10 of The Most Longest Wars Throughout History

Wars are tragic, devastating affairs, which is why no one wants to fight them longer than it takes to resolve the issue. That’s not always the case, however, as we know of quite a few conflicts in history that went on for tens or even hundreds of years. Some of the longest wars of the past could be classified as eras of their own, often outlasting the people – and sometimes even the empires – that started them.

Here are ten of history’s longest-running wars, ranked by their duration, impact, and historical legacy.

1. The Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453)

Duration: 116 years
Belligerents: England vs. France

Despite the name, the Hundred Years’ War lasted a staggering 116 years. It was a series of conflicts fought between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France over control of the French throne. What started as a dynastic dispute spiraled into one of the longest and most complex wars in medieval European history.

The war was marked by legendary figures like Joan of Arc and the Black Prince, and saw the rise and fall of many kings. Over time, it evolved from a feudal dispute into a more modern war involving nationalism and early gunpowder weapons. Eventually, France emerged victorious, but both kingdoms were forever transformed.

2. The Reconquista (711–1492)

Duration: 781 years
Belligerents: Christian kingdoms vs. Muslim Moors in Iberia

The Reconquista refers to the centuries-long struggle between Christian kingdoms in the north of the Iberian Peninsula and Muslim states in the south. Beginning with the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and ending with the fall of Granada in 1492, this conflict spanned nearly 800 years.

It wasn’t a continuous war in the modern sense, but rather a series of battles, truces, and shifting alliances. The completion of the Reconquista marked the unification of Spain under Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella—who would soon sponsor Christopher Columbus.

3. The Roman–Persian Wars (54 BCE–628 CE)

Duration: Around 682 years
Belligerents: Roman (and later Byzantine) Empire vs. Persian Empires (Parthians, then Sassanids)

Spanning more than six centuries, the Roman–Persian Wars were a protracted struggle between two of the ancient world’s most powerful empires. From Julius Caesar’s time to the rise of Islam, Rome (and later Byzantium) fought intermittent wars with successive Persian empires.

These wars were fought over strategic territories in the Middle East and often led to devastating stalemates. Ultimately, both empires were so weakened by their endless fighting that they were easily overrun by Arab Muslim armies in the 7th century.

4. The Anglo-French Wars (1202–1815)

Duration: Over 600 years (in several phases)
Belligerents: England (later Britain) vs. France

Rather than a single war, the Anglo-French Wars were a series of conflicts that lasted over six centuries. From the Angevin Empire’s collapse to the Napoleonic Wars, England and France were frequent foes on the European and colonial battlefields.

This long rivalry included the Hundred Years’ War, the War of the Spanish Succession, and the Seven Years’ War, culminating in the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. Their conflict helped shape modern Europe and global colonial empires.

5. The Byzantine–Ottoman Wars (1265–1479)

Duration: 214 years
Belligerents: Byzantine Empire vs. Ottoman Empire

The Byzantine–Ottoman Wars marked the slow and painful fall of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire at the hands of the rising Ottoman Turks. Starting in the late 13th century, the Ottomans gradually chipped away at Byzantine territory in Anatolia and the Balkans.

The climax came in 1453, when Constantinople fell to Sultan Mehmed II. Though smaller conflicts continued afterward, the war effectively ended Byzantine power and signaled a new era of Ottoman dominance in the region.

6. The Dutch War of Independence (1568–1648)

Duration: 80 years
Belligerents: Dutch rebels vs. Spanish Empire

Also known as the Eighty Years’ War, this conflict was a struggle by the Dutch provinces to gain independence from Spanish rule. Motivated by religious, political, and economic tensions, it was a major part of the larger Protestant Reformation and early modern state formation.

It ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, which recognized the independence of the Dutch Republic and redrew the map of Europe. The war also helped set the precedent for modern international diplomacy.

7. The Arab–Byzantine Wars (629–1180s)

Duration: Over 450 years
Belligerents: Arab Caliphates vs. Byzantine Empire

Following the rise of Islam and the Arab conquests in the 7th century, the Byzantine Empire engaged in intermittent warfare with various Islamic caliphates. From initial raids and invasions under the Rashidun and Umayyad caliphates to later campaigns under the Abbasids, these wars were as much ideological as territorial.

While Byzantium managed to survive for centuries, it was gradually pushed back, and many of its eastern provinces fell permanently under Muslim control. These conflicts deeply influenced the religious and cultural boundaries of the Mediterranean world.

8. The Wars of the Guelfs and Ghibellines (c. 1125–1409)

Duration: Nearly 300 years
Belligerents: Italian factions aligned with the Pope (Guelfs) vs. those aligned with the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines)

In medieval Italy, the rivalry between the Guelfs and Ghibellines wasn’t just political—it became a cultural and regional schism that lasted almost 300 years. Cities, families, and individuals were divided over loyalty to the Papacy or the Holy Roman Emperor.

This conflict shaped the political fragmentation of Italy and contributed to its delayed unification. It also helped create the volatile environment in which Renaissance politics and art would later thrive.

9. The Iberian Religious Wars (13th–15th centuries)

Duration: Around 250 years
Belligerents: Christian kingdoms vs. various Islamic taifas and emirates

Separate from the broader Reconquista but often overlapping with it, the Iberian Religious Wars were centered around religion-driven expansion and consolidation in the Iberian Peninsula. These wars saw shifting alliances between Christian and Muslim states, often punctuated by short-lived truces and devastating raids.

These were not always clear-cut crusades—there was diplomacy, trade, and intermarriage amid the battles—but religion was a core issue. They culminated in the fall of Granada in 1492 and the eventual expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain.

10. The Israeli–Palestinian Conflict (1947–present)

Duration: 75+ years (ongoing)
Belligerents: Israel vs. Palestinian groups and regional Arab states

One of the most enduring modern conflicts, the Israeli–Palestinian struggle began in the 20th century but has roots in earlier tensions. It officially escalated after the United Nations’ 1947 partition plan and the subsequent declaration of the State of Israel in 1948.

Since then, wars, intifadas, and peace efforts have come and gone, but the core issues—territory, refugees, Jerusalem, and national identity—remain unresolved. The conflict is a defining geopolitical issue in the Middle East, with global repercussions.