List of military alliances

This is the list of military alliances. Numerous forms of military and defensive alliances have existed between states since early human history.This is a comprehensive list of the most important.

Historical examples

Ancient Period

Alliance	Timespan	Members
Latin League	7th century - 334 BC	Various tribes in Latium
Peloponnesian League	6th century - 338 BC	Various city-states in the Peloponnese, dominated by Sparta
Foedus Cassianum	493 BC	Treaty between Roman Republic and Latin League
Delian League	478 - 404 BC	See article
Second Athenian League	378 - 355 BC	Various city-states around the Aegean, led by Athens
League of Corinth	338 - 322 BC	Greek states, excluding Sparta

Medieval Period

• 634–1853 Christian–Islamic Wars
  • Crusades – France, England, Holy Roman Empire, Kingdom of Jerusalem, Republic of Venice
  • Reconquista – Portugal, Castile
  • Jihad – Fatimid Caliphate, Sultanate of Damascus
  • Ethio-Portuguese Treaties – Portugal, Ethiopia
• 1337–1453 100 Years War
  • Auld Alliance – Scotland, France, Norway
  • Treaty of Windsor – Portugal, England

Early Modern Period

• 1494–1559 Italian Wars
  • League of Cambrai – The Papal States, France, Aragon, Holy Roman Empire, Duchy of Ferrara
  • Catholic League (Italian) – The Papal States, Venice, England, Aragon, Holy Roman Empire
• 1546–1547 Schmalkaldic War
  • Schmalkaldic League – German Protestant States
• 1571 Christian–Islamic Wars
  • Holy League – Papal States, Spain, Republic of Venice, others
• 1618–1648 Thirty Years' War
  • Catholic League (German) – Bavaria, other Catholic German States
  • Protestant Union – Protestant German States
  • Treaty of Nonsuch – Dutch Republic, England
• 1683–1699 Great Turkish War (War of the Holy League)
  • Holy League – Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Republic of Venice and Tsardom of Russia
• 1688–1697 War of the Grand Alliance (Nine Years' War, King William's War, or War of the League of Augsburg)
  • League of Augsburg – Netherlands, Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Austria, England, Piedmont-Savoy, Sweden, Scotland, versus
  • France and Irish and Scottish Jacobites
• 1700–1721 Great Northern War
  • Anti-Swedish alliance – Russia, Denmark–Norway, Saxony, Poland-Lithuania, Prussia and Hanover
• 1701–1714 War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne's War)
  • Holy Roman Empire (including: Austria, Prussia, and Hanover), Kingdom of Great Britain (including Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland), Dutch Republic, Duchy of Savoy, Kingdom of Portugal, Spain loyal to Charles, Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, and Yamasee, versus
  • Kingdom of France, Spain loyal to Philip, Bavaria, Wabanaki Confederacy, Caughnawaga Mohawk, Choctaw, Timucua, Apalachee, and Natchez, versus
  • Iroquois Confederacy
• 1717 Christian–Islamic Wars
  • Holy League – Portugal, Papal States, Republic of Venice, Malta
• 1718–1720 War of the Quadruple Alliance
  • Spanish Empire and Jacobites, versus
  • Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of France, Holy Roman Empire, Dutch Republic, and Duchy of Savoy
• 1739–1748 War of the Austrian Succession (King George's War, War of Jenkins' Ear, First Carnatic War, First Silesian War, and Second Silesian War)
  • Kingdom of France, Prussia, Spanish Empire, Bavaria, Electorate of Saxony, Sicily, Naples, Republic of Genoa, Sweden, and Kingdom of Sardinia,
  • Habsburg Monarchy, Kingdom of Great Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, Electorate of Saxony, Kingdom of Sardinia, and Russian Empire
• 1754–1763 Seven Years' War (French and Indian War, Pomeranian War, Third Carnatic War, Fantastic War, or Third Silesian War)
  • Alliance of Prussia, Great Britain, Hanover, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Iroquois Confederacy, Portugal, Hesse-Kassel, Schaumburg-Lippe,
  • Alliance of France, Austria, Russian Empire, Spanish Empire, Sweden, Saxony, Mughal Empire
• 1775–1783 American Revolutionary War
  • Native Americans
    • Allied with Britain: Cayugas, Cherokees, Creeks, Mohawks, Onondagas, Senecas
    • Allied with Americans: Oneidas, Stockbridge, Tuscaroras
  • Treaty of Alliance, 1778–1800 – United States, France
  • Treaty of Aranjuez, 1779–1783 – France, Spain
  • First League of Armed Neutrality, 1780–1783 – Russia, Denmark–Norway, Sweden, Prussia, the Holy Roman Empire, the Dutch Republic, Portugal, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Ottoman Empire

Nineteenth century

All the participants in the Napoleonic Wars. Blue: The Coalition and their colonies and allies. Green: The First French Empire, its protectorates, colonies, and allies.

• 1803–1815 Napoleonic Wars
  • The Quadruple Alliance of 1814/15 – United Kingdom, Austria, Prussia and Russia.
  • First through Seventh Coalitions
• 1812–1815 War of 1812
  • United States and Allies – United States, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek (White Sticks)
  • British Empire and Allies – United Kingdom, Shawnee, Creek (Red Sticks), Ojibway, Chickamauga, Fox, Iroquois, Miami, Mingo, Ottawa, Kickapoo, Delaware (Lenape), Mascouten, Potawatomi, Sauk, Wyandot, Spain

Holy Alliance 1815.

• 1815–1825 Absolutist–Liberal conflicts
  • Holy Alliance – Russia, Prussia, Austria
• The Quadruple Alliance of 1834
• 1853–1856 Crimean War
  • Alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia.
• Triple Alliance of 1865 – Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina
• 1873–1878 & 1881–1887 League of the Three Emperors – Russian Empire, Austria-Hungary and German Empire
• 1879–1918 Dual Alliance – Austria-Hungary and German Empire
• 1882–1914 Triple Alliance – German Empire, Austria–Hungary and Kingdom of Italy
• 1886–1894 First Samoan Civil War
  • Alliance of Mataafans and United States, versus
  • Alliance of Tamasese and German Empire
• 1892–1917 Franco-Russian Alliance – French Third Republic and Russian Empire
• 1898–1899 Second Samoan Civil War
  • Alliance of Samoa, United States, and United Kingdom versus
  • Alliance of Mataafans and German Empire
• 1899–1901 Boxer Rebellion
  • Eight-Nation Alliance – Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States

Twentieth century

• First Balkan War
  • 1912–1913 Balkan League – Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia

Alliances in the First World War

• World War I
  • 1902–1923 Anglo-Japanese Alliance – United Kingdom and Japan
  • 1907–1918 the Entente and the Allies – Russia (to 1917), United Kingdom, France, Italy, United States (from 1917), Japan, Serbia, Romania, Portugal (from 1916), China (from 1917)
  • 1914–1918 the Central Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria
• Interwar period
  • 1920–1938 Little Entente – Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia
  • 1934–1938 Balkan Pact – Greece, Turkey, Romania and Yugoslavia
  • 1934–1938 Rome Protocols – Italy, Austria, and Hungary
  • 1934–1935 Stresa Front – the United Kingdom, France, and Italy
• 1931–1945 Second Sino-Japanese War (After Pearl Harbor, folded into the greater World War II.)
  • 1931–1938 – China, Germany
  • 1937–1941 Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact – China, Soviet Union

Alliances in the Second World War

• World War II
  • 1939–1945 Allies – Poland, United Kingdom, France (Third Republic)/Free France, Soviet Union (from 22 June 1941), United States (from 7 December 1941), China (at war with Japan from 1937; declared war on Germany 9 December 1941), and many others.
    • 1942–1945 Declaration by United Nations: the main treaty that formalized the Allied powers; signed by 47 governments from 1 January 1942 onwards
  • 1939–1945 Iberian Pact – Portugal, Spain
  • 1940–1945 Axis – Germany, Japan, Italy, Romania, Finland. Hungary, Bulgaria, Thailand, and their puppet states.

Alliances during the Cold War (1980)

• Cold War
  • 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Pact) – Most of the countries of the Americas.
  • 1948–1954 Western Union (WU), also referred to as the Brussels Treaty Organisation (BTO) – France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
  • 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) – United States, Canada, most of Western Europe
  • 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship - Friendship treaty between India and Nepal.
  • 1950 United Nations Command (UN) – South Korea, United States etc.
  • 1951 ANZUS Treaty (ANZUS) – United States, Australia, New Zealand.
  • 1954–1977 SEATO – United States, United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, South Vietnam, Laos
  • 1954–2011 Western European Union (WEU) – successor of the Western Union, limited role. Merged with EU in 2009.
  • 1955–1979 CENTO – United Kingdom, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan
  • 1955–1980 Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty – United States, Republic of China
  • 1955–1991 Warsaw Pact – Soviet Union, East Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania
  • 1958 North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) – United States and Canada.
  • 1970–1974 Alcora Exercise – Portugal, South Africa and Rhodesia.
  • 1971 Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) – United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore.
  • 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation - India and Soviet Union.
• Bangladesh Liberation War - India, Pakistan and East Pakistan
  • 1972 Indo-Bangla Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace - Historical treaty for bilateral relations between India and the newly established state of Bangladesh.
  • 1979 Imperial Union (IU), also referred to as the Mecca Treaty Organization (MTO) - France, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan
  • 1979-1989 Afghan War Allies - China, Egypt, France, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, West Germany, United Kingdom, United States
  • 1981 Strategic Cooperation Agreement - Israel and United States.
  • 1981 ECOMOG of Economic Community of West African States.
  • 1982 Regional Security System (RSS) – several Eastern Caribbean countries.
• 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War (First Persian Gulf War)
  • 1987–1989 Tanker War – Iraq, Kuwait, United States, Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia
• 1990–1991 Gulf War (Persian Gulf War, Second Persian Gulf War, First Gulf War, Gulf War I, Kuwait War, or First Iraq War)
  • Coalition: United States, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Egypt, France, Syria, Morocco, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bangladesh, Italy, Australia, Netherlands, Niger, Sweden, Argentina, Senegal, Spain, Bahrain, Belgium, Poland, South Korea, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Denmark, New Zealand, Hungary, and Norway
• 1991–1999 Yugoslav Wars
  • 1991–1995 Croatian War of Independence
    • 1992–1995 United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR): Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1995–1996 United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO): Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, United States
  • 1992–1995 Bosnian War
    • 1992 Allies: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia
    • 1994–1995 Allies: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, NATO
    • 1992–1995 United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR): Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1993–1995 Operation Deny Flight (NATO): Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1995 Operation Deliberate Force (NATO): Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1995–1996 Implementation Force (IFOR): Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1996–2004 Stabilization Force SFOR: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1996 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – An economic, military and political organisation including the Russian Federation, People's Republic of China, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Uzbekistan and as of 2015, the Republic of India and Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Mongolia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Turkmenistan all hold the statuses of observer states, dialogue partners or guest attendees.
    • 2004–present European Union Force Althea (EUFOR Althea): Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom
  • 1992–2003 operations in Macedonia:
    • 1992–1995 United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR): Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1995–1999 United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP): Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States
    • 1999 Operation Allied Force (NATO):
    • 2001 Operation Essential Harvest (NATO):
    • 2001–2002 Operation Amber Fox (NATO):
    • 2002–2003 Operation Allied Harmony (NATO):
    • 2003 European Union Force Concordia (EUFOR Concordia):
  • 1997–1999 Kosovo War
    • Alliance: Kosovo Liberation Army, Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo, NATO (since 1999)
      • 1999 Operation Allied Force (NATO): Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
    • 1999–present Kosovo Force (KFOR): Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Current military-security alliances

Continental

Africa

• African Union - All 55 African nations are members

• Economic Community of Central African States
  • Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa (COPAX)
• Economic Community of West African States
  • ECOMIL
  • ECOMOG

Asia

• Axis of Resistance
• Organization of the Eurasian Law Enforcement Agencies with Military Status (TAKM) is a cooperation organization of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan.
• Peninsula Shield Force The military force of the Persian Gulf.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Europe

• Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, originally signed in 1373, is the oldest alliance still in force in the world.
• BALTRON is a joint Estonian—Latvian—Lithuanian Naval Squadron.
• Entente Cordiale / Defence and Security Co-operation Treaty is a joint Military alliance between France and the United Kingdom.
• Franco-German Brigade is a joint French-German Brigade.
• The European Union maintains a Common Security and Defence Policy, including a mutual defence clause
• GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) cooperates on "international and regional security" and maintains a joint peacekeeping force.

North America

• North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)

Oceania

• ANZAC is a joint military alliance between Australia and New Zealand.

South America

• Union of South American Nations - Includes Venezuela, Uruguay, Bolivia, Guyana and Suriname, with Peru being a suspended member of UNASUR.
  • South American Defense Council (SADC)
• Forum for the Progress and Development of South America (PROSUR) - currently being reformed to replace the Union of South American Nations.

Intercontinental

Africa and Asia

• Arab League

• Islamic Military Alliance (IMAFT), a 34-member alliance based at a joint command center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Its creation was first announced by Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, the Saudi Minister of Defense, on December 14, 2015.

Africa and South America

• South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone (ZPCAS)

Americas

• Rio Pact

Eurasia

• Collective Security Treaty Organization, Military alliance with 6 former Soviet republics: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
• Union State is an alliance between Russia and Belarus
• Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Mutual Support an alliance between Turkey and Azerbaijan
• 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship a twenty-year treaty between China and Russia outlying economic, militaristic, diplomatic, and geopolitical cooperation between the two states.
• RSII Coalition

North America and Asia

• The U.S.–Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement- an agreement between Afghanistan and the United States of America
• The US-Israel Strategic Partnership Declares Israel a major strategic partner of the United States and allows a greater mutual cooperation in defense and other categories
• Japan and the United States entered into a security alliance following the allied occupation after WWII.
• Pakistan and the United States entered into a Mutual Defense Assistant Agreement following Liaquat Ali Khan's state visit to the United States to counter Sino-Soviet ambitions in South Asia and Middle East.
• The Mutual Defense Treaty is a joint US-Philippine Defense Treaty.
• South Korea and the United States entered into a defense treaty following the Korean War.
• The Taiwan Relations Act requires the United States to provide Taiwan with military equipment and optionally intervene militarily in the event of a mainland Chinese invasion.

North America and Europe

• NATO, Enlarged from 1999 to include eastern European states. North Atlantic Treaty only covers European and North American countries

North America and Oceania

• ANZUS is a joint military alliance between the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Tri-continental

• ABCA Armies, Air and Space Interoperability Council and AUSCANNZUKUS is collectively known as the Five Eyes -
• Five Power Defence Arrangements

Global

• Multinational Force and Observers
• United Nations
  • Department of Peacekeeping Operations
  • United Nations Security Council
• Major non-NATO Ally, allies of the United States, but not a member of NATO.
• Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a series of three 33 nation naval task forces, each with a specific role including; anti-piracy, anti-terrorism, and maritime security.
• International Association of Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status
• International Maritime Security Construct, an alliance led by the United States dedicated to security in the Persian Gulf amid American tensions with Iran.

Proposed Alliances

Tri-continental

• CANZUK is a proposed alliance between the major nations of the Commonwealth Realm