The longest wars in history. The longest wars in history
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." That's why 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 sequence 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 a while, 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. liberation 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. Carthaginian inhabitants ancient rome called puns. As a result, hostilities began between these countries.
One of the longest wars in the world lasted 118 years. Indeed, active fighting 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 ...
In the history of mankind there were wars that lasted more than a century. Maps were redrawn, political interests were defended, people died. We recall the most protracted military conflicts.
Punic War (118 years)
By the middle of the III century BC. the Romans almost completely subjugated Italy, swung at the entire Mediterranean and wanted Sicily first. But the mighty Carthage also claimed this rich island. Their claims unleashed 3 wars that stretched (intermittently) from 264 to 146. BC. and got the name from Latin name Phoenicians-Carthaginians (Puns).
The first (264-241) - 23 years old (began just because of Sicily). The second (218-201) - 17 years (after the capture of the Spanish city of Sagunta by Hannibal). The last (149-146) - 3 years. It was then that she was born famous phrase"Carthage must be destroyed!"
Pure warfare took 43 years. The conflict in total is 118 years.
Results: Besieged Carthage fell. Rome has won.
Hundred Years War (116 years)
Went in 4 stages. With pauses for truces (the longest - 10 years) and the fight against the plague (1348) from 1337 to 1453.
Opponents: England and France.
Causes: France wanted to oust England from the southwestern lands of Aquitaine and complete the unification of the country. England - to strengthen influence in the province of Guyenne and return those lost under John the Landless - Normandy, Maine, Anjou.
Complication: Flanders - formally was under the auspices of the French crown, in fact it was free, but depended on English wool for cloth making.
Reason: the claims of the English king Edward III from the Plantagenet-Anjou dynasty (maternal grandson of the French king Philip IV the Handsome of the Capetian family) to the Gallic throne.
Allies: England - German feudal lords and Flanders. France - Scotland and the Pope.
armies: English - hired. under the command of the king. The basis is infantry (archers) and knightly units. French - knightly militia, under the leadership of royal vassals.
fracture: after the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431 and the battle for Normandy, the national liberation war of the French people began with the tactics of guerrilla raids.
Results: On October 19, 1453, the English army capitulated at Bordeaux. Having lost everything on the continent, except for the port of Calais (it remained English for another 100 years). France switched to regular army, abandoned knightly cavalry, gave preference to infantry, the first firearms appeared.
Greco-Persian War (50th Anniversary)
Altogether, war. Stretched with lulls from 499 to 449. BC. They are divided into two (the first - 492-490, the second - 480-479) or three (the first - 492, the second - 490, the third - 480-479 (449). For the Greek policies-states - the battle for independence. For the Achaeminid Empire - captivating.
Trigger: Ionian uprising. The battle of the Spartans at Thermopylae is legendary. The battle of Salamis was a turning point. The point was put by "Kalliev Mir".
Results: Persia lost the Aegean Sea, the coasts of the Hellespont and the Bosporus. Recognized the freedom of the cities of Asia Minor. The civilization of the ancient Greeks entered the time of the highest prosperity, laying the culture, which, even after millennia, the world was equal to.
Guatemalan War (age 36)
Civil. It proceeded in outbreaks from 1960 to 1996. A provocative decision by US President Eisenhower in 1954 triggered a coup.
Cause: the fight against the "communist infection".
Opponents: Bloc "Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity" and the military junta.
Victims: almost 6 thousand murders were committed annually, only in the 80s - 669 massacres, more than 200 thousand dead (of which 83% were Maya Indians), over 150 thousand went missing.
Results: Signing of the "Treaty for a Lasting and Lasting Peace", which protected the rights of 23 groups of Native Americans.
War of the Scarlet and White Rose (aged 33)
Confrontation of the English nobility - supporters of two tribal branches of the Plantagenet dynasty - Lancaster and York. Stretched from 1455 to 1485.
Prerequisites: "bastard feudalism" - the privilege of the English nobility to pay off military service from the lord, in whose hands large funds were concentrated, with which he paid for the army of mercenaries, which became more powerful than the royal one.
Cause: defeat of England in Hundred Years War, the impoverishment of the feudal lords, their rejection of the political course of the wife of the feeble-minded king Henry IV, hatred of her favorites.
Opposition: Duke Richard of York - considered the right to power of the Lancasters illegitimate, became regent under an incapacitated monarch, in 1483 - king, killed at the Battle of Bosworth.
Results: It upset the balance of political forces in Europe. Led to the collapse of the Plantagenets. She placed the Welsh Tudors on the throne, who ruled England for 117 years. Cost the lives of hundreds of English aristocrats.
Thirty Years' War (30 years)
The first military conflict of a pan-European scale. Lasted from 1618 to 1648.
Opponents: two coalitions. The first is the union of the Holy Roman Empire (in fact, Austrian) with Spain and the Catholic principalities of Germany. The second - the German states, where power was in the hands of Protestant princes. They were supported by the armies of reformist Sweden and Denmark and Catholic France.
Cause: The Catholic League was afraid of the spread of the ideas of the Reformation in Europe, the Protestant Evangelical Union was striving for this.
Trigger: Revolt of Czech Protestants against Austrian domination.
Results: The population of Germany has decreased by a third. The French army lost 80 thousand. Austria and Spain - more than 120. After the Treaty of Münster in 1648, a new independent state- Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (Holland).
Peloponnesian War (age 27)
There are two of them. The first is the Little Peloponnesian (460-445 BC). The second (431-404 BC) is the largest in the history of Ancient Hellas after the first Persian invasion of the territory of Balkan Greece. (492-490 BC).
Opponents: Peloponnesian Union led by Sparta and the First Marine (Delosian) under the auspices of Athens.
Causes: The desire for hegemony in the Greek world of Athens and the rejection of their claims by Sparta and Corypha.
contradictions: Athens was ruled by an oligarchy. Sparta is a military aristocracy. Ethnically, the Athenians were Ionians, the Spartans were Dorians.
In the second, 2 periods are distinguished. The first is "Arkhidamov's War". The Spartans made land invasions into the territory of Attica. Athenians - sea raids on the coast of the Peloponnese. It ended in the 421st signing of the Peace of Nikiev. After 6 years, it was violated by the Athenian side, which was defeated in the battle of Syracuse. The final phase went down in history under the name Dekeley or Ionian. With the support of Persia, Sparta built a fleet and destroyed the Athenian at Aegospotami.
Results: After the conclusion in April 404 BC. Feramenov's world Athens lost the fleet, torn down long walls, lost all colonies and joined the Spartan Union.
Vietnam War (age 18)
The Second Indochinese War between Vietnam and the United States and one of the most destructive of the second half of the 20th century. Lasted from 1957 to 1975. 3 periods: guerrilla South Vietnamese (1957-1964), from 1965 to 1973 - full-scale US military operations, 1973-1975. - after the withdrawal of American troops from the territories of the Viet Cong.
Opponents: South and North Vietnam. On the side of the South - the United States and the military bloc SEATO (Organization of the Treaty South-East Asia). North - China and the USSR.
Cause: when the communists came to power in China, and Ho Chi Minh became the leader of South Vietnam, the White House administration was afraid of the communist "domino effect". After Kennedy's assassination, Congress gave President Lyndon Johnson carte blanche to use military force in the Tonkin Resolution. And already in March 65, two battalions of US Army Navy SEALs left for Vietnam. So the States became part of the Vietnamese Civil War. They applied the “search and destroy” strategy, burned the jungle with napalm - the Vietnamese went underground and responded with a guerrilla war.
Who benefits: American arms corporations.
US losses: 58 thousand in combat (64% under the age of 21) and about 150 thousand suicides of American veterans of the explosives.
Vietnamese casualties: over 1 million who fought and more than 2 civilians, only in South Vietnam - 83 thousand amputees, 30 thousand blind, 10 thousand deaf, after the operation "Ranch Hand" (chemical destruction of the jungle) - congenital genetic mutations.
Results: The Tribunal of May 10, 1967 qualified US actions in Vietnam as a crime against humanity (Article 6 of the Nuremberg Statute) and banned the use of CBU-type thermite bombs as weapons of mass destruction.
How long did the longest war in the history of mankind last and between which countries
- They also forgot about the TATAR-MONGOLIAN YOKE - 300 years lasted all the same !! !
And the Hundred Years War is, in fact, several wars, where truces lasted for years, and even peace was concluded, after which they began to fight again. And it lasted. to be precise - 115-116 years.
Truly the longest war in history:
War between Rome and Carthage. Started in 149 B.C. e. and officially ended on February 5, 1985 with the signing of a peace treaty by the mayors of the two cities.
- War of white and red roses. War between England and France that lasted 100 years.
The next one will be between Israel and the Arabs... - The longest war is not yet over. War with Russian culture, Russian mentality, Russian people, Russian civilization... .
Well, who is on the other side .... you should be well aware. - The Hundred Years' War lasted from 1337 to 1453. 116 years in total. damn literate. the only Orekhova Svetlana is in the know. kudos to her)
- Kazakh-Dzungarian war. 1643-1756 But the confrontation began much earlier. The Dzungars attacked the Kazakh lands. The longest, merciless and bloody war. As a result, the Dzungars disappeared as a nation. The remains of the Dzhungars are called in Kazakh "Kalmak". Russia helped the Dzungars, and they saved them (Kalmyks) from destruction.
- if I remember correctly, maybe a century between England and France?
- China. Warring States period - 403-221 AD BC e.
Events:
Period from 403 to 221 BC e. known as the "Warring States" period. As a result of the wars of the "Sun and Autumn" era, China was divided into seven hegemonic kingdoms, each of which controlled a significant territory, and fifteen weaker kingdoms that became victims of struggle and robbery. The scale of hostilities has increased fantastically. Weak kingdoms easily put up 100,000 warriors, and the strongest in the 3rd century. BC e. had a standing army of one million, and, according to sources, raised another 600,000 for one campaign. The management of such significant resources required great skill, and generals and commanders were in great price. Throughout the country, peasants were assigned to the troops, trained in military affairs on a seasonal basis. Many works on the art of war appeared. The art of fortification, the technique of siege and assault on fortifications, developed strongly. The massive increase in the number of infantry was accompanied by the widespread use of the crossbow, the reluctant introduction of the practice of barbarians to create cavalry.
One of the main kingdoms of this period was the kingdom of Wei. Wen-wang, who ruled Wei from the moment of formation until 387 BC. e. , needed good advisers, and invited people to the court without asking what kingdom they were from. Wu Qi, appointed commander-in-chief, led many successful campaigns against Qin. Wu Qi was a complex man, and even the biography in Shi Ji does not portray him favorably. According to subsequent historical writings, Wu Qi not only did not lose a single battle, but also extremely rarely found himself in a difficult position, making up a chronicle of amazing and decisive victories over superior forces. The treatise "Wu Tzu" written by him is valued as one of the main achievements of Chinese military thought. The ideas and methods presented there are not only theoretical, but also proven in practice. However, Hui-wang, who came to power in 370 BC. e. , succeeded more in quarreling with people than using them in the service. As a result, he lost Gongsun Yang, who subsequently strengthened the kingdom of Qin with his reforms, which at the beginning of the period was the weakest of the seven kingdoms.
354-353 AD BC e. War between Wei and Han. The Wei army invaded the kingdom of Han, the latter turned to the kingdom of Qi for help. In response, Qi sends an army that invaded Wei territory and approached the capital. The military adviser to the cis commander was Sun Bin (they say that he was a descendant of Sun Tzu). Wei army under the command of Pang Huan, former colleague Sun Bin quickly returns to protect the capital of his state.
OK. 353 BC e. Battle of Malin. Sun Bin ambushed with 10,000 crossbowmen. The Wei army fell into a trap and was almost completely destroyed.
342-341 BC e. War between Wei and Zhao. Having regained strength after the defeat at Malin, Wei invades the neighboring state of Zhao and besieges its capital. Zhao asks Qi for help, just like Han did 12 years ago. Qi continues to invade Wei and again threatens the capital. Once again, the Wei army is forced to quickly march back home to defend the capital. On the way, she was ambushed by Sun Bin.
334-286 BC e. The expansion of the kingdom of Chu. Chu seized the lands of the Yue kingdom along the coast, then the Song (modern Anhui province).
330-316 BC e. expansion of the Qin kingdom. At the same time, Qin establishes its control in the north and east. After capturing an area in present-day Sichuan, Qin established itself in the west of the Yangtze Valley, directly threatening Chu.
315-223 BC e. Chu and Qin fight. Gradually, Qin strengthened, and during the reign of Ying Zheng, Chu was defeated and captured.
OK. 280 years BC e. Qin defeats Wei.
260 BC e. Battle of Changping. In the hardest battle, Qin defeated Zhao. 400,000 Zhao warriors who surrendered were buried alive.
249 BC e. Death of the Zhao Dynasty. - probably 100 years old
- B.... what stupid everyone!!! Why no one remembered the Turkish Venetian War of the 15th-18th centuries. 300 years
- Reconquista. 800 years.
- The longest war in history lasted 335 years
The participants in the longest war eventually forgot that they were fighting, and remembered it by accident. This war was fought between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly, a group of islands 45 km from the southwestern tip of England. It began in 1651.
When Elizabeth I died, the crown passed to her cousin James Stewart, son of Mary, Queen of Scots. For the first time in history, England, Ireland and Scotland had one king. Not surprisingly, this did not suit everyone. Things got even worse when the throne was succeeded by his son Charles I, whose popularity waned as he tried to pull out of the 30 Years' War.
Charles continued to make mistake after mistake: he tried to rewrite church texts (unsuccessfully) and put down the Scottish rebellion. In the end, the armed uprising of the Irish against the Scots and the English led to the division of power. The royalists supported the king and his right to power, but the parliamentarians wanted to overthrow him.
And the Dutch decided to support the parliamentarians. The royalists responded with violence: they attacked all Dutch ships that appeared in the English Channel. In the end, the royalists lost the war, gradually they had to retreat, and the Isles of Scilly were the last remaining stronghold.
The Dutch decided to use this opportunity to finish off the royalists, and sent a fleet of 12 ships to the tiny group of islands, demanding reparation for the damage caused by the royalists to the Netherlands. The royalists refused, and then the Netherlands declared war on both them and the islands.
The blockade continued for three months until the royalists surrendered. Now that the islands were controlled by parliamentarians, there was no one to demand compensation from, and the Dutch sailed home. For some reason, everyone forgot to officially announce the end of the war.
So Scilly and the Netherlands were officially at war until 1986, when a Sillian historian found evidence of the participation of the islands in the war, the surrender and the departure of the Dutch. He approached the Dutch embassy in London, and officials found documents confirming that Scilly and the Netherlands, it turns out, are still at war.
The peace treaty was signed on April 17, 1986, ending the longest war in history without a single battle. The war lasted 335 years.
- England, the war between the "white" and "scarlet" rose, 100 years ....
- The shortest war broke out between Britain and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896 and lasted 38 minutes from 9:20 am to 9:40 am. The longest "Hundred Years' War" lasted 116 years, from 1337 to 1453. The most violent of wars is the Second World War. About 56.4 million people died.
it was already .. use the search!
- I'm afraid it's religious... start at least with the Templars 🙂
- probably, this is a hundred years war, between France and England ...
And at the moment, the longest war is the war between North Korea and South Korea, which began in 1950 ... There was no official end to the war... she has a chance to become the longest...
Original taken from edward journal in History of Russia, the longest wars
In the history of mankind there are wars that differ in their duration. In this series, the record holder, of course, is the Hundred Years War between England and France, which lasted from 1337 to 1453, i.e., almost 116 years. But there are also long wars in the history of Russia. It is about them that I would like to talk in this article.
Caucasian War (1817-1864) - 47 years.
As a result of Russian-Iranian and Russian-Turkish wars North Caucasus was surrounded by the beginning of the 19th century Russian territory. Attempts by the tsarist administration to impose their own rules on the local peoples met with resistance, which at times turned into a fierce one. The highlanders were especially outraged by the prohibitions on raids (a traditional form of fishing for the local population, accompanied by robbery and taking prisoners), the need to participate in the construction of bridges, roads, fortresses, and new taxation. Additional difficulties were caused by different levels of socio-economic and political development North Caucasian peoples and the religious factor.
“Muridism became the ideological support of the highlanders. The teaching of Muridism required blind obedience from every true believer. Muridism placed on its followers the obligation to conduct a "holy war", ghazawat, against the infidels until they were converted to Islam or completely destroyed. The call for ghazavat, addressed to all mountain peoples, was powerful incentive resistance and at the same time contributed to overcoming the disunity of the peoples inhabiting the North Caucasus.
Initially, the highlanders did not like the actions of General Yermolov: the construction of fortresses, roads, deforestation. All this facilitated control over the North Caucasus.
The reason for the war was the actions of General A.P. Yermolov, who began active offensive operations - he built fortress settlements, laid roads between them, cut down forests, moving deep into the territories of the mountain peoples. In 1818, the Groznaya fortress arose on the Suzha River. It began the systematic advance of the Russians from the old border line along the Terek to the very foot of the mountains. Yermolov's activity evoked a response from the mountain peoples. (The name Yermolov became a household name for the highlanders, and for a long time children were scared of them in this region). In 1819, almost all the rulers of Dagestan united in an alliance to fight against the Russians, and four years later the Kabardian princes did the same. And began chain reaction. In 1824, an uprising in Chechnya was raised by a former military man B. Taymazov. Gazi-Magomed, who became the first imam of Chechnya and Dagestan in 1828, fought both with Russian troops and with the Avar khans, considering them supporters of Russia. The war began to take on a protracted character.
Russian fortress "Groznaya"
In 1827, Yermolov, suspected by Nicholas I of having connections with the Decembrists, was replaced as commander of the Separate Caucasian Corps by I.F. Paskevich. Paskevich abandoned Yermolov's methods of conquering the Caucasus and considered it sufficient to conduct separate military expeditions and build strongholds. It was Paskevich who began to lay the road along Black Sea coast, which later became the Black Sea coastline. These fortifications further turned the highlanders against the Russians.
Ethnic Avar imam Shamil led the struggle of the mountain peoples against the Russian Empire
In 1834, Shamil was elected the third imam. On the territory subject to him, he created an imamat - a theocratic state, where all power belongs to one person - the imam. Sharia law was in force here, and strict discipline reigned. Shamil managed to organize the highlanders into a regular army. With the help of the British and Turks, he equipped his troops with the latest weapons, including artillery. For the 1840s the greatest successes of the highlanders in the struggle against Russia are accounted for - the capture of several Russian fortifications, the encirclement of the Russian expeditionary corps under the command of M. Vorontsov, the governor in the Caucasus.
Aul Vedeno for a long time was the residence of Shamil
Ending Crimean War was marked by the intensification of hostilities against Shamil. The number of armed forces in the Caucasus was increased, some new types of weapons appeared. The new commander-in-chief in the North Caucasus, A.I. Baryatinsky, applied flexible tactics: he abandoned the practice of punitive expeditions, managed to enlist the support of both the local nobility and the common people. All this began to bear fruit, moreover, for long years During the Caucasian War, Russia learned to fight in mountainous terrain, so events began to develop more intensively. In April 1859, the residence of Shamil, the village of Vedeno, was taken. On August 25, 1859, Shamil, along with 400 associates, was besieged in Gunib and on August 26 surrendered to the army of Baryatinsky.
Surrender of Imam Shamil
However, the appearance of Russian settlers in the Caucasus led to the discontent of the local population and the uprising in 1862 of the peoples of Abkhazia. It was suppressed only in 1864. May 21, 1864 is considered the day of the end of the Caucasian War - the longest war in the history of Russia.
Livonian War (1558-1583) - 25 years.
Ivan IV had to solve many foreign policy tasks, and on different directions: Baltic (northwest), Crimean (south), Lithuanian (west), Kazan and Nogai (southeast), Siberian (east). Most of these areas were inherited from foreign policy predecessors of Ivan IV - Ivan III and Basil III(respectively grandfather and father). The asset of Ivan IV can include the accession of the Kazan, Astrakhan khanates, Siberian khanates, Bashkiria, in liabilities - complicated relationship with the Crimean Horde, which literally terrorized Russia with its constant raids, a lawsuit over the western Russian lands with Poland and Lithuania, being drawn into a large-scale, long-term war for access to the Baltic Sea.
Territorial increments of the 16th century
fast growing Russian state(Only in the period from 1462 to 1533, the territory of the state grew 6.5 times - from 430 thousand sq. Km. to 2.8 million sq. Km.) New trade links and routes were needed. One of the main problems of Russia during this period was the difficult situation with sea routes. The lack of seaports (Arkhangelsk was built only in 1584) and access to the European seas made it difficult for Russia to enter the world economic system.
Castle of the Livonian Order. The best preserved of all the castles of that time in the region
The choice of the Baltic direction was one of the reasons for the split among the closest associates of Ivan IV - Sylvester, A. Adashev, A. Kurbsky leaned towards the Black Sea direction, believing that the threat from the south is more real, and the potential conquest of the Crimea promises great prospects. However, the king, thus breaking with his recent associates, chose the northwestern direction, believing that Livonia is weak and will not offer serious resistance.
Capture by Ivan the Terrible Livonian Fortress Kokenhausen
Indeed, initially everything went well for Russia - in about two years, Russian troops defeated Livonian Order and occupied almost all of Livonia, including Narva, which for some time became the main Russian port in the Baltic. Such a course of events did not suit Sweden, Lithuania, Poland (in 1569 Lithuania and Poland united into one state - the Commonwealth), for which the strengthening of Russia's position in the Baltic meant the emergence of a new competitor, loss of profits. From that moment on, the Livonian War gradually develops into the largest war of the 16th century, in which several countries of Eastern and Northern Europe were drawn into.
move Livonian War
Russia turned out to be neither diplomatically nor politically prepared for such a war, which, moreover, turned out to be so protracted. Against the backdrop of the beginning of the mid-1560s. Russia's oprichnina had to face the combat-ready armies of Poland and Lithuania, and then with, perhaps, the best Swedish army at that time in Europe. Added to this are factors that, apparently, could have positive influence on the course of the war for Russia. (Ivan IV was twice considered as a candidate for the Polish throne in the 1570s; successful negotiations with Sweden, interrupted due to a change of king; a failed military alliance with England; Crimean raids that lasted virtually the entire Livonian War).
As a result of the Livonian War, Russia lost not only the conquered territories, but also part of its lands in the Baltic states and Belarus, lost access to the Baltic Sea (at the end of the 16th century, Russia again managed to gain access to the sea for a short time, but this turned out, alas, to be a short-term event).
Northern War (1700-1721) - 21 years old
Peter I initially made efforts to develop an exit strategy for south seas and only in the face of a lack of allies did he radically change the direction of Russia's foreign policy to the northwest. Here the allies were found. They turned out to be Poland, Saxony, Denmark, which formed northern union, and, unfortunately, soon proved to be untenable as a military force. It must be said that, despite the fact that best years» Sweden remained in the 17th century, Sweden, led by the young (18 years old) but talented King Charles XII, represented a serious military and naval power. This confirmed the beginning Northern war- Sweden quickly pulled Denmark out of the war, defeated the numerically superior Russian troops in the Battle of Narva, and then left Russia alone (by 1706), defeating the Polish-Saxon troops.
Battle of Narva
Military failures stimulated Peter I to a whole series of transformations (limiting the number of foreign officers in the troops, the introduction of recruitment, the formation of the Baltic Fleet, the construction of blast furnace and hammer factories for the needs of artillery, the creation of a network of military and naval educational institutions, etc.). As a result, after a series of victories, by 1703 the entire course of the Neva was in the hands of the Russians. On May 16 (27), 1703, the future capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, was laid. In 1704, Russian troops captured Narva and Derpt, establishing themselves on the Baltic coast. After a short break, Carl XII decided to invade Russia. The victory at the Battle of Golovchin in the summer of 1708 was the last major success of the Swedish army. And then followed the epic battles at the village of Lesnaya and the battle of Poltava, which led to the defeat of the Swedish army and the flight of Charles XII to the Ottoman Empire.
Poltava
In 1709, the Northern Union was recreated (Prussia also joined it), and in 1710 Russia captured Riga, Vyborg, Revel and other Baltic cities. In 1713-1715. Russia captured Finland, and in 1714 a major victory was won in sea battle- Cape Gangut. In May 1718, the Åland Congress opened, designed to work out the terms of a peace treaty between Russia and Sweden. However, the death of Charles XII interrupted the negotiations that had begun.
Battle of Gangut
England played in this case instigator, creating anti-Russian public opinion and turning other countries against Russia. And she partially succeeded in her plan - in 1719, Austria, Saxony and Hanover organized an anti-Russian coalition. Nevertheless, against the backdrop of such a difficult international situation for Russia, new victories were won by the Russian fleet near the islands of Ezel and Grengam.
The Order of Judas was made in a single copy in 1709 by order of Tsar Peter I to reward the traitor Hetman Mazepa
On August 30, 1721, Russia and Sweden signed the Treaty of Nystadt. As a result of the war, Ingria, Karelia, Estonia, Livonia and part of Finland were annexed to Russia. But most importantly, Russia has solved the problem of access to the Baltic Sea and for many years established itself on this section of the main waterways as a leading maritime power.
Vladimir Gizhov, Ph.D.,
Especially for the Russian Horizon magazine
In the history of mankind there were wars that lasted more than a century. Maps were redrawn, political interests were defended, people died. We recall the most protracted military conflicts. Punic War (118 years) By the middle of the III century BC. the Romans almost completely subjugated Italy, swung at the entire Mediterranean and wanted Sicily first. But the mighty Carthage also claimed this rich island. Their claims unleashed 3 wars that stretched (intermittently) from 264 to 146. BC. and got the name from the Latin name of the Phoenicians-Carthaginians (puns). The first (264-241) - 23 years old (began just because of Sicily). The second (218-201) - 17 years (after the capture of the Spanish city of Sagunta by Hannibal). The last (149-146) - 3 years. It was then that the famous phrase "Carthage must be destroyed!" was born. Pure warfare took 43 years. The conflict in total is 118 years. Results: Besieged Carthage fell. Rome has won. The Hundred Years War (116 years) Went in 4 stages. With pauses for a truce (the longest - 10 years) and the fight against the plague (1348) from 1337 to 1453. Opponents: England and France. Reasons: France wanted to oust England from the southwestern lands of Aquitaine and complete the unification of the country. England - to strengthen influence in the province of Guyenne and return those lost under John the Landless - Normandy, Maine, Anjou. Complication: Flanders - formally was under the auspices of the French crown, in fact it was free, but depended on English wool for cloth making. Reason: the claims of the English king Edward III from the Plantagenet-Anjou dynasty (maternal grandson of the French king Philip IV the Handsome of the Capetian family) to the Gallic throne. Allies: England - German feudal lords and Flanders. France - Scotland and the Pope. Army: English - mercenary. under the command of the king. The basis is infantry (archers) and knightly units. French - knightly militia, under the leadership of royal vassals. Turning point: after the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431 and the Battle of Normandy, the national liberation war of the French people began with the tactics of guerrilla raids. Results: October 19, 1453 the English army capitulated in Bordeaux. Having lost everything on the continent, except for the port of Calais (it remained English for another 100 years). France switched to a regular army, abandoned knightly cavalry, gave preference to infantry, and the first firearms appeared. Greco-Persian War (50 years) Aggregate - wars. Stretched with lulls from 499 to 449. BC. They are divided into two (the first - 492-490, the second - 480-479) or three (the first - 492, the second - 490, the third - 480-479 (449). For the Greek policies-states - the battle for independence. For the Achaeminid Empire - predatory. Trigger: Ionian rebellion. The battle of the Spartans at Thermopylae is legendary. The battle of Salamis was a turning point. The point was put by "Kalliev Mir". Results: Persia lost the Aegean Sea, the coasts of the Hellespont and the Bosphorus. Recognized the freedom of the cities of Asia Minor. The civilization of the ancient Greeks entered the time of the highest prosperity, laying the culture, which, even after millennia, the world was equal to. War of the Scarlet and White Roses (33 years old) Confrontation of the English nobility - supporters of the two ancestral branches of the Plantagenet dynasty - Lancasters and Yorks. Stretched from 1455 to 1485. Prerequisites: "bastard feudalism" - the privilege of the English nobility to pay off military service from the lord, in whose hands large funds were concentrated, with which he paid for the army of mercenaries, which became more powerful than the royal one. The reason: the defeat of England in the Hundred Years War, the impoverishment of the feudal lords, their rejection of the political course of the wife of the feeble-minded king Henry IV, hatred of her favorites. Opposition: Duke Richard of York - considered the right to power of the Lancasters illegitimate, became regent under an incapacitated monarch, in 1483 - king, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth. Results: Violated the balance of political forces in Europe. Led to the collapse of the Plantagenets. She placed the Welsh Tudors on the throne, who ruled England for 117 years. Cost the lives of hundreds of English aristocrats. Thirty Years' War (30 years) The first military conflict of a pan-European scale. Lasted from 1618 to 1648. Opponents: two coalitions. The first is the union of the Holy Roman Empire (in fact, Austrian) with Spain and the Catholic principalities of Germany. The second - the German states, where power was in the hands of Protestant princes. They were supported by the armies of reformist Sweden and Denmark and Catholic France. Reason: The Catholic League was afraid of the spread of the ideas of the Reformation in Europe, the Protestant Evangelical Union was striving for this. Trigger: Revolt of Czech Protestants against Austrian domination. Results: The population of Germany has decreased by a third. The French army lost 80 thousand. Austria and Spain - more than 120. After the Treaty of Münster in 1648, a new independent state, the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (Holland), was finally fixed on the map of Europe. Peloponnesian War (27 years) There are two of them. The first is the Little Peloponnesian (460-445 BC). The second (431-404 BC) is the largest in the history of Ancient Hellas after the first Persian invasion of the territory of Balkan Greece. (492-490 BC). Opponents: Peloponnesian Union led by Sparta and the First Marine (Delosian) under the auspices of Athens. Reasons: The desire for hegemony in the Greek world of Athens and the rejection of their claims by Sparta and Corypha. Contradictions: Athens was ruled by an oligarchy. Sparta is a military aristocracy. Ethnically, the Athenians were Ionians, the Spartans were Dorians. In the second, 2 periods are distinguished. The first is "Arkhidamov's War". The Spartans made land invasions into the territory of Attica. Athenians - sea raids on the coast of the Peloponnese. It ended in the 421st signing of the Peace of Nikiev. After 6 years, it was violated by the Athenian side, which was defeated in the battle of Syracuse. The final phase went down in history under the name Dekeley or Ionian. With the support of Persia, Sparta built a fleet and destroyed the Athenian at Aegospotami. Results: After the conclusion in April 404 BC. Athens lost the fleet, torn down the Long Walls, lost all the colonies and joined the Spartan alliance. ________________________________________________________________
