List of wars involving Kazakhstan

This article is about wars involving Kazakhstan. For a list of military events, see Outline of Kazak military history.

This is a list of wars involving Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakh and the predecessor states of Kazakhstan to the present day. It also includes wars fought outside Kazakhstan by the Kazakh military.

Legends of results:

  Victory

  Defeat

  Stalemate

  Internal civil war

  Ongoing war

Kazakh Khanate

Kazakh Khanate was established by Janibek Khan and Kerei Khan in 1465. Both khans came from Turco-Mongol clan of Tore which traces its lineage to Genghis Khan through dynasty of Jochids. The Tore clan continued to rule the khanate until its fall to the Russian Empire.

From 16th to 17th century, the Kazakh Khanate ruled and expanded its territories to eastern Cumania (modern-day West Kazakhstan), to most of Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan and the Syr Darya river with military confrontation as far as Astrakhan and Khorasan Province, which are now in Russia and Iran, respectively. The Khanate was later weakened by a series of Oirat and Dzungar invasions. These resulted in a decline and further disintegration into three Juzes, which gradually lost their sovereignty and were incorporated to the expanding Russian Empire in the 19th century.

Date	Conflict	Combatant I	Combatant II	Result for Kazakhstan
1468–1500	Kazakh War of Independence	Kazakh Khanate Big Horde Khanate of Sibir Timurid Empire	Uzbek Khanate Nogai Horde Western Moghulistan	Victory Kazakhs maintain independence from the Uzbek Khanate
1502-1504	Struggle Against Nogai Horde [1]	Kazakh Khanate	Nogai Horde	Victory
1503-1513	War with Sheibanids of Transoxiana [2]	Kazakh Khanate	Bukhara Khanate	Victory
1508	Kazakh-Nogai War (1508)	Kazakh Khanate	Nogai Horde	Victory
1519-1520	Kazakh-Nogai war (1519—1520)	Kazakh Khanate	Nogai Horde	Victory
1522–1538	First Kazakh Khanate Civil War	Kazakhs	Kazakhs	Victory for Haqnazar Khan
1522/1523	Kazakh-Tashkent War (1522)	Kazakh Khanate	Tashkent	Defeat
1520-x	Nogai Reconquista [3]	Kazakh Khanate	Nogai Horde	Defeat
1534	Kazakh-Tashkent War (1534)	Kazakh Khanate	Khanate of Bukhara Nogai Horde	Victory
1535	Nogai action 1535 [4]	Kazakh Khanate	Nogai Horde	Victory Nogais are driven back across Emba River
1569	Haqnazar Khan campaign against Nogai Horde (1568)	Kazakh Khanate	Nogai Horde	Victory
1577	Kazakh-Nogai War (1577)	Kazakh Khanate	Nogai Horde	Victory
1598	Kazakh-Bukharan War (1598) [5]	Kazakh Khanate	Khanate of Bukhara	Victory
1603-1605	Karakalpak rebellion	Kazakh Khanate	Karakalpaks	Victory
1613-1624, 1626-1627	War of Yessim Khan and Tursun Khan	Kazakh Khanate	Kazakh Khanate	Victory for Yessim Khan
1643–1756	Kazakh–Dzungar Wars	Kazakh Khanate	Dzungar Khanate Kalmyk Khanate	Victory
1708-1712	Kazakh-Dzungar War (1708—1712)	Kazakh Khanate	Dzungar Khanate	Victory
1723-1730	Kazakh-Dzungar War (1723—1730)	Kazakh Khanate Middl Jüz Senior Jüz Junior Jüz	Dzungar Khanate	Victory
1723-1726	Kazakh-Kalmyk War (1723—1726)	Kazakh Khanate Junior Jüz Middl Jüz	Kalmyk Khanate Russian Empire	Victory
1735	Dzungarian campaign against Kazakh Khanate [6]	Kazakh Khanate Middl Jüz Senior Jüz	Dzungar Khanate	Defeat
1739-1741	Kazakh-Dzungar War (1739—1741) [7] [8]	Kazakh Khanate Middl Jüz Senior Jüz	Dzungar Khanate	Defeat
1752-1755	Kazakh-Dzungar War (1752—1755)	Kazakh Khanate Middl Jüz Senior Jüz	Dzungar Khanate	Victory

Russian conquest of Central Asia

Date	Conflict	Combatant I	Combatant II	Result for Kazakhstan	Khan/Leader
1825—1836	Uprising of Sarzhan Qasymov	Kazakh rebels Kokand Khanate (1834-1835)	Russian Empire Kokand Khanate (1832, 1836)	Defeat Uprising suppressed Uprising continued under the leadership of Kenesary Qasymov	Sarzhan Qasymov Yesengeldy Qasymov Kasym Sultan Kenesary Qasymov Ağatai Qasymov Bopai Qasymova
1836—1838	Uprising of Isatay Taimanov	Kazakh rebels	Russian Empire Bukey Horde	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Isatay Taymanuly Makhambet Otemisuly
1837—1847	Kenesary's Rebellion Battle of Aktau Siege of Akmolinsk Aktau raid Siege of Sozak Kamal Blockade	Kazakh Khanate supported by: Khanate of Khiva Emirate of Bukhara	Russian Empire supported by: Kokand Khanate Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate	Defeat Uprising suppressed Fall of the Kazakh Khanate	Kenesary Qasymov
1820s-1851	Zhankozha Nurmukhamedov's struggle against Khiva and Kokand	Russian Empire Kazakh Khanate (until 1847) Syr Darya Kazakhs	Khanate of Khiva Khanate of Kokand	Victory Overthrow of the Kokand yoke in the Ak-Mechet areas Cessation of the Khiva invasions into the Kazakh steppe Beginning of the Russian Conquest of Kokand	Zhankozha Nurmuhamedov

Kazakhstan under Russian occupation

Date	Conflict	Combatant I	Combatant II	Result for Kazakhstan	Khan/Leader
1856-1860	Zhankozha Nurmukhamedov's Uprising	Kazakh Rebels	Russian Empire	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Zhankozha Nurmuhamedov
1850-1868	Russian conquest of Kokand Khanate	Russian Empire Pro-russian Kazakhs Pro-russian Kyrgyz people	Khanate of Kokand Kyrgyz Khanate	Victory Russians conquered Tashkent and South Kazakhstan	Suranshy Batyr Tezek Nuralin
1868-1869	Uprising in Ural and Turgay oblasts	Kazakh rebels	Russian Empire	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Bergen Kospanov Seil Turkebaev Kuspai Aibasov Mambetali Kanaly Aryslanuly
1870	Aday rebellion of 1870 Expedition of Rukin Siege of Alexandrovsky fort Battle of the Cape Chagrai	Aday tribe rebels supported by Khanate of Khiva	Russian Empire	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Dosan Tazhiev Isa Tlenbaev Erzhan Kulov Ermembet Kulov Kutzhan Orakov
1916-1917	Central Asian revolt of 1916	Turkic tribes Kazakh tribes, including Turgay Rebels Kyrgyz rebels supported by: Small number of escaped POWs, Central Powers intelligence Chinese volunteers	Russian Empire supported by: Emirate of Bukhara	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Amankeldı İmanov Äbdiğapar Janbosynūly Älıbi Jangeldin Keiki-batyr

Alash–Orda (1917–1920)

Kazakhs, tired of almost a century of Russian colonization, started to rise up. In the 1870s–80s, schools in Kazakhstan massively started to open, which developed elite, future Kazakh members of the Alash party. In 1916, after conscription of Muslims into the military for service in the Eastern Front during World War I, Kazakhs and Kyrgyzs rose up against the Russian government, with uprisings until February 1917.

The state was proclaimed during the Second All-Kazakh Congress held at Orenburg from 5–13 December 1917 OS (18–26 NS), with a provisional government being established under the oversight of Alikhan Bukeikhanov. However, the nation's purported territory was still under the de facto control of the region's Russian-appointed governor, Vassily Balabanov, until 1919. In 1920, he fled the Russian Red Army for self-imposed exile in China, where he was recognised by the Chinese as Kazakhstan's legitimate ruler.

Following its proclamation in December 1917, Alash leaders established the Alash Orda, a Kazakh government which was aligned with the White Army and fought against the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War. In 1919, when the White forces were losing, the Alash Autonomous government began negotiations with the Bolsheviks. By 1920, the Bolsheviks had defeated the White Russian forces in the region and occupied Kazakhstan. On 17 August 1920, the Soviet government established the Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, which in 1925 changed its name to Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, and finally to Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1936.

Date	Battle	Combatant I	Combatant II	Result for Kazakhstan	Leader
1918-1922	Russian Civil War in Central Asia Semirechye Front [9] Defence of Uralsk Uralsk-Guryev operation	Alash-Orda Alash Militia White Army (until 1919) RSFSR (from 1919)	RSFSR (until 1919) White Army (from 1919)	Inconclusive Kazakhstan becomes a Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic Alash-Orda ceases to exist	Keiki-batyr Alikhan Bukeikhanov Zhakhansha Dosmukhamedov

USSR

During most of the XXth century Kazakhstan was a soviet republic within USSR, participating in the wars USSR took a part in.

Main article: List of wars involving the Soviet Union

Despite the peaceful integration of Alash-Orda into the USSR, Kazakh people also participated in series of revolts against soviet rule, the main wave of uprising had been caused by collectivisation and Asharshylyk:

Date	Conflict	Combatant I	Combatant II	Result for Kazakhstan	Leader(s)/Khan(s)
1921	Anti-bolshevik revolt in Northern Kazakhstan	Green Rebels Peasants Cossacks Kazakhs	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Vladimir Rodin Maslov Khorev Karesevich
1928-1930	Sarysu-sozak uprising	Kazakh rebels Sarysu District rebels Sozak District rebels Tama tribe Defected communists - members of Komsomol	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Sultanbek Shulakuly Ali Asadulla Mirza-Akhmet Baskiyev
1929	Bostandyk uprising	Kazakh rebels Boʻstonliq District rebels Basmachi	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	T. Musabayev U. Maylybayed I. Chanybekova
1929	Batpakkarin uprising	Kazakh rebels Batpakkarin District rebels Zhangeldi District rebels Nauyrzym District rebels	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Omar Barmakov Abaydilda Bekzhanov Seytbek Kaliyev Akhmediya Smagulov
1929-1932	Aday uprising of 1929	Aday tribe members	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Bokymash Sholanuly Rakhmet Aminuly Myrzaly Tynynmbayev Yergali Kuttengenov Mamay Salpykuly Zhumabay Usenuly Kangabay Dosan Shopanuly Zharmangabet Kobayuly Dauylbay Bimaganbetuly
1930	Sarbaz rebellion	Kazakh rebels Sarbazy Russian White movement supporters Altai rebels Buryat rebels	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed
1930	Balkash-Shokpar uprising	Kazakh rebels Balkhash District rebels Chokpar District rebels	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Abdibek Nurabayev Kosherbay Kuramysov
1930	Baribay uprising	Kazakh rebels Sharua	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	K. Akhmetzhanov K. Ibragimov Zh.Saukymbayev
1930	Asan uprising	Kazakh rebels Kazaly District rebels Alshyn tribe members	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Maksym Orumbetov
1931	Abralin uprising	Kazakh rebels Abralin District rebels	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed	Esimbek Musabekuly Y. Kempirbayev
1931	Korday uprising	Kazakh rebels Korday District rebels	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed
1931	Alak uprising	Kazakh rebels Kyzyltasy District rebels	USSR Kazak ASSR	Defeat Uprising suppressed Survivors fled to China

Republic of Kazakhstan (1991–present)

Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union from 1988 to 1991.

Date	Conflict	Combatant I	Combatant II	Result for Kazakhstan	President of Kazakhstan
1992–1997	Tajikistani Civil War	CSTO Kazakhstan	United Tajik Opposition Jamiat-e Islami (until 1996) Afghanistan (until 1996) Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (until 1996) Taliban factions	Military stalemale United Nations-sponsored armistice Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed Rahmon wins the 1999 Tajik presidential election The United Tajik Opposition is promised 30 percent of the ministerial positions	Nursultan Nazarbayev
1996–2001	Afghan Civil War	Kazakhstan Islamic State of Afghanistan	Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan al-Qaeda Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan East Turkistan Islamic Party Tanzeem-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi Pakistan	Military stalemale Continued clashes until the US-led invasion of Afghanistan Taliban control up to 85% of Afghanistan including the capital Kabul Civil war continues	Nursultan Nazarbayev
2002–present	Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa [ citation needed ]	Kazakhstan NATO	Insurgents: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (from 2015) al-Qaeda (from 2002) Al-Shabaab (from 2006) al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (2002–06) Hizbul Islam (2009–14) Ras Kamboni Brigades (2007–10) Jabhatul Islamiya (2007–09) Mu'askar Anole (2007–09)	Ongoing 21 high level Al-Shabaab leaders killed [10]	Nursultan Nazarbayev Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
2003–2011	Iraq War	Kazakhstan United States MNF–I United Kingdom New Iraqi government Iraqi Kurdistan	Iraq (2003)	Victory Overthrow of Saddam Hussein	Nursultan Nazarbayev
2022	Bloody January CSTO operation in Kazakhstan	Kazakhstan Russia Belarus Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan Armenia	Protesters	Internal unrest Protests suppressed Nursultan Nazarbayev removed from the Security Council of Kazakhstan and from being a chairman of the Nur Otan party Restoration of vehicle fuel price caps of 50 tenge per litre for six months Nationwide state of emergency declared from 5 January to 20 January	Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

See also

• Outline of Kazak military history
• List of massacres in Kazakhstan
• Kazakh–Russian ethnic conflicts

References

1. Atygaev, N. B. Казахское ханство: очерки внешнеполитической истории XV—XVII веков [The Kazakh Khanate: essays on the foreign policy history of the XV—XVII centuries]. — Almaty: Eurasian Scientific Research Institute of the Yasavi Moscow State Technical University, 2023. — p. 86 — ISBN 978-601-7805-24-1. (In Russian)
2. S.G. Agajanov, B.E. Kumekov, A.Kh. Margulan, K.A. Pishchulina, История Казахской ССР (с древнейших времён до наших дней) [History of the Kazakh SSR (from ancient times to the present day)], edited by A.N. Nusupbekov, Almaty: Nauka, 1979, vol. 2, p. 265. (in Russian)
3. V.V. Trepavlov, История Ногайской орды [History of the Nogai Horde], Moscow: Kvadriga, 2020, p. 202. ISBN 978-5-91791-352-0. (in Russian)
4. N.B. Atygaev, История казахской государственности (древность и средневековье): монографическое исследование [History of Kazakh Statehood (Antiquity and the Middle Ages): A Monographic Study], Almaty: Adamdar, 2007, p. 397. ISBN 9965-884-01-3. (in Russian)
5. Keller, Shoshana (2020). Russia and Central Asia: Coexistence, Conquest, Convergence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN   9781487594343.
6. A.K. Kushkumbaev, Военное дело казахов в XVII–XVIII веках [The Military Affairs of the Kazakhs in the 17th–18th Centuries], Almaty: Daik-Press, 2001, p. 133. ISBN 9965-441-44-8. (in Russian)
7. V.A. Moiseev, Джунгарское ханство и казахи XVII–XVIII вв. [The Dzungar Khanate and the Kazakhs in the 17th–18th Centuries], edited by K.A. Pishchulina, Almaty: Gylym, 1991, p. 112. ISBN 5-628-00769-2. (in Russian)
8. A.K. Kushkumbaev, Военное дело казахов в XVII–XVIII веках [The Military Affairs of the Kazakhs in the 17th–18th Centuries], Almaty: Daik-Press, 2001, p. 136. ISBN 9965-441-44-8. (in Russian)
9. М. Ивлев. Гибель Семиреченского казачьего войска (1917–20 гг.) //Альманах «Белая гвардия», № 8. Казачество России в Белом движении. М.: «Посев», стр. 225–235
10. "Somalia Leaders Killed". New America Foundation. Washington, D.C. 19 May 2016.

References

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