Share this
There are some people who don’t know the history of wars involving European nations and African nations.
Between 700 and 2020 there have been at least 104 wars, mainly initiated by European nations on African nations or the Diaspora of African nations. Only 1 of those wars was initiated by African nations.
There have been 40 wars involving the United Kingdom and 64 wars involving France. We haven’t included wars involving the Dutch Republic, Germany, the United States, the Ottomans, Portugal, Spain and Italy in order to make the collation of information manageable and reading it digestible.
List of wars involving the United Kingdom and Africans or diaspora of Africa
There have been 40 wars involving Africans:
Great Britain
| Conflict | Britain & allies | Britain’s opposition | Outcome |
| Tacky’s War (1760) |
Great Britain Jamaican Government Jamaican Maroons |
Ashanti Slaves | British Allied victory
|
| Second Maroon War (1795–1796) |
Great Britain British Jamaica |
Jamaican Maroons | British victory
|
United Kingdom
| Conflict | Britain & Her Allies | Britain’s opposition | Outcome |
| Temne War (1801–1807) |
Susu tribes | Kingdom of Koya | British Allied victory
Northern shore of Sierra Leone ceded by Koya |
| Ashanti–Fante War (1806–1807) |
Ashanti Empire | Fante Confederacy | |
| Merina Conquest of Madagascar (1810–1817) |
Merina Kingdom | Rival tribes | British victory
Merina control of Madagascar Merina pro-British policies |
| 4th Xhosa War (1811–1812) |
Xhosa tribes | British victory
Xhosa tribes pushed beyond the Fish River, reversing their gains in the previous Xhosa wars |
|
| Ga-Fante War (1811) |
Ashanti Empire | Fante Confederacy
Akwapim tribes Akim tribes |
Tantamkweri ceded to Akwapim tribes |
| 5th Xhosa War (1818–1819) |
Khoikhoi Forces | Forces of Xhosa Chief Maqana Nxele | British Allied victory
Xhosa pushed beyond Keiskama River |
| Greek War of Independence (1820–1830) |
Greek revolutionaries | Ottoman Empire | British Allied victory
Establishment of the Kingdom of Greece |
| First Ashanti War (1823–1831) |
Ashanti Empire | Inconclusive/Other Outcome
|
|
| Baptist War (1831–1832) |
United Kingdom Jamaican Government |
Rebel Slaves | British victory
|
| The 6th Xhosa War (1834–1836) |
Free Khoikhoi | Xhosa tribes | British victory
Extensive territorial gains from Xhosa |
| The 8th Xhosa War (1850–1853) Mlanjeni’s War |
Xhosa tribes
Khoikhoi tribes Native Kafir Police |
British victory
Xhosa-Khoi attacks defeated Status quo ante bellum |
|
| Second Ashanti War (1863–1864) |
Ashanti Empire | Inconclusive/Other Outcome | |
| British Expedition to Abyssinia (1867–1868) |
United Kingdom | Ethiopia | British victory |
| 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia (1868) |
India | Abyssinia | British victory
British hostages freed War of the Abyssinian Succession begins |
| Third Ashanti War (1873–1874) |
Ashanti Empire | British victory
Treaty of Fomena:
|
|
| The 9th Xhosa War (1877–1879) |
Mfengu Tribe | Xhosa Gcaleka Tribe | British victory
All Xhosa territory annexed to the Cape Colony |
| Anglo-Zulu War (1879) |
Natal | Zulu Kingdom | British victory
Zululand annexed to Natal |
| ‘Urabi Revolt (1879–1882) |
United Kingdom Khedivate of Egypt |
Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi | British Allied victory
|
| First Boer War (1880–1881) |
South African Republic | South African victory
|
|
| Mahdist War (1884–1889) |
Egypt | Mahdist Sudan | British Allied victory |
| Anglo-Zanzibar War (1896) |
Zanzibar | British victory
Pro-British Sultan installed |
|
| Second Boer War (1899–1902) |
Orange Free State | British victory
|
|
| Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902) |
Aro Confederacy | British victory
Aro Confederacy destroyed |
|
| Battle of Kano | British Empire | Sokoto caliphate | British victory |
| First World War (1914–1918) |
Allied Powers | Central Powers | British Allied victory
Treaties of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Trianon:
Russia pulls out in 1917
Creation of League of Nations:
|
| Somaliland campaign (1920) (1920) |
Somaliland | Dervish State | British victory
Demise of the Dervish State |
| 1922 Burao Tax Revolt (1922) |
United Kingdom | Habr Yunis tribesmen | Tribal victory
|
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present)
| Conflict | Britain & Her Allies | Britain’s opposition | Outcome |
| Second World War (1939–1945) |
Allied Powers | Axis Powers | British Allied victory
Nazi Germany formally surrenders 8 May 1945, ending the Second World War in Europe. British (and Commonwealth), French, American, and Soviet troops occupy Germany until 1955, Italy and Japan lose their colonies, Europe is divided into ‘Soviet’ and ‘Western’ spheres of interest. |
| 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion (1945) |
United Kingdom | Armed Habr Je’lo tribesmen | British Pyrrhic Victory
Sheikh Bashir killed, unrest continues, anti-colonialist and nationalist sentiment increases in Somaliland |
| 1951 Anglo-Egyptian War (1951–1952) |
United Kingdom | Egypt | British victory
|
| Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) |
United Kingdom | Mau Mau | British victory
|
| Jebel Akhdar War (1954–1959) |
Sultanate of Muscat and Oman United Kingdom |
Imamate of Oman
|
British Allied victory
|
| Suez Crisis (1956–1957) |
United Kingdom | Egypt | Inconclusive/Other Outcome
Coalition military victory[16][17][18]
|
| Sierra Leone Civil War (2000–2002) |
Sierra Leone | Rebels | British Allied victory
Rebels defeated |
| Libyan Civil War (2011) |
Many NATO members acting under UN mandate, including:
and several Arab League states |
Pro-Gaddafi forces | British Allied victory
|
| Operation Shader (2014–present) |
United States United Kingdom Iraq Syrian Opposition Australia Belgium Canada Denmark France Germany Italy Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal Spain Turkey Bahrain Jordan Morocco Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Rojava Egypt Libya Nigeria Cameroon Chad Niger Russia |
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Boko Haram |
Ongoing
|
List of wars involving France and Africans
There have been 64 wars involving France and Africans or the Diaspora of Africans.
Frankish Kingdom, Carolingian Empire and West Francia
| Conflict | Franks & allies | Frankish opposition | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umayyad invasion of Gaul (719–759) Location: Southern Gaul |
Francia | Umayyad Caliphate
Andalusi commanders (as of 750) |
Frankish victory |
Kingdom of France (987–1792)
First French Republic (1792–1804)
| Conflict | France & allies | France’s opposition | Outcome |
| Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) Location: Saint-Domingue |
Slave owners Kingdom of France French Republic |
Ex-slaves French royalists Captaincy General of Santo Domingo (1793–1795) Great Britain Ex-slaves (1802–1803) |
Haitian victory
|
First French Empire wars (1804–1814,15):
| Conflict | France & allies | France’s opposition | Outcome |
| Siege of Santo Domingo (1805) Location: Santo Domingo, Saint-Domingue |
France | Haiti | French victory
|
Bourbon Restoration (1814-15, 1815–1830)
| Conflict | France & allies | France’s opposition | Outcome |
| Franco-Trarzan War of 1825 (1825) Location: Waalo, West Africa |
France | Trarza | French victory |
July Monarchy wars (1830–1848):
| Conflict | France & allies | France’s opposition | Outcome |
| French conquest of Algeria (1827–1830–1857) Location: Regency of Algiers |
France | Ottoman Empire
Emirate of Abdelkader |
French victory |
| First Franco-Moroccan War (1844) Location: Morocco |
France | Morocco Algerian volunteers |
French victory |
Second French Republic wars (1848–1852):
| Conflict | France & allies | France’s opposition | Outcome |
| Bombardment of Salé (1851) Location: Morocco |
France | Sherifian Empire | French military victory French political failure
|
| Siege of Medina Fort (1857) Location: Médine, Mali |
France | Toucouleur Empire | French victory |
French Third Republic wars (1870–1940):
| Conflict | France & allies | France’s opposition | Outcome |
| French conquest of Tunisia (1881) Location: Tunisia |
France | Beylik of Tunis | French victory
|
| Mandingo Wars (1883–1898) Location: West Africa |
France | Wassoulou Empire | French victory |
| First Madagascar expedition (1883–1885) Location: Madagascar |
France | Merina Kingdom | French victory |
| First Franco-Dahomean War (1890) Location: Ouémé Department of modern Benin |
France | Dahomey | French victory
|
| Second Franco-Dahomean War (1892–1894) Location: Modern Benin |
France | Dahomey | French victory
|
| First Italo-Ethiopian War (1894-1896) |
Ethiopia Support: Russia France Eritrean rebels |
Italy | Ethiopian victory |
| Second Madagascar expedition (1894–1895) Location: Madagascar |
France | Merina Kingdom | French victory |
| Rabih War (1899–1901) Location: West Africa |
France | Kanem–Bornu Empire | French victory |
| 1904–1905 uprising in Madagascar (1904–1905) Location: Madagascar |
France | Rebels | French victory
|
| Ouaddai War (1909–1911) Location: Ouaddai Empire |
France | Ouaddai Empire | French victory
|
| French conquest of Morocco (1911–1934) Location: North Africa |
France | Zaian Confederation Varying other Berber tribes |
French victory |
| Zaian War (1914–1921) Location: French protectorate of Morocco |
France | Zaian Confederation Varying other Berber tribes Supported during the First World War by the Central Powers |
French victory |
| First World War (1914–1918) Location: Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and coast of North and South America |
Allied Powers | Central Powers | Allied victory
|
| Volta-Bani War (1915–1917) Location: Burkino Faso, Mali |
France | Marka, Bwa, Lela, Nuni, and Bobo people | French victory |
| Kaocen revolt (1916–1917) Location: Northern Niger |
France | Tuareg guerrillas | French victory |
| Rif War (1920–1927) Location: Morocco |
Spain France (1925–1926) Jebala tribes |
Republic of the Rif Jebala tribes |
Franco-Spanish victory
|
| Kongo-Wara rebellion (1928–1931) Location: French Equatorial Africa, French Cameroon |
France
Co-belligerents: |
Gbaya people and clans
Co-belligerents: |
French victory |
| Second World War (1939–1945) Location: Europe, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Mediterranean, North Africa, Oceania, North and South America |
Allied Powers | Axis Powers | Allied victory |
French Fourth Republic wars (1946–1958):
| Conflict | France & allies | France’s opposition | Outcome |
| Malagasy Uprising (1947–1948) Location: Madagascar |
France | MDRM | French victory
|
| Algerian War (1954–1962) Location: Algeria |
France NATO |
FLN | Military stalemate
|
| Suez Crisis (1956) Location: Gaza Strip and Egypt (Sinai and Suez Canal zone) |
Israel United Kingdom France |
Egypt | Coalition military victory Egyptian political victory |
| Ifni War (1957–1958) Location: Spanish Sahara, Ifni, Morocco |
Spain France |
Moroccan Army of Liberation | Franco-Spanish victory |
French Fifth Republic (1958–present)
Wars France was not involved in but provided support (Material, Political, Advisory etc)
| Conflict | Supported by France | Opposed by France | Outcome |
| Second Egyptian-Ottoman War (1839-1841) Location: The Levant |
Eyalet of Egypt Kingdom of France Kingdom of Spain |
Ottoman Empire British Empire Austrian Empire Russian Empire Kingdom of Prussia |
Ottoman victory
|
| Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) Location: Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, North Sea and Guinea |
Republicans
Supported by: |
Nationalists
Italy |
Nationalist Victory |
| Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) Location: Nigeria |
Biafra Republic of Benin (1967) Supported By: France and various countries |
Nigeria Supported By: Various countries |
Nigerian victory |
| Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) Location: Angola |
UNITA FNLA (1975–1978) South Africa(1975–1991) Zaire(1975) Supported By United States (1975–1991) Morocco (1970s) China (1975) FLEC Material support: France |
MPLA Cuba(1975–1991) SWAPO (1975–1991) ANC(1975–1991) Executive Outcomes (1993–1995) FLNC (1975–2001) Namibia (2001-2002) Material support: Soviet Union (1975-1991) Yugoslavia (1975–1991) North Korea (1980s) |
MPLA Victory |
