Normal War: Past Incidents

1900 Boxer Rebellion
Hundreds were killed when Chinese natives revolted against non-Chinese colonists from Europe.
1904 Russo-Japanese War
Fought between the imperial Russian and Japanese states, the war was hinged on the Liaodong Peninsula, a vital shipping region.
1912 Balkan Wars
Very violent and bloody, this war was fought between Serbia, Montenegro, Greece and Bulgaria against the Ottoman Turks.
1914 First World War (Allies vs. Central Powers)
This devastating war stimulated by fervent nationalism, was waged between the Allies, the United States, United Kingdom and Russia against the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottomams.
1939 Second World War (Allies vs. Axis Powers)
Prompted by Adolf Hitler's desire for restoration of German nationalism, the most devastating war in contemporary history killed over 62 million people.
1946 Cold War (America and its Allies vs. USSR and its Allies)
After World War II, the two remaining superpowers began a 43year arms race and weapons stockpiling. Some call this the "bullet-less" war.
1950 Korean War
This war was essentially a war of regional demarcation waged between the Chinese and the Japanese, until the United States emerged as a police force.
1962 Vietnam War
This war was the first war to be televised, showing the public the atrocities committed by both parties. The fighting was instigated by North Vietnamese troops backed by the USSR against the South Koreans supported by the United States.
1948 Arab-Israeli Wars
Prompted by issues of religion and geographic entitlement, this long standing conflict has resulted in a destabilization of the region and the death of many innocent civilians.
1956 Suez War
The fighting in this war revealed the great significance of global political alliances. Egyptian leader, Gamal Nasser, wishes to nationalize the Suez Canal undercut British and French economic interests and prompted military actions.
1967 Six Day War
Israel preemptively attacked Egypt as a precautionary measure when it was found that Egypt had covertly deployed troops near the Sinai.
1973 Yom Kippur War
The war was initiated as Egypt and Syria cooperatively worked to regain the Golan Heights, strategic and religiously significant lands, from Israel.
1982 Falklands War
Prompted by issues of ownership of the Falkland Islands, this war was fought between Argentina and the British powers.
1990 Gulf War
When Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, moved his troops toward Kuwait to seize their oil reserves, United Nations troops retaliated and stemmed his progress.
1992 Yugoslav Wars (Ten Day War)
Yugoslavia instigated violence in response to the Serbians' Declaration of Independence.
1992 Bosnian Civil War
Although the matter of who instigated fighting is disputed, the fall of Communism in Yugoslavia is generally attributed as the critical factor resulting in the death of over 200,000 and displacement of 2 million.
2000 Kosovo War (Conflict)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) intervened in the incessant killings of Kosovo civilians, resulting in intense bombings and a Western military presence in the region.
2003 Iraq War (Second Gulf War)
The United States, using potential WMDs and the War on Terror as justifications but without the approval of the United Nations, led a coalition of the willing and took over Iraq. The U.S. subsequently tried to establish a democratic government, but the war continues today with debates over whether or not Iraq is on the brink of a civil war. The weapons of mass destruction are yet to be found.

Sources Consulted

Sources

  • "Index of Major Conflicts." World Statesmen. 2005. 12 Feb. 2006 <http://www.worldstatesmen.org/WARS.html>.
  • White, Matthew. "Source List and Detailed Death Tolls for the Twentieth Century Hemoclysm." Twentieth Century Atlas. 2005. 11 Mar. 2006 <http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm>.