List of wars involving England

This is a list of wars involving the Kingdom of England before the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain by the Acts of Union 1707. For dates after 1708, see List of wars involving the United Kingdom.

  English victory - 33
  English defeat - 29
  Another result * - 12

*e.g. a treaty or peace without a clear result, status quo ante bellum, result of civil or internal conflict, result unknown or indecisive, inconclusive

10th and 11th centuries edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
927937Æthelstan's invasion of Scotland England
Deheubarth
Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwent

Brycheiniog

Scotland
Norse-Gaels
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Kingdom of Dublin
Stalemate
946954Northumbria's war of independence England
Earl of Bamburgh
Northumbria
Victory
  • Northumbria becomes absorbed by the Kingdom of England
10161016Cnut the Great's invasion of England England

Edmund II 
Eadnoth the Younger 
Ulfcytel Snillingr 

Kingdom of Denmark

Cnut the Great
Defeat
  • King Edmund, cedes all of England, save Wessex, to Cnut.[1]
  • Following Edmund's death on 30 November, Cnut ascends to the throne as the sole king of England.
  • Personal union formed between Denmark and England under Danish hegemony.
10661088Norman Conquest of England England

Harold Godwinson 
Gyrth Godwinson 
Leofwine Godwinson 

Duchy of Normandy

William of Normandy
Alan the Red
William fitzOsbern
Eustace II, Count of Boulogne

Defeat
  • Norman Victory
  • England becomes absorbed by the Duchy of Normandy
10671081Norman invasion of Wales EnglandWelsh kingdomsDefeat
  • Forced Norman Retreat
10751075Revolt of the Earls William I of EnglandThree earlsInternal Conflict, William was Victorious
  • Waltheof was beheaded in 1076
  • Roger lost his lands and earldom, imprisoned, and beheaded in 1087.
  • Ralph lost his lands and earldom, and was expelled from England
10961099First Crusade England
Holy Roman Empire
Kingdom of France
Duchy of Apulia
Byzantine Empire

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

Great Seljuq Empire
Danishmends
 Fatimid Caliphate
Almoravids

Abbasids

Victory

12th century edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
11451149Second Crusade England (Holy land Crusade)
Kingdom of Jerusalem (Holy land Crusade)
Kingdom of France (Iberian and Holy Land Crusade)
Holy Roman Empire (Wendish and Holy Land Crusade)
Kingdom of Portugal (Iberian Crusade)
Castile (Iberian Crusade)
County of Barcelona (Iberian Crusade)
León (Iberian Crusade)
Byzantine Empire (Holy land Crusade)
Kingdom of Denmark (Wendish Crusade)
Duchy of Poland (Wendish Crusade)

Kingdom of Sicily (Holy land Crusade)

Sultanate of Rum (Holy Land Crusade)
Almoravids (Iberian Crusade)
Almohads (Iberian Crusade)
Zengids (Holy Land Crusade)
Abbasids (Holy Land Crusade)
Fatimids (Holy Land Crusade)

Obotrite Confederacy (Wendish Crusade)

Partial Crusader Victory
  • Crusader Victory in Iberian and Wendish Crusades
  • Muslim Victory in the Holy Land
11891192Third Crusade England (Holy land Crusade)
Kingdom of Jerusalem
France
Holy Roman Empire

Kingdom of Hungary

Ayyubids
Zengids
Sultanate of Rum
Byzantine Empire

Kingdom of Sicily

Partial Crusader victory

13th century edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
12021204French invasion of Normandy (1202–1204) England FranceDefeat
12091229Albigensian Crusade Crusade

County of Aurenja

Crusader Victory
12131214Anglo-French War (1213–1214) England
Holy Roman Empire
County of Flanders
County of Boulogne
FranceDefeat
12301230English invasion of France (1230) England
FranceDefeat
  • English Withdrawal
12391241Barons' Crusade England
France
Kingdom of Navarre

Kingdom of Jerusalem

AyyubidsCrusader Diplomatic Victory
12421242Saintonge War England
FranceDefeat
12711272Ninth Crusade England
Kingdom of Cyprus
Kingdom of Jerusalem
County of Tripoli
Ilkhanate

Armenian Cilicia

MamluksStalemate
12771283Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England England
Principality of WalesEnglish victory
12941303Gascon War England
FranceDefeat

Treaty of ParisAquitaine becomes a Fief of France as well as England

12961328First War of Scottish Independence England
Kingdom of Scotland
France
Connacht
Thomond
Uí Maine
Tyrconnell
Breifne O'Rourke
Oriel
Desmond

Magh Luirg

Defeat

14th century edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
13241324War of Saint-Sardos England
FranceDefeat
13321357Second War of Scottish Independence England
Kingdom of Scotland

France

Defeat
13371453Hundred Years' War England
Duchy of Burgundy
Duchy of Brittany (Montfort)
Portugal
Navarre
Flanders
Hainaut
Luxembourg

 Holy Roman Empire

France
Castile
Scotland
Genoa
Majorca
Bohemia
Aragon

Brittany (Blois)

Defeat: Overall French Victory
13511369Castilian Civil War England

Forces of Peter of Castile
Kingdom of Navarre
Kingdom of Majorca
Kingdom of Granada
Duchy of AquitaineOtherElite European mercenaries

Forces of Henry of Trastámara
Kingdom of France
Crown of Aragon
English alliance defeat.
13771575Anglo-Scottish Wars Kingdom of England
ScotlandStalemate
13811382Third Ferdinand War England

Portugal

CastileDefeat
138313851383–85 Crisis England

Portugal

Crown of Castile
Kingdom of France
Crown of Aragon
Victory

15th century edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
14701474Anglo-Hanseatic War  England Hanseatic LeagueDefeat, Hanseatic victory
14961498Italian War of 1494–1498
(1494–1498)
League of Venice:

 Papal States
 Republic of Venice
 Kingdom of Naples
Kingdoms of Spain
Duchy of Milan
 Holy Roman Empire
 Republic of Florence
Duchy of Mantua
 England (from 1496)

 Kingdom of FranceVictory
  • Forced French retreat

16th century edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
15121514War of the League of Cambrai  England
Papal States
Venice
Holy Roman Empire
Spain

Swiss mercenaries

France
Duchy of Ferrara

Scotland

Defeat, French and Venetian victory
15221525Italian War of 1521–26  England
Papal States

Holy Roman Empire

Spain
France

Venice

Victory
15281529War of the League of Cognac  England
France
Papal States
Venice
Florence
Duchy of Milan
Spain
Holy Roman Empire

Republic of Genoa

Defeat, Imperial-Spanish victory
15421546Italian War of 1542–46  England
Holy Roman Empire
Spain
Saxony

Brandenburg

France
Ottoman Empire

Jülich-Cleves-Berg

Inconclusive
15431550Rough Wooing  England Scotland

France

Defeat, Treaty of Norham, French-Scottish victory
15561559Italian War of 1551–59  England
Holy Roman Empire
Spain
Duchy of Florence

Duchy of Savoy

France
Republic of Siena

Ottoman Empire

Defeat, Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis, Loss of Calais
15621563English expedition to France (1562-1563)  England

Huguenots (Before Edict of Amboise

France
Defeat, Treaty of Troyes (1564), Elizabeth I accepts French rule over Pale of Calais in exchange for 120,000 Crowns.
15621598French Wars of Religion
(1562–1598)
Protestants:
Huguenots
 England
Catholics:
Catholic League
Spain
 Duchy of Savoy
Victory
  • Uneasy truce
  • The Edict of Nantes granted the Huguenots substantial rights in certain areas
  • Paris and other defined territories were declared to be permanently Catholic
  • Failure of France's enemies to weaken France and to gain territories
15661648Eighty Years' War  England
Dutch Republic
France
Huguenots

German Protestants

Holy Roman Empire

Spain

Victory
15691573First Desmond Rebellion  England
 Kingdom of Ireland
allied Irish clans
FitzGeralds of Desmond
allied Irish clans
Victory
15791583Second Desmond Rebellion  England
 Kingdom of Ireland
allied Irish clans
FitzGeralds of Desmond
 Spain
 Papal States
allied Irish clans
Victory
15801583War of the Portuguese Succession  England
Portugal loyal to Prior of Crato
 France

 United Provinces

Spain
Portugal loyal to Philip of Spain
Defeat
15851604Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)  England
 United Provinces
 France
Portuguese loyal to Prior of Crato

French Huguenot forces

Spain
French Catholic League
Irish alliance

Order of Saint John

Stalemate
15941603Nine Years' War (Ireland)  England
 Kingdom of Ireland
Alliance of Irish clans
Spain

Scottish Gaelic mercenaries

Victory

17th century edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
16021661Dutch-Portuguese War (1602–1661)  Dutch Republic
 England
(until 1640)
Johor Sultanate
Kingdom of Kandy
Kingdom of Kongo
Kingdom of Ndongo
Kingdom of Portugal
 Crown of Castile
(until 1640)
Kingdom of Cochin
Potiguara Tupis
Stalemate

Treaty of Hague

16251630Anglo-Spanish War (1625–1630)  England

Support:

SpainStatus quo ante bellum
16271629Anglo-French War (1627–1629)  England  FranceStatus quo ante bellum
16401668Portuguese Restoration War Kingdom of Portugal
 France
 England
Crown of SpainVictory
16521654First Anglo-Dutch War  Commonwealth of England  Dutch RepublicVictory

Treaty of Westminster

16541660Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660)  Commonwealth of England
 France (1657–59)
Spain
Royalists of the British Isles
Victory
16611665Dano-Dutch War  England
 Denmark–Norway
 Dutch RepublicVictory
16651667Second Anglo-Dutch War  England
Bishopric of Münster
 Dutch Republic
Denmark
 France
Defeat
16721674Third Anglo-Dutch War  England
 France
Bishopric of Münster
Electorate of Cologne
 Dutch Republic
Denmark-Norway
inconclusive/other result

Status quo ante bellum:

16721678Franco-Dutch War  England (1672–74)

 France
Münster (1672–1674)
Cologne (1672–1674)
Swedish Empire (from 1674)

 England (1678)

 Dutch Republic
 Holy Roman Empire (from 1673)
 Spain (from 1673)
Brandenburg-Prussia (from 1673)
Lorraine (from 1673)
Denmark–Norway (from 1674)

Major French territorial gains
16861690Anglo-Mughal War England
East India Company
Mughal EmpireDefeat
  • Victory for the Mughal Empire
  • The British East India Company fined
16871688Anglo-Siamese War England
East India Company
Kingdom of Ayutthaya (Siam)
(Unauthorised piracy by English sailors under Siamese employ)
English defectors
Inconclusive

English factory rejected from Siam, after minor naval action, along with massacre in the aftermath: the war was not pursued. In 1688, a coup forced the closure of all official European trade in Siam for 150 years except for the Dutch.

16881697Nine Years' WarGrand Alliance:
 Dutch Republic
 England
 Holy Roman Empire
Spanish Empire
 Duchy of Savoy
Swedish Empire (until 1691)
 Scotland
 France
Jacobites
Victory

18th century edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
England & alliesEngland's opposition
17001721The Great Northern War
(1700–1721)
England (until 1707)

Great Britain (from 1707)

Swedish Empire
 Ottoman Empire
 United Provinces
Brunswick-Lüneburg

Tsardom of Russia

Cossack Hetmanate
Denmark–Norway
 Electorate of Saxony
Poland–Lithuania
 Prussia
Hanover

Inconclusive for England
  • Britain did not gain or lose anything from the war and exited the war a year before it had ended due to financial trouble

Russian Allied victory:

17011714War of the Spanish Succession England (until 1707)
Great Britain (from 1707)

Austrian monarchy
Dutch Republic
Holy Roman Empire
Piedmont-Savoy
Prussia
Habsburg Spain
Kingdom of Portugal
 France
Spanish monarchy
Bavaria (~1704)
Cologne
Mantua (~1708)
Victory

Civil wars and revolutions edit

StartEndName of conflictBelligerentsOutcome
English GovernmentRebels
10691070Harrying of the North William I of England House of Wessex

Kingdom of Denmark
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Scandinavians

Internal Conflict, William was Victorious

An uprising which started 4 years after the Norman Conquest. Edgar Ætheling, the grandson of Edmund Ironside and the last notable heir to the House of Wessex, fought with the support of the King of Denmark Sweyn II, Anglo-Saxons, and Anglo-Scandinavians.

It ended in defeat for the Anglo-Saxons & Anglo-Scandinavians. William the Conqueror paid Sweyn and his Danish fleet to go home, but the remaining rebels refused to meet him in battle, and he decided to starve them out by laying waste to the northern shires using scorched earth tactics. The Norman campaign to reconquer Northern England resulted in a genocide against the people living there.

10701071Ely Rebellion William I of EnglandKing of Denmark Sweyn II
Hereward the Wake
Morcar
Bishop Aethelwine of Durham
Internal Conflict, William Victorius

An anti-Norman insurrection centred on the Isle of Ely. The Danish king Sweyn Estrithson sent a small army to try to establish a camp on the Isle of Ely. The Isle became a refuge for Anglo-Saxon forces under Earl Morcar, Bishop Aethelwine of Durham and Hereward the Wake in 1071.[3] The area was taken by William the Conqueror only after a prolonged struggle.[4]

10881088Rebellion of 1088 England
William Rufus
Duchy of Normandy
Robert Curthose
Internal Conflict, William Rufus Victorius
11351154The AnarchySupporters of Stephen of BloisSupporters of Empress Matilda and Henry CurtmantleCivil War
  • Treaty of Wallingford
  • Henry would do homage to Stephen, in return Stephen promised Henry would become King of England upon his death
11731174Revolt of 1173–74 English royalistsEnglish rebels
Kingdom of France
Kingdom of Scotland
County of Flanders
County of Boulogne
Duchy of Brittany
Internal Conflict

Treaty of Falaise

  • Scotland cedes the castles of Roxburgh, Berwick, Jedburgh, Edinburgh, and Stirling over to English soldiers
  • William is forced to recognize Henry's overlordship
12151217First Barons' War England

Pro-Angevin forces

Rebel Barons
France

Kingdom of Scotland

Civil War, Angevinian victory
12641267Second Barons' War English royalistsRebel baronsCivil War, Royalist victory
12641267Welsh Uprising (1282) English royalists Dafydd ap GruffyddInternal Conflict, Royalist victory
13211322Despenser War England

Contrariants

Supported by: Kingdom of Scotland

Civil War, Decisive Royal victory
  • Return of the Despensers
  • Execution of rebels
  • Revocation of the Ordinances of 1311
  • Strengthening of the monarchy until 1326
13261326Invasion of England (1326) Royal government

Edward II (POW)
Hugh Despenser the Younger 
Hugh Despenser the Elder 
Earl of Arundel 

Contrariants

Supported by:
County of Hainaut[5]

Isabella of France
Roger Mortimer
Earl of Leicester
Earl of Norfolk
Earl of Kent

Civil War, Contrariants' victory

Continuation of the Despenser War. Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimers invasion led to:

13811381Peasants' Revolt Royal governmentRebel forcesInternal Conflict, Royal government victorious
  • Most rebel leaders executed
  • no further attempts by Parliament to impose a poll tax or to reform England's fiscal system.
14001415Glyndŵr Rising
Part of the Hundred Years' War
England
Welsh rebels
Kingdom of France
Internal Conflict, Total English victory
14551485Wars of the Roses House of York

Supported by:
Burgundian State
Lordship of Ireland
Duchy of Brittany[a]

House of Lancaster
House of Tudor

Supported by:
Kingdom of France
Kingdom of Scotland
Principality of Wales
Duchy of Brittany[b]


Yorkist rebels

Civil War, Victory for the House of Lancaster and their allies
14971497Cornish Rebellion of 1497  England

Henry VII
Giles, Lord Daubeny

Cornish rebels

James, Baron Audley  
Thomas Flamank  
Michael An Gof  

Internal Conflict, English victory
15491549Prayer Book Rebellion  England

Edward VI
Edward Seymour
John Russell
Anthony Kingston
William Francis

Southwestern Catholic Rebels

Sir Humphrey Arundell  
John Winslade  
John Bury  
Robert Welch, Vicar of St Thomas, Exeter  

Internal Conflict, Edwardian victory
  • rebellion suppressed
  • execution of rebel commanders
16391651Wars of the Three Kingdoms Royalists

Confederates

Parliamentarians

Scottish Covenanters

Civil War, Parliamentarian victory

Bishops' Wars (1639)

Second Bishops' War (1640)

Irish Rebellion of 1641

First English Civil War (1642–46)

Irish Confederate Wars (1642–48)

Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1644–47)

Second English Civil War (1648)

Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649)

Third English Civil War (1650–1652)

16851685Monmouth Rebellion Royal army of James II Rebel army of Duke of MonmouthInternal Conflict, Victory for James II
16881689Glorious Revolution James IIWilliam of Orange
Dutch military forces
British military forces
Internal Conflict
16891746Jacobite Rebellions England (until 1707)

Great Britain (from 1707)

JacobitesCivil War, Royalist victory

in England, Scotland and Ireland

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ After Francis II became ill, his treasurer, Pierre Landais, ruling the Duchy in his stead, aided Richard III in attempting to capture Henry Tudor.
  2. ^ Francis II sheltered Henry Tudor, supplying him with money, troops, and ships. It was only after Francis fell ill that Henry was forced to flee Brittany to France.

Sources edit

  • Guy, J. (1988). Tudor England. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-285213-7. OCLC 17677564.
  • McCaffrey, Wallace (1984). "Recent Writings on Tutor History". In Schlatter, Richard (ed.). Recent Views on British History: Essays on Historical Writing since 1966. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-0959-4.
  • Wagner, John A.; Schmid, Susan Walters, eds. (2011). Encyclopedia of Tudor England. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-298-2.

Further reading edit

  • Barnett, Correlli. Britain and her army, 1509-1970: a military, political and social survey (1970).
  • Carlton, Charles. This Seat of Mars: War and the British Isles, 1485-1746 (Yale UP; 2011) 332 pages; studies the impact of near unceasing war from the individual to the national levels.
  • Chandler, David G., and Ian Frederick William Beckett, eds. The Oxford history of the British army (Oxford UP, 2003).
  • Cole, D. H and E. C Priestley. An outline of British military history, 1660-1936 (1936). online
  • Higham, John, ed. A Guide to the Sources of British Military History (1971) 654 pages excerpt; Highly detailed bibliography and discussion up to 1970.
  • Sheppard, Eric William. A short history of the British army (1950). online

Historiography edit

  • Messenger, Charles, ed. Reader's Guide to Military History (2001) pp 55–74; annotated guide to most important books.