), “Azov”, “Terrorist community “Network”

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