The United States has been involved in 108 military conflicts. These include major conflicts like the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Gulf War. It also includes US involvement in widespread periods of conflict like the Indian Wars, the Cold War (including the Korean War and the Vietnam War), and the War on Terror (including the Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan, and others).
Four military engagements encompassing three wars, all of which are interventions, currently involve the US: the Yemeni Civil War, the Somali Civil War, and the Syrian Civil War.
*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
Conflict | Allies | Opponent(s) | Result for the United States and its Allies | Presidents of the United States |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Barbary War (1801–1805) Part of the Barbary Wars Location: Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tripoli |
United States[13] Sweden[13] Kingdom of Sicily[13] Malta Protectorate[13] Kingdom of Portugal[13] Sultanate of Morocco[13] |
Ottoman Tripolitania[14] Sultanate of Morocco[14] |
US-allied victory | Thomas Jefferson |
Tecumseh's War (1810–1813) Part of the American Indian Wars and the War of 1812 Location: Northwest River Ohio |
United States | Tecumseh's Confederacy
List |
US victory | James Madison |
War of 1812 (1812–1815) Location: Eastern and Central North America |
United States Choctaw Nation Cherokee Nation Creek Allies |
United Kingdom
List |
Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Creek War (1813–1814) Part of the American Indian Wars and the War of 1812 Location: Southern United States |
United States Lower Creeks Cherokee Nation Choctaw Nation |
Red Stick Creek | US-allied victory | |
Second Barbary War (1815) Part of the Barbary Wars Location: Mediterranean Sea and the Barbary States |
United States | Deylik of Algiers |
US victory | |
First Seminole War (1817–1818) Part of the Seminole Wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Pensacola, Spanish Florida |
United States | Seminole
|
US victory
|
James Monroe |
Arikara War (1823) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Missouri River |
United States | Arikara | Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Winnebago War (1827) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Illinois and Michigan Territory |
United States Choctaw Nation |
Prairie La Crosse Ho-Chunks with a few allies |
US-allied victory
|
John Quincy Adams |
Black Hawk War (1832) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Illinois and Michigan Territory |
United States Ho-Chunk Menominee Dakota Potawatomi |
Black Hawk's British Band Ho-Chunk and Potawatomi allies |
US-allied victory
|
Andrew Jackson |
Second Seminole War (1835–1842) Part of the Seminole Wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Florida, United States |
United States | Seminole | US victory
|
Andrew Jackson (March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837)
Martin Van Buren (March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841) William Henry Harrison (March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841) John Tyler (April 4, 1841 –March 4, 1845) |
Texas Comanche Wars (1836–1875) Part of the Texas–Indian wars and the American Indian Wars Location: South-central United States (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado) and northern Mexico |
Republic of Texas United States |
Comanche | US victory | Andrew Jackson (March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837)
Martin Van Buren (March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841) William Henry Harrison (March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841) John Tyler (April 4, 1841 –March 4, 1845) James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849) Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) |
Mexican–American War (1846–1848) Location: Texas, New Mexico, California and Mexico |
United States California Republic |
Mexico | US-allied victory
|
James K. Polk |
Cayuse War (1847–1855) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Oregon |
United States | Cayuse | US victory
|
James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849)
Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) |
Apache Wars (1849–1924) Part of the Texas–Indian wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Southwestern United States |
United States | Apache Ute Yavapai |
US victory
|
James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849)
Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) Rutherford B. Hayes (March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881) James A. Garfield (March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881) Chester A. Arthur (September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885) Grover Cleveland (March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889) Benjamin Harrison (March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893) Grover Cleveland (March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897) William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901) Theodore Roosevelt (September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909) William Howard Taft (March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913) Woodrow Wilson (March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921) Warren G. Harding (March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923) Calvin Coolidge (August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929) |
Navajo Wars (1849–1866) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: New Mexico |
United States | Navajo Nation | US victory
|
James K. Polk (March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849)
Zachary Taylor (March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850) Millard Fillmore (July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853) Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857) James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) |
Bleeding Kansas (1854–1861) Location: Kansas and Missouri |
Anti-slavery settlers (Free-Staters) |
Pro-slavery settlers (Border Ruffians) | Free-Stater victory.
|
Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857)
James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) |
Puget Sound War (1855–1856) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Washington |
United States Snoqualmie |
Nisqually Muckleshoot Puyallup Klickitat Haida Tlingit |
US victory
|
Franklin Pierce |
Rogue River Wars (1855–1856) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Rogue Valley |
United States | Tututni | US victory
| |
Third Seminole War (1855–1858) Part of the Seminole Wars and the American Indian Wars Location: Pensacola, Florida |
United States | Seminole | US victory
|
Franklin Pierce (March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857)
James Buchanan (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861) Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) |
Yakima War (1855–1858) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Washington Territory |
United States Snoqualmie |
Yakama Walla Walla tribe Umatilla tribe Nez Perce tribe Cayuse tribe |
US victory | |
Second Opium War (1856–1859) Part of the Opium Wars Location: China |
British Empire French Empire United States |
China | US victory
| |
Utah War (1857–1858) Part of the Mormon wars Location: Utah Territory and Wyoming |
United States | Deseret/Utah Mormons | Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Reform War (1858–1866) Location: Mexico |
Liberals United States |
Conservatives | Liberals - US victory | |
Pig War (1859) Location: San Juan Islands |
United States | United Kingdom | Inconclusive/Other Result
|
James Buchanan |
John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859) Part of pre-Civil War conflicts Location: West Virginia |
United States | Abolitionist Insurgents | US victory | |
First and Second Cortina War (1859–1861) Location: Texas and Mexico |
United States
|
Cortinista bandits | US-allied victory | |
Paiute War (1860) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Pyramid Lake, Nevada |
United States | Paiute Shoshone Bannock |
US victory | |
American Civil War (1861–1865) Location: Southern United States, Indian Territory, Northeastern United States, Western United States, Atlantic Ocean |
United States Indian Home Guard Seminole Nation (Western) (most)[16] Seminole Nation (Florida) Muskogee Nation (part)[17] |
Confederate States Cherokee Nation Choctaw Nation Catawba Chickasaw Nation (part) Muskogee Nation (part) Seminole Nation (Western) (part) Comanche Nation (part) |
US victory
|
|
Yavapai Wars (1861–1875) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Arizona |
United States | Yavapai Apache Yuma Mohave |
US victory |
Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865) Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) |
Dakota War of 1862 (1862) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Minnesota and Dakota |
United States | Dakota Sioux | US victory | Abraham Lincoln |
Colorado War (1863–1865) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska |
United States | Cheyenne Arapaho Sioux |
Inconclusive/Other Result
| |
Snake War (1864–1868) Part of the American Indian Wars Locations: Oregon, Nevada, California, and Idaho |
United States | Paiute Bannock Shoshone |
US victory | Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865)
Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869) |
Powder River War (1865) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Powder River State |
United States | Sioux Cheyenne Arapaho |
Inconclusive | |
Red Cloud's War (1866–1868) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Powder River State |
United States Crow Nation |
Lakota Cheyenne Arapaho |
Lakota-allied victory
| |
Formosa Expedition (1867) Location: Hengchun, Taiwan, Qing China' |
United States | Paiwan | Paiwan victory | |
Comanche Campaign (1867–1875) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Western United States |
United States | Cheyenne Arapaho Comanche Kiowa |
US victory | Andrew Johnson (April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869)
Ulysses S. Grant (March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877) |
United States expedition to Korea (1871) Location: Ganghwa Island |
United States | Joseon dynasty | Inconclusive/Other Result
American military victory American diplomatic failure
|
Ulysses S. Grant |
Modoc War (1872–1873) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: California and Oregon |
United States | Modoc | US victory | |
Red River War (1874–1875) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Texas |
United States | Cheyenne Arapaho Comanche Kiowa |
US victory
| |
Las Cuevas War (1875) Location: Texas and Mexico |
United States | Mexican bandits | US victory
| |
Great Sioux War of 1876 (1876–1877) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Montana, Dakota and Wyoming |
United States | Lakota Dakota Sioux Northern Cheyenne Arapaho |
US victory
| |
Buffalo Hunters' War (1876–1877) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Texas and Oklahoma |
United States | Comanche Apache |
US victory | |
Nez Perce War (1877) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana |
United States | Nez Perce Palouse |
US victory | Rutherford B. Hayes |
Bannock War (1878) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming |
United States | Bannock Shoshone Paiute |
US victory | |
Cheyenne War (1878–1879) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana |
United States | Cheyenne | US victory | |
Sheepeater Indian War (1879) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Idaho |
United States | Shoshone | US victory | |
Victorio's War (1879–1880) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Mexico |
United States Mexico |
Apache | US-allied victory | |
White River War (1879) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Colorado |
United States | Ute | US victory | |
Egyptian Expedition (1882) Part of the Anglo-Egyptian War Location: Alexandria |
United States | Egypt | US victory | Chester A. Arthur |
Crow War (1887) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Montana |
United States | Crow people | US victory | Grover Cleveland |
Ghost Dance War (1890–1891) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: South Dakota |
United States | Sioux | US victory | Benjamin Harrison |
Garza War (1891–1893) Location: Texas and Mexico |
Mexico United States |
Garzistas | US-allied victory | |
Yaqui Wars (1896–1918) Part of the American Indian Wars Location: Arizona and Mexico |
United States Mexico |
Yaqui Pima Opata |
US-allied victory | Grover Cleveland (March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897)
|
Second Samoan Civil War (1898–1899) Location: Samoa |
Samoa United States |
Mataafans German Empire |
Inconclusive/Other Result
|
William McKinley |
Spanish–American War (1898) Location: Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines and Guam |
United States Cuban Revolutionaries Filipino Revolutionaries |
Spain | US-allied victory
| |
Philippine–American War (1899–1902) Location: Philippines |
1899–1902 United States 1902-1906 |
1899–1902 Philippine Republic Limited Foreign Support: 1902-1906 |
US victory
|
William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901)
|
Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) Location: Philippines |
United States | Moro Remnants of the Sulu Sultanate |
US victory
|
William McKinley (March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901)
|
Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) Location: China |
British Empire
Russian Empire |
Boxers China (from 1900) |
US-allied victory
|
William McKinley |
Conflict | Allies | Belligerent | Result for the United States and its Allies | Presidents of the United States |
---|---|---|---|---|
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Part of the war on terror and the Afghan conflict Location: Afghanistan |
Resolute Support Mission Afghanistan United States Canada United Kingdom Australia New Zealand Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Georgia Germany Netherlands Italy Romania Slovakia Spain Turkey Formerly: ISAF |
Taliban
Allied groups
Taliban splinter groups 2001 Invasion: |
Taliban victory
|
George W. Bush (October 7, 2001 – January 20, 2009) Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden |
US intervention in Yemen (2002–present) Part of the war on terror, the al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen, the Yemeni Civil War and the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war Location: Yemen |
United States
Saudi-led coalition: In support of: |
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Ansar al-Sharia Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Yemen Province |
Ongoing
US Intervention against jihadists
US Intervention against Houthi movement
|
George W. Bush (October 7, 2001 – January 20, 2009) Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden |
Iraq War (2003–2011) Part of the war on terror Location: Iraq |
Post-invasion (2003–2011) United States List
Invasion phase (2003) |
Post-invasion (2003–2011) Invasion phase (2003) Dulaim Tribes |
Inconclusive/Other Result
|
George W. Bush (January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009) Barack Obama |
US intervention in the War in North-West Pakistan (2004–2018) Part of the war on terror and the War in North-West Pakistan Location: Pakistan |
Pakistan Supported by: |
Jihadists:
Taliban |
US-allied victory
|
George W. Bush (January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009) Barack Obama Donald Trump |
Second US Intervention in the Somali Civil War (2007–present) Part of the Somali Civil War, the Somali Civil War and the war on terror Location: Somalia and Northeastern Kenya |
Somalia United States
Supported by: Non-combat support: |
Jihadists:
|
Ongoing
|
George W. Bush (January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009) Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden |
Operation Ocean Shield (2009–2016) Location: Indian Ocean |
Australia |
Somali pirates | US-allied victory
|
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017) |
International intervention in Libya (2011) Part of the Libyan Crisis and the First Libyan Civil War Location: Libya |
Sweden |
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Remnants of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (After August 28)
|
US-allied victory
|
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017) |
Operation Observant Compass (2011–2017) Part of the war on terror and the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Location: Uganda |
United States Uganda DR Congo Central African Republic South Sudan |
Lord's Resistance Army | US-allied victory
|
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017) |
US military intervention in Niger (2013–2024) Part of the war on terror, the Operation Juniper Shield and the Jihadist insurgency in Niger Location: Niger |
United States
Supported by: |
Jihadists:
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Boko Haram (partially aligned with ISIL since 2015) |
Jihadists victory[59][60][61][62]
|
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017) Donald Trump Joe Biden |
US-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021) Part of the Operation Inherent Resolve, the War in Iraq (2013–2017), the Spillover of the Syrian civil war, the war on terror and the International ISIS campaign Location: Iraq |
United States Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan CJTF-OIR Members: |
Jihadists: | US-allied coalition and Iraqi victory
|
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017) Donald Trump Joe Biden |
US intervention in the Syrian civil war (2014–present) Part of the Operation Inherent Resolve, the Syrian civil war, the war on terror and the International ISIS campaign Location: Syria |
United States Revolutionary Commando Army Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
CJTF-OIR Members: Israel (limited involvement; against Hezbollah and government forces only) |
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria al-Qaeda linked groups:
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria Syria (limited encounters with US and Israel) |
Ongoing
US Intervention against jihadists
US Intervention against Assad regime
|
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017) Donald Trump Joe Biden |
US intervention in Libya (2015–2019) Part of the Operation Inherent Resolve, the war on terror, the Second Libyan Civil War, and the International ISIS Campaign Location: Libya |
United States | Jihadists:
|
ISIS in Libya largely defeated
|
Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017) Donald Trump |
Operation Prosperity Guardian (2023–present) Part of the Red Sea crisis, Israel–Hamas war and the Yemeni Civil War Location: Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Yemen |
United States United Kingdom Australia New Zealand Canada Denmark Greece Netherlands Norway Bahrain Singapore Sri Lanka Supported by:
|
Ongoing
|
Joe Biden (January 20, 2021 – Incumbent) |
((cite web))
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
George W. Bush gambled on surging thousands more troops to the embattled country. It paid off. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is now a diminished force without territory.
Al Qaeda in Iraq was decimated by the end of the Iraq War in 2011
These militias have conducted over 170 attacks targeting US positions as part of this effort since October 2023.
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