Longest war?

[CivLuvah]

What is the longest war in history?

 

[negZero]

Peloponnesian War, start date 431BC, end date 1994AD.

However the longest active war(that I can think of) is the Arauco war(1536) and didn't end till the occupation of the Araucania region(1861–1883)

 

[CivLuvah]

Peloponnesian War, start date 431BC, end date 1994AD.

No, what I mean is the longest war in history that ended in a surrender of either side of the war. I mean, how can the Peloponesian War end if the city-states of Athens & Sparta were obliterated at the time of Alexander or the Romans. I have never heard of any conflict from the surrender of Athens onwards.

 

[JonathanStrange]

Yeah, I'd like to know that too. One recalls the Hundred Year War, would that qualify by your definition? I'm just asking. Could a "series" of wars like the Punic Wars be considered one war with pauses? Again, just asking. I'm not too clear on military history myself.

 

[GoodGame]

I'd say the 100 years war, but it's actually a collection of wars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years'_War

With that criteria, you could say the Crusades are one big 200 years war.

And if you run with that you could say the rise of the Islamic Caliphate and the Crusades are one big 600 years war.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

And while we're at it, England and France hated each other from 1066 to 1914, the Hunderd Year's War was just a period of heightened intensity within that time.

 

[aronnax]

And while we're at it, England and France hated each other from 1066 to 1914, the Hunderd Year's War was just a period of heightened intensity within that time.

Only till 1914? French-hating is a national sport of the English!

Im not sure whether the French hate Englishmen or Germans more.

 

[GoodGame]

I'd guess the Thirty Years War (1618 CE) seriously, since peace was interrupted by foreign interventions prolonging the fighting. Any longer wars?

 

[Dachs]

I'd guess the Thirty Years War (1618 CE) seriously, since peace was interrupted by foreign interventions prolonging the fighting. Any longer wars?

That one was actually temporarily interrupted too, between the end of the Danish intervention and the landing of Gustav Adolf, IIRC.

 

[GoodGame]

Ok, so about maybe a 1-1/2 year interruption. Though perhaps the German princes made angry glances at each other during that peace?

 

[CivLuvah]

Yeah, I'd like to know that too. One recalls the Hundred Year War, would that qualify by your definition? I'm just asking. Could a "series" of wars like the Punic Wars be considered one war with pauses? Again, just asking. I'm not too clear on military history myself.

I'd say the 100 years war, but it's actually a collection of wars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years'_War

With that criteria, you could say the Crusades are one big 200 years war.

And if you run with that you could say the rise of the Islamic Caliphate and the Crusades are one big 600 years war.

Yes, I think that the Hundred Year's War is the longest war in history. The Crusades were just battles.

 

[Dachs]

Ok, so about maybe a 1-1/2 year interruption. Though perhaps the German princes made angry glances at each other during that peace?

They certainly did. I suppose you could fudge and claim that the Stralsund episode brought Sweden into a state of war with the Habsburgs before the Danish intervention ended, which combined with the apex of the centralization struggles (i.e. the imposition of the Edict of Restitution) would keep the Thirty Years' War constant. Still seems a bit iffy to me, to be honest.

 

[say1988]

Are you looking for one long conflict without periods of intervening peace (by treaty or just extended lack of hostilities), a long series of conflicts (like the Hundred Year's War), or a strange case where places were nominally at war but actually peaceful or even allied.

The Arauco War is likely a major candidate for the first two categories. I believe it did have numerous periods of at least nominal peace, but even if that is the case, there may be long enough periods of sustained warfare to claim both titles.

 

[Sharwood]

Arauco War wins. If you want one long continuous war with no breaks at all, maybe the Peloponnesian. Technically there was a treaty signed, but neither side obeyed it. Can't thik of any more off the top of my head, even the Thirty Year War had a break, as Dachs mentioned. Though Montenegro only made peace with Japan a few years ago, and North and South Korea are still at war, if you want technicalities.

 

[Agent327]

Yes, I think that the Hundred Year's War is the longest war in history. The Crusades were just battles.

No: your quote explains how the 100 Yrs War is a series of wars; the Crusades were campaigns, not wars. (Although war was fought.)

So, it's the 80 Years War (it had a 12 Year Armistice and then the conflict continued), which established both the independence of the Dutch United Provinces from the Spanish empire and the Republic as a world power in the 17th century. (Whence it's called their Golden Age.) Coincidentally, the peace treaty also concluded the Thirty Years War - in which the Netherlands played also a, minor, part - with the Treaty of Munster. (As also mentioned, the 30 Years War also was a series of conflicts.)

 

[Camikaze]

I read somewhere that the Netherlands declared war on some small British Isle a long time ago, and only technically ended that war a few years ago. However, I have no idea which British Isle it was, when exactly the war started, or for what reason.

 

[Infantry#14]

War between humans and Neanderthals. I'm pretty sure that lasts for couple thousands of years

 

[SeleucusNicator]

The Great Turkish War easily lasted longer than the Thirty Years War.

 

[Dachs]

The Great Turkish War easily lasted longer than the Thirty Years War.

Yeah, you're right - thirty-six years from Doroshenko to Karlowitz. Is that longer than both of the phases of the Dutch Revolt?

 

[Sharwood]

The Great Turkish War easily lasted longer than the Thirty Years War.

Maybe I just know a different name, but I don't know to what that refers. Google directs me to Russo-Turkish Wars, and I know none of them went that long.