This Wednesday, the war in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022 with the Russian invasion, lives its 1,567th day. This conflict is part of an older crisis, linked in particular to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the fighting in Donbass. In number of days, this war in Eastern Europe exceeds the First World War at the beginning of the 20th century. But if the world wars mark the spirits by their intensity, they are not the longest. 20 Minutes takes up the story and summarizes the longest conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Interstate and geopolitical conflicts
Let us first take major interstate and geopolitical conflicts, which involve states or ideological blocs. They extend over several decades, with armed phases. A long conflict tearing the Middle East apart, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has lasted for around 78 years. Triggered in the aftermath of the Second World War with the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, this territorial, political and identity conflict generated several regional wars (1948, 1967, 1973). It continues in the 21st century with recurring clashes, and the ongoing war in the region.
In Asia, the Korean conflict has lasted for approximately 76 years. The Korean War (1950-1953) ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. That is to say, North Korea and South Korea are still at war. The so-called “demilitarized” zone remains one of the most militarized in the world.
As for the Cold War, between 1947 and 1991, it lasted approximately 44 years. This global ideological, economic and technological confrontation involved the Eastern bloc led by the USSR, and the Western bloc led by the United States. If the two superpowers did not confront each other directly, the Cold War generated very long proxy wars, such as the Vietnam War and the Afghanistan War.
The case of civil wars
Some of the longest wars in modern history have been internal conflicts. They are often fueled by ethnic, ideological demands or control of resources.
The armed conflict in Burma began in 1948 and is considered by many historians to be the longest ongoing civil war in the world. Since the country’s independence in 1948, various ethnic minorities have taken up arms against the central government. The conflict saw a major increase in intensity after the 2021 military coup.
In Colombia, an internal conflict has ravaged the country for more than sixty years. It began in the 1960s with the creation of Marxist guerrillas (FARC, ELN) opposing the Colombian government. Despite a historic peace agreement signed with the FARC in 2016, violence persists in the 21st century. The reason is due to dissidence and the significant presence of drug cartels.
