Portal:War

The War Portal Introduction The Battle of Austerlitz by François Gérard. War is a state of conflict between relatively large groups of people (such as nations, states, organizations, social groups), which is characterized by lethal armed violence between combatants or upon civilians. Other terms for war, which often serve as euphemisms, include armed conflict, hostilities, and police action. A common look on war is a series of military campaigns between at least two or more opposing sides involving a dispute over sovereignty, territory, resources, ideology, or a host of other issues. A war to liberate an occupied country is sometimes characterized as a "war of liberation", while a war between internal elements of the same state is called a civil war. Aside from humans and other primates, ants are the only other animals known to exhibit such behavior on a large scale. A battle is a single engagement fought between two or more parties, wherein each party or aligned group will seek to defeat their opponent. Battles are most often fought during military campaigns and can usually be well defined in time, space and action. Wars are generally the continuum of a related series of battles and are guided by strategy, whereas individual battles are the stage on which tactics are employed. Military history is the recording and analysis of those events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of organized armed conflict and that relates to the institutions and organizations that prosecute such conflict. “ If you want peace, prepare for war.(Si vis pacem, para bellum) ” — Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus Featured article - The Battle of Austerlitz was a major engagement in the Napoleonic Wars during the War of the Third Coalition. It was fought on December 2, 1805 about four miles (6.4 km) east of the modern Czech town of Brno, then part of the Austrian Empire. The conflict involved forces of the recently formed First French Empire against the armies of the Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire. After nearly nine hours of fighting, the French troops, commanded by Emperor Napoleon I, managed to score a decisive victory over the Russo-Austrian army, commanded by Czar Alexander I. Despite difficult fighting in many sectors, the battle is often regarded as a tactical masterpiece. Austerlitz effectively brought the Third Coalition to an end. Selected conflict - Depiction of the Battle of Omdurman The Mahdist War (Arabic: الثورة المهدية ath-Thawra al-Mahdiyya; 1881–1899) was a war between the Mahdist Sudanese of the religious leader Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided One"), and the forces of the Khedivate of Egypt, initially, and later the forces of Britain. Eighteen years of war resulted in the nominally joint-rule state of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1899–1956), a de jure condominium of the British Empire and the Kingdom of Egypt in which Britain had de facto control over the Sudan. The Sudanese launched several unsuccessful invasions of their neighbours, expanding the scale of the conflict to include not only Britain and Egypt but the Italian Empire, the Congo Free State and the Ethiopian Empire. The British participation in the war is called the Sudan campaign. Other names for this war include the Mahdist Revolt, the Anglo–Sudan War and the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. (Full article...) Major topics and categories Eras of warfare Overview • Prehistoric • Ancient • Medieval • Gunpowder • Industrial • Modern Types of warfare Aerial • Amphibious • Arctic • Armoured • Artillery • Asymmetric • Attrition • Biological • Cavalry • Chemical • Conventional • Desert • Electronic • Ground • Guerrilla • Fortification • Herbicidal • Infantry • Information • Jungle • Maneuver • Mechanized • Mercenary • Mountain • Naval • Network-centric • Nuclear • Psychological • Radiological • Siege • Ski • Space • Sub-aquatic • Submarine • Surface • Total • Trench • Unconventional • Urban Categories War War by medium Wars Warfare Anti-war Aftermath of war War casualties Causes of war Chronology of war Environmental impact of war Law of war War and the media Metaphors referring to war and violence Military and war museums People associated with war War and politics War in popular culture Lists Armies • Battles • Civil wars • Corps • Divisions • Fleets • Invasions • Operations • Orders of battle • Sieges • Tactics • Wars • Weapons • World War II Commanders Other related topics Genocide • Peace Did you know? - ... that Ansgar the Staller was severely injured at the Battle of Hastings, but was carried to London where he then led the English defence at the Burning of Southwark? ... that 100 war elephants led the Carthaginian assault on a rebel camp at the Battle of Utica? ... that during the Battle of the Blacks in August 1169, Saladin ordered his forces to attack and torch his opponents' quarters, where their wives and children had been left? ... that Kurt Rackow and his soldiers were trapped for hours during the Battle of Verdun, even though their comrades were just 20 ft (6 m) away? ... that the Taliban secured victory in the Battle of Lashkargah soon after suicide–car-bombing the police headquarters, a crucial chokepoint of the city's defense? ... that the fire of Landis' Missouri Battery helped clear the way for an infantry charge at the Second Battle of Corinth? Featured picture - A B-1 Lancer dropping back after aerial refueling training over the Pacific Ocean. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III, USAF Selected anniversaries March 19 1279 - A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China. 1861 - The First Taranaki War ends in New Zealand. 1865 - American Civil War: The Battle of Bentonville begins. By the end of the battle two days later the Confederate forces have retreated from Greenville, North Carolina. 1945 - World War II: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 800 of her crew and crippling the ship. 1945 - World War II: Adolf Hitler issues his "Nero Decree" ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities and communications facilities in Germany be destroyed. 1962 - Algerian War of Independence: A ceasefire takes effect. 1982 - Falklands War: Argentines land on South Georgia Island, precipitating war. General images The following are images from various war-related articles on Wikipedia. A Greek trireme (from Military history) Assault rifle CZ-805 BREN (produced in Czech Republic). (from Weapon) A 155 mm M198 howitzer firing a shell (from Military history) Fulani jihad states of Africa, c. 1830 (from Religious war) Illustration of an "eruptor," a proto-cannon, capable of firing cast-iron bombs filled with gunpowder, from the 14th century Ming Dynasty book Huolongjing (from Military history) Ancient Chinese cannon displayed in the Tower of London. (from Weapon) The victory of the Polish-Lithuanian forces over the Muscovites at the Battle of Orsha in 1514 (from Military history) Infantry were the first military forces in history. This warrior statuette demonstrates that military culture was an important part of historical societies, c.480 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen. (from Military history) Abyssinian–Adal war broke out in the Horn of Africa after the arrival of the Portuguese Empire in the region. (from Religious war) The Canadian War Museum. (from Military history) The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of French Protestants, 1572 (from Religious war) Saladin and Guy of Lusignan after the Battle of Hattin of 1187 (from Religious war) Selection of weapons collected by security officers at an airport (from Weapon) The Vickers was the successor to the Maxim gun and remained in British military service for 79 consecutive years. (from Weapon) A small English Civil War-era cannon (from Military history) Relief of Ramses II located in Abu Simbel fighting at the Battle of Kadesh on a chariot. (from Military history) Battle of Crécy (1346) between the English and French in the Hundred Years' War. (from Military history) War-damaged buildings in Beirut (from Religious war) Midianite women, children and livestock taken captive by Israelite soldiers after all Midianite men had been killed and their towns burnt. Watercolour by James Tissot (c. 1900) illustrating the War against the Midianites as narrated in Numbers 31. (from Religious war) A sample scene of the Taiping Rebellion. (from Religious war) Eighty Years' War, or Dutch Revolt against Spain, painting by Sebastiaen Vrancx (from Military history) The bayonet is used as both knife and, when attached to a rifle, a polearm. (from Weapon) An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. (from Weapon) Franco-Prussian War (from Military history) Medieval Indian weapons (from Weapon) Japanese samurai boarding Mongol ships in 1281 (from Military history) A four-wheeled ballista drawn by armored cataphract horses, c. 400. (from Weapon) The 3rd-century Great Ludovisi sarcophagus depicts a battle between Romans and Goths. (from Military history) Demolished home in Balata, 2002, Second Intifada (from Religious war) A battle of the Reconquista from the Cantigas de Santa Maria (from Religious war) Related portals World War I World War II American Civil War American Revolutionary War Battleships Tanks Military history of Australia European military history Military history of Germany Genocide Other Wikimedia projects Things you can do Summary of Military history WikiProject open tasks watch · edit · full list News and announcements The February newsletter is now available. The Wikipedia:SOLDIER notability essay has been deprecated, and should no longer be used in discussions of notability at AfD and elsewhere. Editors are advised that Featured Articles promoted before 2016 are in need of review, if you had an article promoted to Featured status on or before 2016 please check and update your article before they are listed at FAR/C. Current discussions No major discussions are open at the moment Featured article candidates Khalid ibn al-Walid • John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke • Battle of Poitiers • Tom Eastick • Battle of Glasgow, Missouri • Léon Degrelle • Sargon II Featured article review William Tecumseh Sherman • Joan of Arc • William Henry Harrison • Knights Templar • Pericles Featured list candidates List of commanders of the British 3rd Division • List of commanders of the British 4th Division • Pershing House A-Class review Ivo Herenčić • Ho Chi Minh trail • Brazilian military junta of 1930 • Battle of Raymond • Charles Richardson (Royal Navy officer) • Kirk–Holden war • Gallic Wars • The Holocaust in Bohemia and Moravia • USS Johnston (DD-557) • CSS Baltic • Battle of the Blacks • List of British deception formations in World War II • Gisco (died 239 BC) • Sayfo • Oswald Boelcke • Witold Pilecki • List of U.S. general officers and flag officers killed in World War II • Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces Peer reviews John Manners (cricketer) • Wei Yan • Crusading movement • Battle of Cedar Creek • John L. Chapin • Harro Schulze-Boysen Good article nominees Mehmed Handžić • Robert Wertheim • Romanian Air Corps • Warsaw concentration camp • SoloTürk • William H. 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