The biggest wars in terms of the number of victims. The best warriors in the world

None of the wars can be compared in its cruelty with the civil war. According to the “dry” definition, this is between armed and organized groups within the state. The reasons for such a conflict can be very different: financial, ethnic, religious… But all this is not so important when millions die…
1 Chinese Civil War (1927-1950)

The parties to this conflict in the most populous country in the world, of course, fought for power. So much and so little, if you look at the result ... The Chinese National People's Party ("Kuomintang", leader - Chiang Kai-shek) opposed the Communist Party of China ("CCP", leaders - Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong). The war went on intermittently due to other wars (Japanese-Chinese, for example), it is noteworthy that in 1937 the parties united against a common enemy - Japan, and after the victory they again continued the internal conflict. The exact number of troops is still not known, the number of victims, according to Western historians alone, exceeds 12.5 million people. The number of victims for all the years of this civil war (including refugees, repressed and missing in torture chambers) exceeds 35 million people .... The victory in this war, as you know, was won by the communists. But at what cost? For posterity to judge.

2 "Taiping Rebellion" (1850-1864)

And again China, but 70 years earlier. The "Peasant War" or "Taiping Rebellion" began in 1850 and became the bloodiest not only in the 19th century, but in the entire previous history of mankind. Led by Hong Xiuquan, the peasantry, with numerous robbers and river pirates who joined it, opposed the Manchu Qing Empire, which at that time included China. Thanks to iron discipline, the peasants won a lot of bright victories, and in 1855 Hong Xiuquan created the "Taiping Kingdom of Heaven" in southern China (with a population of more than 30 million people in those years). The liberation war brought not only blessings, but also huge sacrifices: from 14 to 20 million people. Historians still argue about their number today, but in the end one thing is clear: due to internal strife, the Taipings lost their leader, and after that they were completely defeated. The Free Realm was destroyed.

3 Russian Civil War (1917-1922)

The largest armed conflict in Russia weakened by the First World War erupted after the October Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent transfer of power to the Bolsheviks. The "Red" Workers' and Peasants' Army and their leaders (Lenin V.I., Trotsky L.D., Kamenev S.S. and others) were opposed by the forces of the anti-Bolshevik authorities and people who lost everything as a result of the revolutionary change of power - for example, officers, Cossacks, intelligentsia, landowners, clergy and many others. Among the many leaders of the "white movement", Kolchak A.V., Kornilov L.G. can be distinguished. and For both the "reds" and the "whites" the goal of the civil war was to retain power in Russia with the subsequent possibility of embodying their state system. According to numerous historical documents and subsequent studies, Russia lost in this war from 5 million 750 thousand people or more. As a result of the victory of the Bolsheviks, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed. Whether it's good or bad, it can't be changed.

4 Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970)

The bloodiest war of the 60s on the eternally seething African continent. Nigeria is a state artificially created by Great Britain, which gained independence in 1960. In those years, the population exceeded 60 million people from 300 (!) Different cultures and ethnic groups. As a result of the struggle for power, three irreconcilable peoples were determined in one country: the South-East (“Igbo”), the North (“Hausa-Fulani”) and the South-West (“Yoruba”). It is worth mentioning the discovery of large oil reserves in the Niger Delta, which only added fuel to the fire. After a three-year war, not a single participant in this terrible conflict remained in clear gain - the world powers insisted on the unity of Nigeria and the cessation of all violence (such unanimity is extremely rare today). The UN issued a corresponding document. More than 3 million people became victims of these strife.

The first and second civil wars in Sudan lasted a total of 39 years! Both conflicts erupted between the Christian south and the Muslim north (the former British and Egyptian territories, respectively). After Sudan gained independence in 1956, government offices were located in the northern part of the country. Stupid as it may seem, but this was the prerequisite for the start of the confrontation. And when the Muslims refused to form a federal system of government, "thunder struck"! In these terrible wars, more than 2.5 million people died (including from starvation) and more than 4 million became refugees ... And again, the desire to have a little more power than it is, led to terrible consequences.

6 Civil war in Rwanda (1990 - 1994)

Armed conflict in Rwanda between supporters of President Juvenal Habyarimana and Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebels. The war began on October 1, 1990 with the invasion of the RPF troops into the country and officially ended on August 4, 1993 with the signing of the Arusha Accords.
However, on the evening of April 6, 1994, returning from a conference, the plane of the President of Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana, was shot down by MANPADS on approach to Kigali. The president of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, also died with him.
This led to a new outbreak of violence, followed by genocide by the RPF. According to various sources, the number of people killed in 100 days ranged from 500,000 to 1,000,000 people, of which about 10% were Hutus.
Hutus and Tutsis are ethno-social groups inhabiting Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and some other countries.

7 Haitian Revolution (1791-1803)

Formally, not a civil war, but in fact it is the most. Haiti is the only example of a successful slave uprising in history. As a French colony (“Saint-Domingo”), Haiti in those years had more than 500 thousand black slaves and just over 40 thousand white colonists. The living conditions of blacks were so difficult that the death rate among them reduced the population by 4-7% per year. The leaders of the uprising were the blacks Francois Dominique Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. None of the sent armies could break the resistance. And even the Napoleonic regiments were defeated. In 1804, the Republic of Haiti was created. And here begins the most stupid and monstrous, inherent in all the wars waged by mankind: Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed himself Emperor Jacques I and ordered the massacre of the entire white population of the island in the amount of just over 41 thousand people. Slave and master changed places. The total number of deaths in this war: 400-450 thousand people.

8 Burmese Civil War (1948-2012)

Burma is a state in the west of the Indochina peninsula. The official name of the country since 2010 is the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma is an unpopular name in the country). Gained independence (and again from Great Britain) in 1948, and immediately war broke out. In the case of Burma, it is interesting not only who is against whom, but also what they fought for. The official government waged a 64-year war with local communists for the control and sale of opium products. Of course, in comparison with the Chinese wars, the number of victims is not so high, and according to official figures, it amounted to about 200 thousand soldiers on each side, but still, to fight for more than half a century for drug trafficking, and even at the state level?

9 American Civil War (1861-1865)

The armed confrontation between the slave-owning South and the non-slave-owning North is the essence of this historical example. Historians have identified two main problems in relations between the two parts of one country: taxes and slavery. The North raised taxes to protect its industry and advocated the abolition of slavery. In the South, on the contrary, the entire economy since the 17th century was based on black slaves, and it was more profitable for them to trade with the whole world without the tax component of the North. Having organized itself in the CSA (Confederate States of America), the South enlisted the support of Britain, France and others. The North (USA) was not supported by anyone in the world, except for one country - Russia (it would be useful for the US to remember this today). More than 2 thousand battles took place in this war, more than 620 thousand people were counted as victims.

10 Syrian Civil War (2011-….?)

One of the modern bloody conflicts in which some citizens kill others is an armed confrontation between government forces and Islamist rebel groups in Syria. The UN characterizes this war as an "open religious conflict" and nothing more. Both sides categorically disagree with this wording, but they are in no hurry to provide their explanation. On the other hand, the foreign support of the parties to the conflict is so great that it is time to recognize this as a war between states on the territory of Syria. It would seem that it is enough to stop outside help, and the war will subside by itself. But no one is in a hurry to help the Syrians come to peace. Is it necessary? What for? For what? To date, more than 450 thousand people have died, and more than 8 million have become refugees.
Let's hope this list ends: after all, it's the 21st century, it's time to resolve disputes in other ways ...

Duration: 25 years
Ruler: Ivan IV the Terrible
Country: Russian Kingdom
Outcome: Russia has been defeated

The purpose of this war was the access of the Russian kingdom to the Baltic Sea and the provision of trade and political ties with Europe, which was actively prevented by the Livonian Order. Some historians call the Livonian War, which lasted 25 years, a life's work.

The reason for the start of the Livonian War was the question of the "Yuryev tribute." The fact is that the city of Yuryev, later called Derpt, and even later Tartu, was founded by Yaroslav the Wise and, according to the agreement of 1503, an annual tribute was to be paid to the Russian kingdom for it and the adjacent territory, but this was not done. The war was successful for the Russian kingdom only until 1568.

The Estonian city of Tartu was founded by Yaroslav the Wise

Ivan IV the Terrible lost the war and the Russian state was cut off from the Baltic Sea. The war ended with the signing of two truces: Yam-Zapolsky in 1582 and Plyussky in 1583. Russia lost all its previous conquests, as well as significant land on the border with the Commonwealth and the coastal Baltic cities: Koporye, Ivangorod and Yam.

Duration: 20 years
Ruler: Peter I the Great
Country: Russian Kingdom
Outcome: Russia won

The Northern War began with the declaration of war on Sweden by the Northern Alliance. The Northern Union was created on the initiative of the Elector of Saxony and King Augustus II of Poland. The Northern Union also included the Danish-Norwegian kingdom, headed by King Christian V, and the Russian Kingdom, headed by Peter I. It is necessary to clarify the fact that the population of Sweden then exceeded the population of the Russian Kingdom.

In 1700, after a series of quick Swedish victories, the Northern Alliance collapsed, Denmark withdrew from the war in 1700, and Saxony in 1706. After that, until 1709, when the Northern Alliance was restored, the Russian state fought with the Swedes mostly independently.

On the side of the Russian Kingdom fought: Hanover, Holland, Prussia and part of the Ukrainian Cossacks. On the side of Sweden - England, the Ottoman Empire, Holstein and part of the Ukrainian Cossacks.

The victory in the Northern War determined the creation of the Russian Empire

Three periods can be distinguished in the Great Northern War:

1. 1700-1706 - the period of the coalition war and the triumph of the Swedish arms
2. 1707-1709 - single combat between Russia and Sweden, which ended with the victory of a Russian soldier near Poltava
3. 1710-172 - finishing off Sweden by Russia together with the former allies, who, taking advantage of the opportunity, rushed to the aid of the winner

Duration: 6 years
Ruler: Catherine II the Great
Country: Russian empire
Outcome: Russia won

The reason for this war was the inciting by the French cabinet of the Porte against Russia, in order to provide assistance to the Bar Confederation. The reason for its announcement was the attack of the Gaidamaks on the Turkish border town of Balta. This is one of the key wars between the Russian and Ottoman empires.

During the First Turkish War of Catherine, the Russian army under the command of the famous commanders Alexander Suvorov and Pyotr Rumyantsev triumphantly defeated the Turkish troops in the battles of Larga, Cahul and Kozludzhi, and the Russian fleet under the command of Admirals Alexei Orlov and Grigory Spiridov inflicted historical defeats on the Turkish fleet in the battle of Chios and at Chesme.

As a result of the war, the Russian Empire grew in territories

The main goals of this war:

• for Russia - obtaining access to the Black Sea,
• for Turkey - the receipt of the Podolia and Volhynia promised to it by the Bar Confederation, the expansion of its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region and the Caucasus, the capture of Astrakhan and the establishment of a protectorate over the Commonwealth.

As a result of the war, the Russian Empire grew in territories: it included Novorossia and the northern Caucasus, and the Crimean Khanate came under its protectorate. Turkey paid Russia an indemnity of 4.5 million rubles, and also ceded the northern coast of the Black Sea, along with two important ports.

On July 21, 1774, the Ottoman Empire signed the Kyuchuk-Kaynardzhi Treaty with Russia, as a result of which the Crimean Khanate formally gained independence under the protectorate of Russia.

4 War with Persia 1804-1813

Duration: 8 years
Ruler:
Country: Russian empire
Outcome: Russia won
Peculiarities:

Persia was extremely dissatisfied with the growing Russian power in the Caucasus and decided to fight this power before it had time to take deep roots. The accession of Eastern Georgia to Russia and the capture of Ganja by Tsitsianov served as catalysts for the start of this war.

In the summer of 1804 hostilities began: numerous Persian detachments began to attack Russian posts. The Shah of Persia, Baba Khan of Persia, vowed to drive out of Georgia, massacre and exterminate all Russians to the last man. The forces were very unequal: Tsitsianov had only 8,000 people scattered throughout the South Caucasus, while the Persians had an army of Crown Prince Abbas Mirza of 40,000 people.

A characteristic episode of the war was the battle on the Askerani River, where a small detachment of Colonel Karyagin - 500 rangers of the 17th regiment and Tiflis musketeers stood in the way of the Persian troops. For two weeks, from June 24 to July 7, a handful of Russian brave men repulsed the attacks of 20,000 Persians, and then broke through their ring, transporting both of their cannons over their bodies, as if over a living bridge. Dedicated to the selflessness of Russian soldiers. The initiative of the living bridge belongs to Private Gavrila Sidorov, who paid with his life for his selflessness.

The Living Bridge is an example of the dedication of Russian soldiers

With this resistance, Karyagin saved Georgia. The offensive impulse of the Persians was broken, and in the meantime Tsitsianov managed to gather troops and take measures to defend the country. On July 28, under Zagama, Abbas Mirza suffered a crushing blow. Tsitsianov began to subjugate the surrounding khans, but on February 8, 1806, he was treacherously killed under the walls of Baku.

On October 12 (24), 1813, the Gulistan Peace was signed in Karabakh, according to which Persia recognized the entry into the Russian Empire of Eastern Georgia and Northern Azerbaijan, Imeretia, Guria, Mengrelia and Abkhazia. In addition, Russia received the exclusive right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea.

Duration: 2 years
Ruler: Alexander I Pavlovich the Blessed
Country: Russian empire
Outcome: Russia won
Peculiarities: Russia fought two wars at the same time

The whole of 1811 was spent in preparations for the coming big war, both in France and in Russia, which nevertheless maintained diplomatic relations for the sake of appearance. Alexander I wanted to take the initiative into his own hands and invade German lands, but this was prevented by the unpreparedness of the Russian army and the ongoing war with Turkey in the Caucasus. Napoleon forced his father-in-law, the Emperor of Austria, and his vassal, the King of Prussia, to place their armed forces at his disposal.

By the spring of 1812, the forces of the Russian Empire amounted to three armies with a total of 200,000 people.

1. 1st Army - Commander: Barclay de Tolly. Number: 122,000 bayonets. The army observed the Neman line from Russia to Lida.
2. 2nd Army - Commander: Bagration. Number: 45,000 bayonets. The army was located between the Neman and the Bug, near Grodna and Brest.
3. 3rd Army - Commander: Tormasov. Number: 43,000 bayonets. The army gathered at Lutsk covered Volhynia.

The Patriotic War consists of two major periods:
1) the war with Napoleon in Russia - 1812
2) foreign campaigns of the Russian army - 1813-1814

In turn, the foreign campaigns of the Russian army consist of two campaigns:

1. campaign of 1813 - liberation of Germany
2. campaign of 1814 - the crushing of Napoleon

The war ended with the almost complete destruction of the Napoleonic army, the liberation of the territory of Russia and the transfer of hostilities to the lands of the Duchy of Warsaw and Germany in 1813. Among the reasons for the defeat of Napoleon's army, the Russian historian Troitsky calls:

• popular participation in the war and the heroism of the Russian army,
• the unpreparedness of the French army for military operations in large areas and in the natural and climatic conditions of Russia,
• military leadership talents of the Russian commander-in-chief M. I. Kutuzov and other generals.

6 Crimean War 1853-1856 (3 years)

Duration: 3 years
Other name: Eastern War
Ruler: Nicholas I Pavlovich
Country: Russian empire
Outcome: Russia has been defeated

It was a war between the Russian Empire and a coalition of several countries: the British, French, Ottoman Empires and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The fighting took place in the Caucasus, in the Danube principalities, in the Baltic, Black, Azov, White and Barents Seas and in Kamchatka.

The most fierce battles of the Eastern War were in the Crimea.

The Ottoman Empire was in decline and only direct military assistance from Russia, England, France and Austria allowed the Turkish sultan to prevent the capture of Constantinople twice by the rebellious vassal Muhammad Ali of Egypt. At the same time, the struggle of the Orthodox peoples for liberation from the Ottoman yoke continued. These factors led to the desire of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I to free the Orthodox peoples of the Balkan Peninsula from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire. This was opposed by Great Britain and Austria. In addition, Great Britain sought to oust Russia from the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and from Transcaucasia.

Sevastopol Bay remained under Russian control

In the course of hostilities, the coalition troops managed to concentrate quantitatively and qualitatively superior forces of the army and navy in the Black Sea. This allowed them to successfully land an airborne corps in the Crimea, inflict a number of defeats on the Russian army, and, after a year-long siege, capture the southern part of Sevastopol. But the Sevastopol Bay remained under Russian control.

On the Caucasian front, Russian troops managed to inflict a number of defeats on the Turkish army and capture Kars. However, the threat of Austria and Prussia joining the war forced Russia to accept the terms of peace imposed by the allies. In 1856, the Treaty of Paris was signed with the following terms:

1. Russia is obliged to return to the Ottoman Empire everything captured in southern Bessarabia, at the mouth of the Danube River and in the Caucasus;
2. The Russian Empire was forbidden to have a combat fleet in the Black Sea, proclaimed neutral waters;
3. Russia stopped military construction in the Baltic Sea, and much more.

At the same time, the goals of separating significant territories from Russia were not achieved. The terms of the treaty reflected the virtually equal course of hostilities, when the allies, despite all efforts and heavy losses, could not advance further than the Crimea, and were defeated in the Caucasus.

Duration: 3 years
Ruler: Nicholas II Alexandrovich
Country: Russian empire
Outcome: Russia has been defeated
Peculiarities: The Russian Empire ceased to exist

The reason for the First World War was the assassination on June 28, 1914 in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The killer was a Serbian student from Bosnia, Gavrila Princip, who was a member of the Mlada Bosna organization, which fought for the unification of all South Slavic peoples into one state.

This caused a storm of indignation and an explosion of militant moods in Vienna, which saw in the incident a convenient excuse for "punishing" Serbia, which opposed the establishment of Austrian influence in the Balkans. Nevertheless, the ruling circles of Germany were most active in unleashing the war. On July 10, 1914, Austria-Hungary presented an ultimatum to Serbia, which contained demands that were obviously unacceptable to Serbia, which forced the Serbs to reject them. On July 16, 1914, the Austrian bombardment of Belgrade began.

Russia could not remain aloof from the conflict:
the inevitable defeat of Serbia meant for Russia the loss of influence in the Balkans

As a result of the war, four empires ceased to exist:

• Russian,
• Austro-Hungarian,
• Ottoman,
• german

The participating countries lost more than 10 million people killed soldiers, about 12 million civilians killed, about 55 million were injured.

8 Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 (4 years)

Duration: 4 years
Ruler: Joseph Stalin (Dzhugashvili)
Country: USSR
Outcome: Russia won

War of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics against Nazi Germany and its allies: Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Croatia.

The development of a plan of attack on the USSR began in December 1940. The plan was codenamed "Barbarossa" and was designed for a "blitzkrieg" - blitzkrieg. The task of Army Group North was to capture Leningrad. The most powerful group - "Center" is directed to Moscow. Army Group "South" was supposed to occupy Ukraine.

According to the calculations of the German command, within six months the fascist troops were to reach the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line. From the beginning of 1941, a massive transfer of German troops to the Soviet borders was carried out.

Blitzkrieg of Nazi Germany failed

On June 22, 1941, German troops crossed the Soviet border. At the time of the attack, the balance of power was as follows. In terms of personnel: Germany - 1.5, USSR - 1; for tanks: respectively, 1 to 3.1; by aircraft: 1 to 3.4. Thus, Germany had an advantage in the number of troops, but the Red Army outnumbered the Wehrmacht in terms of the number of tanks and aircraft.

The most famous battles of the Great Patriotic War:

1. defense of the Brest Fortress
2. Battle for Moscow
3. Rzhev battle
4. Battle of Stalingrad
5. Kursk Bulge
6. battle for the Caucasus
7. defense of Leningrad
8. defense of Sevastopol
9. defense of the Arctic
10. liberation of Belarus - operation "Bagration"
11. battle for berlin

The total number of those who died in the Great Patriotic War is about 20 million citizens of the USSR.

Wars - this is what has always been, how many people live on the planet. Military uniforms at different times and in different countries are not similar to each other. It is interesting to know which warrior is the most handsome.

The most famous scout

While studying at the University, Thomas traveled a lot. Basically, these were trips to Syria, where he managed to thoroughly study the way of life in this eastern country. Being very hospitable, the Arabs always greeted Lawrence warmly. He ate simple food with them, learned to ride a camel, learned their dialects, and even wore Arabic clothes.

Soon British intelligence drew attention to the young man and invited him to specialize in Arab affairs. Thanks to his activities, sabotage detachments were organized from among the Bedouins, which then operated in Arabia and Palestine. Not without the influence and help of a scout, one of the Turkish ports was taken by the Arabs during the war for independence from Turkey.

The same intelligence officer contributed to the change of padishah in the twenties. As a result, the one that was more convenient for England came to power. As a result, relations with the USSR heated up, and the question of sending troops to Afghanistan was raised.

The oldest paratrooper in Russia

This man has lived an interesting life. He participated in the Finnish company, heading the headquarters of a tank brigade battalion in those years, then in the Second World War, he defended Leningrad, after that in the war with Japan. In 1948, with the rank of captain, he became deputy for the technical part of one of the parachute regiments.

Sokolov gave more than seventy years of service. In recent years, he has been engaged in the military-patriotic education of youth, he was an honorary chairman in the Council of Veterans.

The most beautiful warrior in the world

The designers of the black SS uniform were Karl Diebitsch and Walter Heck. Hugo Boss founded a company in 1924, which was engaged in sewing uniforms for the Hitler Youth, the SS and the Wehrmacht. The factory was located in Metzingen, where convicts and French prisoners worked.

The form of the Third Reich is beautiful, diverse and interesting in terms of the reasons that led to specific design decisions.

It should be noted that in those years, Hugo Boss, as a trademark, no one knew. The company was originally engaged in sewing raincoats and overalls for workers. Receiving a defense order made it possible to save the precarious situation. Seventy-five thousand private German tailors were engaged in sewing uniforms, one of them was Hugo Boss.

Interestingly, there is also a very funny form. Most often, soldiers of the guard of honor stand in such an absurd form. Ridiculous are the robes in which the Greek Evzones march in Athens at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, because of this, rare tourists can refrain from laughing. They are wearing heavy woolen uniforms, double woolen stockings.

The Corps of the Swiss Guard is hired to guard the Pope. The uniform they wear was developed by Michelangelo and has not changed for four hundred years. Today, this uniform resembles a clown outfit.

The Fiji guard of honor are strong guys wearing tattered skirts. On their feet are slippers.

The strongest and greatest warrior of all time

The greatest military leader of all time is Alexander the Great. Conquering the world has been his dream since childhood. Thanks to military victories, the borders of the empire stretched from India to Greece.

The Mongol Khan Genghis Khan is recognized as a great warrior and brilliant commander. The great Tamerlane managed to conquer the territory from the Volga to Samarkand.

A skillful strategist of the Ancient world is Hannibal. Being an enemy of the Roman Republic, he led the Punic Wars. He stood at the head of a huge army and was able to cross with him the Alps and the Pyrenees.

The great warrior and national hero of Russia is deservedly named Alexander Suvorov. There was not a single defeat in his military career. This commander had no equal in the art of war.

The famous commander who devoted his life to defending his homeland was Alexander Nevsky. Next to him you can put the name of another Russian commander - Dmitry Donskoy, who managed to defeat the Mongol horde with his army.

The strongest warriors were not only strong people. Real strongmen - for example, athletes. According to the site, the strongest people in the world are athletes and can even move ships.
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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 nearly 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 ...