wars in recent history by US

Small Wars

Small Wars Definition

1. US Quasi Naval War with France (1798-1800)

2. Sioux Wars – Wyoming, Minnesota, and South Dakota Territories (1854-1890)*

3. US vs. Soviet Union – Cold War (1945-1991)*

: "…small wars are operations undertaken under executive authority, wherein militaryforce is combined with diplomatic pressure in the internal or external affairs of another state whose government is unstable, inadequate, or unsatisfactory for the preservation of life and of such interests as are determined by the foreign policy of our Nation." USA and Canada Was Fought Globally.

 

4. U.S. vs. State and Non-State Terrorists - Global War on Terror (2001 to Present)

Mexico and Central America

5. US Occupation of Bluefields, Nicaragua (1894)

6. US Occupation of Corinto, Nicaragua (1896)

7. US Occupation of Juan del Sur, Nicaragua (1898)

8. US Occupation of Bluefields Nicaragua (1899)

9. Yaqui Indian War in Mexico (1899-1904)

10. US Intervention in Panamanian Revolution (1901-1914)

11. US Intervention in Honduran Revolution (1903)

12. US Intervention in Dominican Republic Revolution (1903-1904)

13. US Intervention in support of Cuban Elections (1906-1909)

14. Dollar Diplomacy Protectorate established in Nicaragua by US (1907)

15. US Intervention in Honduras in support of Operations against Nicaragua (1907)

16. US Intervention in Panamanian Elections (1908)

17. US Occupation of Bluefields and Corinto, Nicaragua (1910)

18. US Intervention in Honduran Civil War (1911)

19. US Intervention in Cuban Civil War (1912)

20. US Intervention in Panamanian Elections (1912)

21. US Intervention to protect economic interests in Honduras (1912)

22. US Occupation of Nicaragua – Counterinsurgency (1912-1933)

23. US Intervention in Mexican Revolution (1913)

24. US Intervention in Dominican Republic (1914)

25. US Occupation of Vera Cruz, Mexico (1914)

26. US Intervention against Mexican nationalists (1914-1918)

27. US Occupation of Haiti (1914-1934)

28. US – Mexico Border Disputes – Pancho Villa (1916-1917)

29. US Occupation of Dominican Republic (1916-1924)

30. US Intervention and creation of economic protectorate in Cuba (1917-1933)

31. US Intervention in Panamanian post-election violence (1918-1920)

32. US Intervention in support of Honduran Elections (1919)

33. US Intervention against Guatemalan Unionists (1920)

34. US Intervention in Honduran Elections (1924-1925)

35. US Intervention in Panamanian General Strike (1925)

 

36. US Intervention in Marti Revolt – El Salvador (1932)

37. US vs. Puerto Rican Independence Revolt (1950)

38. US Intervention in Guatemala (1954)

39. US Intervention in Panamanian Unrest (1958)

40. US sponsored Guatemalan Coup (1960)

41. US assassination operations against Fidel Castro and Raul Castro (1960-1968)

42. Bay of Pigs Invasion – US vs. Cuba (1961)

43. US assassination operations against General Trujillo – Dominican Republic (1961)

44. US assassination operations against Francois Duvalier – Haiti (1961)

45. Cuban Missile Crisis – US vs. Soviet Union (1962)

46. US assassination operations against Francisco Caamano – Dominican Republic (1965)

47. US Intervention in the Dominican Republic (1965-1966)

48. US Intervention in Guatemala Insurgency (1966-1967)

49. US Intervention in Costa Rica (1970-1971)

50. U.S. vs. Global Production and Distribution of Narcotics – War on Drugs (1971 to Present)

51. US Intervention in Jamaica (1976-1980)

52. US assassination operations against General Omar Torrijos – Panama (1978-1981)

53. US Intervention in El Salvadoran Civil War (1981-1992)

North Africa

62. US Barbary War– Tripolitan War (1800-1805)

63. US Barbary War– Algerine War (1815)

64. French Conquest of Chad (1897-1914)

65. French vs. Tunisia Clashes (1958, 1961)

66. Algeria – Morocco Border War (1963-1964)

67. Egypt – Libya Border War (1977)

68. US assassination operations against Muammar Qaddafi – Libya (1980-1986)

69. US assassination operations against General Dlimi – Morocco (1983)

70. US vs. Libya and Terror (1986)

71. Algeria vs. FIS and GIA (1991 to Present)

Middle East

92. US Intervention in Iraq (1972-1975)

93. Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990)

94. Egypt – Libya Border War (1977)

95. Somalia vs. Egypt – "Ogaden War" (1977-1978)

96. Somalia Civil War and Somali Anarchy (1978 to Present)

97. Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)

98. Israel vs. Iran and Non-State Terrorists (1979 to Present)

99. Operation Eagle Claw – US vs. Iran (1980)

100. US vs. Libya (1981)

101. US Intervention in Lebanon (1982-1984)

102. Israeli Invasion of Lebanon (1982-1986)

103. US vs. Iranian warplanes incident (1984)

104. Turkey vs. Kurdish Rebels (1984 to Present)

105. Israeli-Lebanese Border War (1984-2000)

106. US assassination operations against Sheikh Fadlallah – Lebanese Shi’ite Leader (1985)

107. US vs. Iran "Tanker War" – Operations Earnest Will and Nimble Archer (1987-1989)

108. The First Intifada – Israel vs. PLO (1987-1993)

109. US vs. Libyan warplanes incidents (1989)

110. Armenia vs. Azerbaijan (1990 to Present)

111. Operation Desert Shield – Saudi Arabia (1990-1991)

112. Operation Provide Comfort I and II – Iraq/Kurdistan (1991-1996)

113. Operation Southern and Northern Watch Iraq (1991-2003)

114. Operation Restore Hope – Somalia (1992-1993)

115. Yemen-Eritrea Border Conflict (1996)

116. Yemen – Eritrea Border / Hanish Islands Conflict (1996)

117. US vs. Al Qaeda – Sudanese Missile Attack (1998)

118. Saudi-Yemen Border Conflict (1998)

119. Eritrea vs. Ethiopia (1998 to Present – currently suspended)

120. US vs. Al Qaeda – Afghanistan Missile Attack (1998)

121. US vs. Al-Qaeda – Yemen – USS Cole Attack (2000)

122. The Second Intifada – Israel vs. PLO (2000-2004)

123. Afghanistan and ISAF vs. Taliban Holdouts and Tribal Warlords (2001 to Present)

72. First British vs. Sudanese War (1881-1885)

73. Second British vs. Sudanese "Mahdist" War (1896-1899)

74. Somali "Mad Mullah" Jihad vs. Britain, Italy, Ethiopia (1899-1905)

75. US Intervention in Turkey – Smyrna Nationalist Revolt (1922)

76. UK occupation of Palestine (1945-1948)

77. US vs. Soviet Union in Iran (1946)

78. Israel vs. Palestinians (1947 to Present)

79. UK Operations in the Canal Zone (1951-1954)

80. US vs. Iran – assassination operations against Mossadegh (1953)

81. UK Intervention in Aden, Yemen (1955-1967)

82. UK Intervention in Radfan, Yemen (1955-1967)

83. UK Intervention in the Suez (1956)

84. Suez Crisis/War – US vs. Soviet Union and Egypt (1956)

85. US assassination operations against Gamel Nasser – Egypt (1957)

86. US "Nuclear Threat" vs. Iraq over potential Kuwait Invasion (1958)

87. US assassination operations against General Abdul Kassem – Iraq (1960)

88. Somali Border Wars with Ethiopia and Kenya (1964-1967)

89. Israel vs. Syria Border Clashes (1967 to Present)

90. UK Intervention in Oman (1969-1976)

91. Iran vs. Oman (1970)

Southern Africa

124. Mozambican Revolts vs. Portugal (1895-1899)

125. Britain vs. The Boer Republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State - Second Boer War (1899-1902)

126. Madagascar Rebellion vs. France (1947)

127. Mozambique War of Independence vs. Portugal (1964-1975)

128. Namibian War of Independence (1966-1990)

129. Rhodesian Civil War or Zimbabwe War of Independence vs. Britain (1967-1979)

130. Mozambican Civil War – The Renamo War" to include Rhodesia and South Africa (1975-1992)

131. Zimbabwe Civil Unrest (1980 to Present)

 

Central Africa

132. Batetelan Congo Uprisings vs. Belgium (1895, 1897-1900)

133. Ugandan Mutiny vs. British (1898-1899)

134. Kenyan War of Independence vs. British – "Mau Mau War" (1952-1963)

135. US Intervention in the Congo (1960-1964)

136. Angolan War of Independence vs. Portugal (1961-1975)

137. US assassination operations against Patrice Lumumba – Zaire (1961)

138. Tutsi Invasion of Rwanda (1963)

139. Zanzibar Uprising (Kenya-Tanzania) (1964)

140. US assassination operations against Pierre Ngendandumwe – Burundi (1965)

141. Buganda Separatist Revolt in Uganda (1966)

142. US assassination operations against Mobutu Seko – Zaire (1975)

143. Angolan Civil War to include Soviet Union, Cuba, South Africa, and US Mercenaries (1975- 2002)

144. US Intervention in Zaire (1975-1978)

145. US Intervention in Angola (1976-1992)

146. Somalia Civil War (1978 to Present)

147. Uganda – Tanzania Border War (1979)

 

148. Rwandan Civil Unrest- Border Wars (1994 to Present)

149. Zairian Civil War to include Angola, Rwanda, Uganda (1996-1997)

150. US Intervention in Rwandan Hutu Refugee Camps – Zaire (1996-1997)

151. Democratic Peoples Republic of Congo Civil War to include Angola, Chad, Namibia, Rwanda, and Uganda (1998-Present)

152. Eritrea vs. Ethiopia (1998 to Present – currently suspended)

153. Rwanda vs. Uganda Conflict (1999)

154. Chad vs. Central African Republic (2002 to Present)

Western Africa

155. Mali-Burkina Faso Border Dispute (1960-1986)

156. Portugal vs. Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde Islands (1963-1975)

157. US Intervention in Ghana (1966)

158. Mercenary (Portugal) Invasion of Guinea (1970)

159. Saharan War (Western Sahara vs. Morocco and Mauritania) (1975 to Present)

160. Gambian Marxist Coup Attempt (1981)

161. Guinea Bissau – Senegal Border Dispute (1984-1991)

162. Sierra Leone vs. Revolutionary United Front and National Provisional Ruling Council (1989 to Present)

Southeast Asia

171. US vs. Sumatra (1831-1832)

172. US Intervention in Samoan Civil War (1898-1899)

173. France vs. Vietnam – First Indochina War (1945-1954)

174. UK vs. Communist Insurgency in Malaya (1948-1960)

175. US Intervention in the Huk Rebellion, Philippines (1948-1954)

176. US assassination operations against Kim Koo – Korea (1949)

177. US assassination operations against Kim Il Sung – North Korea (1951)

178. US Intervention in First Indochina War – "Nuclear Threat" (1954)

179. Second Indochina War – US Vietnam War (1956-1975)

180. Laotian Civil War (1960-1975)

181. US assassination operations against Sukarno (1962)

 

182. UK Intervention in Borneo (1962-1966)

183. US Defoliation Operations vs. NLF (South Vietnam – 1962-1971)

184. US Operation Phoenix (1968-1971)

185. US Intervention in Cambodia (1969-1975)

186. Khmer Rouge vs. US - Mayaguez Incident (1975)

187. Cambodia vs. Vietnam (1977-1991)

188. Cambodia Government vs. Khmer Rouge and Royalists (1978 to Present)

189. Sino – Viet War (1977)

190. Sino – Viet Border Conflict (1980-1987)

191. Viet – Thai Border Conflict (1980-1987)

192. Myanmar Narco-guerrillas vs. U.S. (1988 to Present)

193. US Intervention in Philippine Coup Attempt (1989)

194. Singapore and Malaysia vs. Piracy in Straits of Malacca (2000 to Present)

195. US vs. Abu Sayyef in the Philippines (2002-2003)

China and East Asia

199. The Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902)

200. US Intervention in Korea for Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

201. US Occupation of China (1911-1941)

202. Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918-1922)

203. US Intervention in China against Nationalist Revolt (1922-1927)

204. US Occupation of China (1927-1934)

205. Chinese Civil War (1929-1949)

206. US Occupation of Japan (1945-1957)

207. US Evacuation of China (1948-1949)

208. US vs. North Korea (1945 – Present)

209. US vs. Peoples Republic of China – "Nuclear Threat" over Taiwan (1958)

210. Sino-Soviet Border War (1969)

211. People’s Republic of China vs. Uighur or Xianjiang (1996 to Present)

196. US Intervention in Sino-Japanese War – Occupation of China (1894-1895)

197. US Intervention in Sino-Japanese War – Occupation of Seoul (1894-1896)

198. Boxer Rebellion (1898-1900)

Central Asia and Indian Sub-continent

212. UK Operations in India (1945-1948)

213. First Kashmir War (1947-1948)

214. India vs. Pakistan – Kashmir Border Conflict (1948 to Present)

215. Operation Polo – Liberation of Hyderabad, India (1948)

216. US assassination operations against Jawharlal Nehru – India (1954-1955)

217. Liberation of Goa – Portugal vs. India (1961)

218. Sino - Indian War (1962)

219. Second Kashmir War (1965)  

220. Sino – Indian Chola Incident (1967)

221. India vs. Pakistan - Bengali War of Independence (1971)

222. India vs. Pakistan - Siachen Glacier Operations (1984-Present)

223. Indian Intervention in the Maldives – India vs. Sri Lankan Rebels (1988)

224. Republic of Georgia vs. Abkhasia and South Ossetia (1992 to Present)

225. Russia vs. Chechen Separatists (1994 to Present)

South America

227. US Intervention in Argentina (1890)

228. US vs. Chilean Nationalists (1891)

229. US vs. Navassa Haitian Revolt (1891)

230. Ecuador-Peru Border War (1941)

231. US Intervention – "Nuclear Threat" in Uruguay (1947)

232. US Intervention in Ecuador (1960-1963)

233. US Intervention in Peru (1960-1965)

234. US Intervention in Brazil (1961-1964)

235. Colombia vs. FARC and Narco-paramilitaries (1964 to present)

236. US Intervention in Uruguay (1964-1970)

237. US Intervention in Bolivia (1964-1975)

238. US assassination operations against Che Guevara – Bolivia (1967)

239. US assassination operations against Salvador Allende – Chile (1970)

240. US assassination operations against General Rene Schneider (1970)

241. US Intervention in Chile (1973)

242. US Operation Condor to include Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile (1973-1985)

243. Ecuador-Peru Border War (1981)

244. UK vs. Argentina – Falkland War (1982)

245. US Intervention in Suriname (1982-1984)

246. Operation Urgent Fury – US vs. Cuba in Grenada (1983-1984)

247. US Intervention in Bolivia – War on Drugs (1986)

248. Ecuador-Peru Border War (1995)

249. US Intervention in Venezuela (2002)

226. US Falkland Intervention (1832)

Europe

267. US Peacekeeping in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1995-2004)

268. Yugoslavia vs. KLA (1998 to Present)

269. US Intervention in Kosovo (1999)

270. NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia (1999)

250. UK vs. North Ireland (1916-1969)

251. UK Intervention in Yugoslavia is support of Italy (1919)

252. Greek Civil War (1943-1949)

253. US Occupation of Germany (1945-1954)

254. US vs. Soviet Union in Yugoslavia (1946)

255. US intervention in counterinsurgency in Greece (1947-1949)

256. US vs. Soviet Union in Berlin Airlift – Germany (1948)

257. UK Intervention in Cyprus (1955-1959)

258. Soviet Union vs. Hungary (1956)

259. US vs. Soviet Union – Berlin Wall Crisis (1961)

260. US Intervention in Greece (1964-1974)

261. US assassination operations against Charles de Gaulle (1965-1966)

262. Czechoslovakia vs. Soviet Union (1968)

263. United Kingdom vs. Northern Ireland (1969 to Present)

264. Slovenian War of Independence vs. Yugoslavia (1991)

265. Croatian War of Independence vs. Yugoslavia (1991)

266. NATO Naval Blockade of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-1994) :
: (Note: Operation Phoneix as well as US Defoliation Operations are listed as separate incidents, and not under the umbrella of the US-Viet Conflict, due to the fact that these were conducted as separate operations requiring executive authority and approval beyond that of the commander of US forces Vietnam.)

163. US Intervention in Liberian Civil War (1990)

164. Nigeria – Cameroon Border Dispute (1991-Present)

165. Second Liberian Civil War (1997-2003)

166. US Intervention in Liberian Civil War (1997)

167. Senegal vs. Guinea-Bissau Border Conflict (1998 to Present)

168. UK Intervention in Sierra Leone (2000)

169. Ivory Coast Civil War (2002)

170. US Intervention in Liberian Civil War (2003)

54. US / Contra Intervention in Nicaraguan Civil War (1981-1990)
 
55. Operation Urgent Fury – US vs. Cuba in Grenada (1983-1984)

56. US assassination operations against Miguel d’Escoto – Nicaragua (1983)

57. US Intervention in Nicaragua (1984)

58. US assassination operations against the nine comandantes of the Sandinista National Directorate (1984)

59. Operation Just Cause – Panamanian Intervention (1989)

60. Operation Uphold Democracy – Haiti (1994)

61. Haitian Anarchy – Civil War (2003 to Present)