There is nothing civil about war and some of the most bitter and destructive wars can be between two people or groups of individuals who seek to extend hostilities long after countries would have agreed a peace pact. Often, other people are dragged into the battle, causing great distress to the communities. One thing is certain; no country, society or place in history has been without personal conflicts. Here is a list of ten of the most bloody and horrific feuds throughout history.

1. Stalin vs. Trotsky

The struggle to succeed Lenin as leader of the new Soviet Russia looked to make Trotsky the favoured man. He and Stalin had been at loggerheads for years with their different views on how Soviet Russia ought to conduct itself with regard to home and foreign policy. This disagreement turned unpleasant for Trotsky and Stalin’s propaganda war did a thorough job of discrediting him as successor. Trotsky’s fate was expulsion from the Soviet Party and Russia and eventual assassination in Mexico.

2. King Stephen vs. Empress Maude

Empress Maude (or Matilda) was the chosen heir of King Henry I of England. However, until that point England had not had a female monarch and would not have one for another 400 years. Her appointment then, was challenged by the nobility who supported her cousin King Stephen who had usurped the throne. Their feud is referred to as ‘The Great Anarchy’ and ended in a bloody civil war that lasted 15 years. Though Maude lost the war, she successfully petitioned for her son Henry II to succeed Stephen.

3. Al Capone vs. Bugs Moran

They’d split Chicago between them in the 1920s so it is no great surprise that the two vied for power over the whole city, hoping to oust the other. The feud began when up and coming gangster Capone starting using brutal tactics in his pursuit for power. Moran did not take kindly to this brutality and started attacking Capone in the press. This feud soon spilled over into mutual violence ‘ drive by shooting, robberies and assassinations. It ended with the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and both of their empires crumbled soon after.

4. Marius vs. Sulla

Marius, incidentally the uncle of Gaius Julius Caesar, was a political outcast and a maverick. When his ally Cinna was elected to the Consulship and tried to recall Marius from exile, Cinna himself was exiled and the two formed an army to stand up to the Senate. Sulla was part of the old guard, a man of high born rank who disagreed with Marius about many things and the two became figureheads of a civil war. Their feud became personal and after final victory to Sulla, he executed thousands of Marius’ former political supporters.

5. The Ako Vendetta

This event took place in the 1600s between Asano Naganori (who was a feudal Lord) and Kira Yoshinaka who was an official who worked for the local Shogun. Yoshinaka persisted in insulting Naganori over many years until finally the lord snapped and cut the official with his sword. In punishment, Naganori was sentenced to commit ritual suicide but 47 of his most loyal followers swore vengeance and tracked down Yoshinaka. After two years they attacked his home and killed him. In the end, they were charged with murder and forced to commit ritual suicide too.

6. Hatfields vs. McCoys

Perhaps the largest family feud in American history, these two families from Kentucky (McCoy) and West Virginia (Hatfield) became bitter enemies during the American Civil War when they both took different sides. However, their feud outlasted the conflict ‘ arguably entering its most bloody period when the Civil War had been over for ten years when problems really kicked off. Kidnappings, beatings and murders lasted until 1888 when the respective state Governors decided enough was enough and raised militias to end the fighting.

7. Elizabeth I vs. Mary Queen of Scots

These cousins were locked in a bitter war of mistrust for many years which resulted in Mary being imprisoned for 20 years on suspicion of treason. This escalated when a plot to overthrow and assassinate the English Queen was discovered (this was known as The Babington Plot). It is not clear whether Mary was ever complicit in the conspiracy but it certainly intended to put her on the throne and restore Catholicism to England. After a lot of angst, Elizabeth signed the petition to execute her cousin yet insisted that it should not be sent.

8. Yeltsin vs. Gorbachev

Known today as the two leaders who opened up and then broke down Soviet Russia, history might see them as working together to bring down the Iron Curtain but in the final years of Communism, the two were at loggerheads. Gorbachev had become frustrated with the pace of Perestroika and demoted Yeltsin. Following the attempted coup of the Soviets, Yeltsin formally disbanded the party, something that Gorbachev had advised against, and forced him to read it out in Parliament. They may have worked well together in bringing reform, but they had a tremendous amount of personal dislike for each other.

9. The 100 Hour War

The only ‘feud’ on our list that involved nations; this is because the outbreak of the war began as a heated football match. Tensions had been growing between the two nations for many weeks until this pivotal game. Both games in their qualification group for the 1970 World Cup ended in violence between the fans but that didn’t stop FIFA calling a third game as a play-off following which there was more violence and diplomatic relationships broke down.

10. ‘War of the Viktors’ ‘ Yushchenko vs. Yanukovych

A period of recent history known as ‘The Orange Revolution’ pitted two political giants in the election of Ukraine’s new leader. A rigged result showed a clear victory for the latter but the Supreme Court ordered a recount,resulting in a landslide victory for the former. Yushchenko had been mysteriously poisoned during the campaign and the fate of Ukraine’s future hinged on the result of these elections. The two are still political opponents as Yanukovych is now President and Yushchenko leader of the opposition.

Conclusion

Feuds can often be, or are sometimes, far more brutal than national or civil wars. The above represent some of the most tragic and brutal examples throughout history that damaged the people and families involved and where they lived. In some cases, fates of a country’s future hinged on the posturing between two people.