Early histories of a war typically describe the war as it was declared by the states involved. It is not uncommon for later historians to group together a series of wars over a long period or spread over several theaters as part of a broader conflict or strategic campaign. The most familiar of these in the present day is probably the Cold War and the War on Terror, which included the Korean War (1950–1953) (Cold War), the Vietnam War (1965–1973) (Cold War), the Persian Gulf War (1990–1991) (Cold War), the War in Afghanistan (2001–2016) (War on Terror), and the Iraq War (2003–2011) (War on Terror) to name these five wars during the Cold War and the War on Terror. These groupings provide useful context for the wars involved. Note that some groupings overlap time periods and its possible for more than one war to be going on at the same time.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

• 499 BC – 448 BC Greco-Persian Wars
• 322 BC - 275 BC Wars of the Diadochi
• 274 BC - 168 BC Syrian Wars
• 264 BC – 146 BC Punic Wars
• 66 BC – 628 AD Roman–Persian Wars

• 66 BC - 217 AD Roman–Parthian Wars
• 230–392 Roman–Sasanian wars
• 392–628 Byzantine–Sasanian wars

• 66–136 Jewish–Roman wars
• 485–556 Samaritan revolts
• 622–755 Early Muslim conquests
  • 629–11th century Arab–Byzantine wars
  • 650s–737 Arab–Khazar wars
• 680–1355 Byzantine–Bulgarian wars
• 718–1492 Iberian Reconquista
• 830s–1043 Rus'–Byzantine wars
• 1048–1308 Byzantine–Seljuq wars
• 1090–1194 Nizari–Seljuk conflicts
• 1095–1291 Crusades
• 1299–1453 Byzantine–Ottoman wars
• 1676–1918 Russo-Turkish wars
• 1689–1815 Second Hundred Years' War
• 1722–1828 Russo-Persian Wars
• 1919–1923 Turkish War of Independence

• 1955–present Sudanese civil wars
• 1996–present Congo wars

• 133 BC–89 AD Han–Xiongnu War
• 109 BC–108 BC Gojoseon–Han War
• 220–280 Wars of the Three Kingdoms (China)
• 588–630 Göktürk–Persian wars
• 598–614 Goguryeo–Sui Wars
• 629-630 Tang conquest of the Eastern Turks
• 645–668 Goguryeo–Tang Wars
• 657 Tang conquest of the Western Turks
• 1206–1279 Mongol invasion of China
• 1231–1259 Mongol invasions of Korea
• 1274–1281 Mongol invasions of Japan
• 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea
• 1627–1636 Manchu invasions of Korea
• 1747–1793 Ten Great Campaigns
• 1839–1860 Opium Wars: First Opium War (1839–1842) and Second Opium War (1856–1860)
• 1894–1945 Sino-Japanese wars
• 1902-1932 Unification Wars of Arabia
• 1920–present Kurdish rebellions in Turkey
• 1930–1939 Soviet–Japanese border conflicts
• 1941–1945 Pacific War also includes a small piece of Oceania Region but mainly an Asian war.
• 1947–present Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts and Kashmir conflict
• 1948–present Arab–Israeli conflict
• 1950–1953 Korean War
• 1955–1975 Vietnam War
• 1961-1997 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
• 1962 Sino-Indian War
• 1978–present Afghan Civil War

• 1607–1891 Kingdom of England, and United States, versus Native Americans
• 1689–1763 French and Indian Wars
• 1754–1814 Sixty Years' War
• 1860-1877 American Civil War and Reconstruction Era (re-admitting States to the Union)
• 1775-1783 American Revolutionary War
• 1803-1815 Napoleonic Wars

• 58 BC – 50 BC Gallic Wars
• 1142–1445 Swedish–Novgorodian Wars
• 1296–1363 Wars of Scottish Independence
• 1135–1453 Wars between the kingdom of England and the French
  • 1337–1453 Hundred Years' War
• 1438–1552 Russo-Kazan Wars
• 1455–1485 Wars of the Roses
• 1494–1559 Italian Wars
• 1496–1809 Russo-Swedish wars
• 1507–1572 Russo-Crimean Wars
• 1562–1598 French Wars of Religion
• 1637–1652 Wars of the Three Kingdoms (Europe)
• 1648–1667 The Deluge
• 1754–1763 Seven Years' War
• 1792–1802 French Revolutionary Wars
• 1848–1866 Italian Independence wars
• 1912–1913 Balkan Wars
• 1941–1944 Continuation War (Finland-USSR)
• 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War
• 1991–2001 Yugoslav Wars

• 1914–1918 World War I
• 1939–1945 World War II
• 1947–1991 Cold War
• 2001–2021 War on Terror