Lore · October 24, 2026

Alliance vs Horde Lore: Why Are the Factions Enemies?

The Alliance and the Horde are enemies because the orcs invaded and destroyed Stormwind in the First War, the Second War ended with most orcs in internment camps, and after the Third War disputes over land and allies left the two factions in a cold war with open fighting on several battlefields. In World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever), set in the first year of World of Warcraft, that cold war is the world you level in.

Quick answer: The Horde came through the Dark Portal and razed Stormwind. The human kingdoms formed the Alliance of Lordaeron, won the Second War and interned the orcs. Thrall freed them and founded the new Horde. The factions fought together once at Mount Hyjal, then fell back into rivalry.

Timeline of the Alliance and Horde conflict: First War, Second War, internment camps, Thrall frees the orcs, Battle of Mount Hyjal, cold war in the first year of WoW — How the rivalry grew, from the First War to the first year of WoW. Source: Warcraft Wiki and Engadget's Know Your Lore.

Key facts

Start of the feud: the First War, when the Horde destroyed Stormwind (Warcraft Wiki, Vanilla WoW fan wiki)
Second War: the Alliance of Lordaeron defeated the Horde and most orcs were driven out or interned (Warcraft Wiki)
Internment: King Terenas chose imprisonment over killing the orcs (Engadget)
Freedom: Thrall freed the orcs from the camps and became Warchief (Warcraft Wiki, Engadget)
Cooperation at Hyjal: orc, human and night elf forces defeated Archimonde at Mount Hyjal (Engadget, Warcraft Wiki)
Horde, first year of WoW: orcs, tauren, Darkspear trolls and the Forsaken, who joined through what Warcraft Wiki calls an alliance of convenience (Warcraft Wiki)
Alliance, first year of WoW: humans, dwarves, gnomes and night elves (Icy Veins, Blizzard's race list); the night elves of Darnassus are allied with the Alliance (Warcraft Wiki)
Not yet in the Horde: blood elves, who join during The Burning Crusade, after Forever's setting (Warcraft Wiki)

Why are the Alliance and Horde enemies?

The Alliance and Horde are enemies because of a chain of wars that nobody fully forgave. Warcraft Wiki says the Horde came through the Dark Portal and destroyed Stormwind in the First War. Engadget's lore column traces the rivalry through the First and Second Wars, the camps, the Third War and the land disputes after it, and argues that misunderstanding keeps it going. That is the columnist's view, so treat it as interpretation; the sequence of events is the shared record.

What happened in the First and Second Wars?

In the First War the orcs razed Stormwind and the human survivors fled to Lordaeron. Warcraft Wiki says Anduin Lothar then persuaded the leaders of the Seven Kingdoms to unite as the Alliance of Lordaeron, with Terenas Menethil II leading it from the Second War onward. In the Second War the Alliance defeated the Horde, destroyed the Dark Portal and reclaimed Stormwind. Warcraft Wiki says the vast majority of orcs were driven from Azeroth or placed in internment camps. For Stormwind's side of that story, read The History of Stormwind.

What were the internment camps?

The internment camps were prisons where the Alliance held the surviving orcs after the Second War. Engadget says the captors treated the orcs cruelly and that the orcs became lethargic. It also says King Terenas insisted on imprisonment rather than slaughter, over the objections of Thoras Trollbane and Genn Greymane, who wanted the orcs wiped out. Warcraft Wiki's page on Thrall says Orgrim Doomhammer died during the liberation of the camps and named Thrall Warchief. The orc story is told in Orcs of Azeroth.

How did the Third War change things?

The Third War forced a brief partnership and then new quarrels. Engadget says orc, human and night elf forces defeated Archimonde at Mount Hyjal, and that territorial disputes followed. Warcraft Wiki says Thrall founded Durotar after that battle and named its capital Orgrimmar for Orgrim Doomhammer. Warcraft Wiki also says the night elves joined the Alliance partly because of their anger over orc lumbering in Warsong Gulch, and its Tyrande page says the renewed fighting centered on the territorial dispute over Ashenvale. Thrall also let the Forsaken join the Horde, which Warcraft Wiki calls an alliance of convenience. The undead are explained in The Forsaken Explained.

Who belongs to each faction in the first year of WoW?

Warcraft Wiki's Horde page describes the orcs, undead, tauren and trolls, with the Forsaken joining through an alliance of convenience. Blizzard's race list for Forever puts humans, dwarves, gnomes and night elves in the Alliance. Warcraft Wiki says old animosity led to open conflict on several battlefields and then a cold war, and that Thrall still hopes for true peace. WoW Forever also adds the Skyborne, a new race that either faction can play, as Alliance High Order Skyborne or Horde Windshaper Skyborne. For which races and classes pair with which side, see the Alliance vs Horde player guide and the race and class guide. The free Lore Forever add-on adds readable background about the places you visit, and the optional Willo Windows companion lets you ask lore questions by voice. Both are fan-made.

What is not confirmed yet

Forever's faction story: none of the sources reviewed describe Forever's own Alliance and Horde storylines. Blizzard Watch reports that the developers add content only where it fits and diverge in a few places, so quest text decides.
Leaders: Warcraft Wiki's Alliance page mixes eras, mentioning later leaders such as a High King and a Lord Commander. Those belong to later periods and are left out here.
Single sources: the Warsong Gulch cause of night elf hostility appears on Warcraft Wiki only, and the Terenas, Trollbane and Greymane exchange appears in Engadget only.
Opinion: Engadget's column is from 2013 and includes the author's interpretation; only its sequence of events is used.
Beta limits: the Forever beta was capped at level 30 according to kami-labs, while Warcraft Wiki lists the level cap as 60 at launch on November 4.

Frequently asked questions

Why are the Alliance and Horde at war in World of Warcraft?

The Alliance and Horde are at war because of the orc invasions of the First and Second Wars, the Alliance's internment camps, and land disputes after the Third War. Open fighting still breaks out on several battlefields, according to Warcraft Wiki.

Who started the war between the Alliance and Horde?

The Horde started it by invading through the Dark Portal and destroying Stormwind in the First War, according to Warcraft Wiki. The Alliance of Lordaeron formed in response.

What happened to the orcs after the Second War?

Most surviving orcs were driven from Azeroth or placed in internment camps, according to Warcraft Wiki. Thrall later freed them and led them to found Durotar.

Did the Alliance and Horde ever fight together?

Yes. Orc, human and night elf forces defeated Archimonde together at Mount Hyjal in the Third War, according to Engadget. The peace did not last.

Who is in the Horde in WoW Forever?

The Horde is made up of the orcs, tauren, Darkspear trolls and the Forsaken, who joined through an alliance of convenience, according to Warcraft Wiki. Blizzard's race list also adds Windshaper Skyborne to the Horde and High Order Skyborne to the Alliance.

Can the Alliance and Horde ever make peace?

Warcraft Wiki says Thrall still hoped for lasting peace in the first year of WoW, but open conflict continued on several battlefields. No source reviewed says Forever changes that.

Sources

Reviewed October 24, 2026. Combines Warcraft Wiki history with Engadget's lore column for the sequence of events; Forever-specific faction story is not documented in these sources. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.