Updated Today : 31/05/2021
Traditionally, we believe that in history, the human species witnessed just two world wars that took place in the 20th century in my opinion that is wrong
But what defines "World War"?
A World War involves many of the states and the populations of the planet and is being deployed across multiple continents with many fronts of war.
Well, if it's to be taken by definition, it would mean that there were several world wars throughout history, most of them unfolding just before the industrial age, in early modernity.
1. The 30-year War (1618-1648) - the First European War
combatant
- Sweden-Gustav Adolf II
- France-Ludovic XIII
- Denmark
- United States Provinces
- England and Scotland
- Saxony
- The Ottoman Empire
- Russia
- Transylvania
- The Spanish-Philip III / Philip IV Empire
- The Holy Roman Empire
- Poland
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| Readings in the Military History of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) International History |
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| Thirty Years' War - History.com |
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| Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, whose staunch Catholicism and diligent opposition to Protestantism source: Wikipedia |
It is estimated that 11 million people were killed because of religious rivalries (of which 8 million were civilians ... I believe that until WW1, there was no such devastating war and yet, the 30-year War not too it's covered ... why?)
2. The War of Succession of Spain (1701-1712) - has unfolded in Europe, North America and South America.
combatants:
- The Spanish Loyalists of King Carol
- The Holy Roman Empire: Austria, Prussia, Hanover
- England and Scotland (Great Britain after 1707) - Duke of Marlborough
- United States Provinces
- Savoia-Eugen de Savoia
- Portugal
- The Spanish Loyalists of King Philip
- France - Ludovic XIV
- Bavaria
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| War of the Spanish Succession - Wikipedia |
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| Almansa, April 1707; Bourbon victory was a serious setback for the Allies in Spain. source: Wikipedia |
At the same time, in the northern, central and eastern Europe, between 1700 and 1719, the Great Northern War between Sweden and Carol II was carried out between Russia and Russia, with Poland, Lithuania, the Ottoman Empire, the United Provinces, Great Britain, Denmark, Saxony, Moldova, Hanover and Prussia. After the war, only 175,000 Swedish civilians died of hunger, not counting the tens of thousands of soldiers killed in battles.
3. The War of Austrian Succession (1741-1748): conducted in Europe, India and North America
combatant
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| Almansa, April 1707; Bourbon victory was a serious setback for the Allies in Spain. source: Wikipedia |
- France-Ludovic XV
- Prussia-Great Frederick II the Great
- Spain
- Sweden
- The Italian States
- Bavaria
- Great Britain- George I
- Austria -Maria Tereza
- Saxony
- Russia
- United States Provinces
4. The Seven Years War (1756-1763) - depicted in North America, South America, Europe, India and Africa
combatants:
- Great Britain - George II / George III
- Prussia - Frederic the Great
- Hanover
- Confederation of the Iroquois
- Portugal
- Other German states
- Abenaki
- Mogul Empire
- Franta-Ludovic XV
- Austria-Maria Tereza
- Sweden
- Saxony
- Spain
- Russia
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| Seven Years' War Definition, Causes, Maps, & Effects Britannica |
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| Seven Years' War Collage based on these files: Lord Clive meeting with Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, 23 June 1757 The Victory of Montcalm's Troops at Carillon, 6-8 July 1758 Frederick the Great at the battle of Zorndorf, 25 August 1758 General von Laudon at the battle of Kunersdorf, 12 August 1759 source: Wikipedia |
It is estimated that 1,400,000 were killed
5. The American Independence War (1775-1784) - not only in North America, but also in India, the Caribbean, Sumatra, the North Seacombatants:
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| The Fourth of July and the Martial Spirit Law & Liberty |
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- United States of America - George Washington
- Spain
- Franta-Ludovic XVI
- Mysore
- Netherlands
- American Indians
- Great Britain-George III
- Hanover
- American Indians
6. Napoleon Wars (1796-1815) - deployed in Europe, Egypt, the Middle East, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, North America, Caucasus, French Guiana
combatants:
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| Coat of arms source: Wikipedia |
- The French Empire-Napoleon I
- Coalition anti-Napoleon
- Great Britain-George III
- Austria- Francis I
- Russia-Alexander II
- Prussia-Frederick William III
- The Ottoman Empire
- Spain
- Portugal
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- The Italian and German states
- Switzerland
- Norway, Denmark
- Persia
Many of these states joined Napoleon Bonaparte
It is estimated that 6 million people were killed just because Napoleon wanted to venture.
7. World War I - (1914-1918) - Europe, Africa, Atlantic Ocean, Middle East, the coasts of American continents, Pacific, China
combatant
- Entente
- France-Poincaire / Clemenceau
- The British Empire and its colonies - Asquith, Lloyd George
- Italy-Vittorio Orlando
- USA-Woodrow Wilson
- Russia-Nicholas II
- Japan
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Romania
- Greece
- serbia
- And I have
- Hejaz
- Montenegro
- Central Powers
- Germany-Wilhelm I
- The Ottoman Empire - Mehmed V
- Austro-Hungary-Franz Jospeh / Karl I
- Bulgaria
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| Montage for WWI article. Top: Trenches - Image:The_badly_shelled_main_road_to_Bapaume.jpg (Trenches on the Western Front) Left Upper: Image:AlbatDIII.jpg (German Albatros D.III biplane fighters of Jasta 11 at Douai, France) Left Lower source: Wikipedia |
8. World War II (1939-1945) - Europe, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea and Africa
allies
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| Chinese forces in the Battle of Wanjialing Australian 25-pounder guns during the First Battle of El Alamein German Stuka dive bombers on the Eastern Front in December 1943 American naval force in the Lingayen Gulf Wilhelm Keitel signing the German Instrument of Surrender Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad |
China-Kai-Shek- US-F.D. Roosevelt
- Great Britain-Churchill
- USSR Stalin
- France-Charles de Gaulle
- New Zealand
- Canada
- Australia
- Finland
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Greece
- Turkey
- Yugoslavia
- Axis
- Japan, Hirohito
- Germany-Hitler
- Italy-Mussolini
- Romania
- Hungary
- Bulgaria
- Thailand
not to mention alliance changes
It is estimated that 85 million were killed (of which -55 million civilians)
9. Cold War (1947-1991) - an ideological, economic, technological, diplomatic planetary war faded in the northern hemisphere, but ignited in local wars in the third world + space rivalry.
combatants:
- Free world
- US
- NATO & CE
- South America
- Australia
- Japan
- South Korea
- The totalitarian world
- USSR
- Warsaw Pact & CAER
- North Korea
- China
- Cuba
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| Mushroom cloud of the Ivy Mike nuclear test, 1952; one of more than a thousand such tests conducted by the US between 1945 and 1992 source: Wikipedia |
It is estimated that 10 million people were killed in the wars in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
10. War on Terrorism (2001-present) - is the first unconventional war that takes place on a global scale, even though the main wars are the Middle East. It is also the first global cyberwar.
Simultaneously, we have an economic rivalry between the US / EU vs BRICS, where the US carries a cold war with Russia and an economic one with China.
FIGHTING:
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| Clockwise from top left: Aftermath of the September 11 attacks; American infantry in Afghanistan; an American soldier and Afghan interpreter in Zabul Province, Afghanistan; explosion of an Iraqi car bomb in Baghdad source: Wikipedia |
- NATO member states
- Non-NATO states: Russia, China and the rest
- Terrorist group
- ISIS
- al-Qaeda
- At the moment, a few hundred thousand people died in the wars of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
Theoretically, we would have about 10 world wars in history. I hope you enjoyed my article !
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