America's War Calendar
210 years at war out of 251. Only 41 years of peace.
210
Years at War
out of 251
41
Years of Peace
Total since 1776
7 years
Longest Peace
1891–1897
5
Most Simultaneous
in 2011
Every Year, 1776–2026
Click any year to see active conflicts.
The Pattern of Permanent War
The longest period of peace in American history was just 7 years — from 1891 to 1897. Before that, the previous longest stretch without armed conflict was barely a few years.
Since World War II, the United States has not experienced a single calendar year without active military operations somewhere in the world. The Cold War provided the justification. The War on Terror extended it. Now, great power competition with China and Russia promises to continue it indefinitely.
Peace is not the default state. War is. The calendar above makes this undeniable.
“We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., 1967