EntranceThe bloodiest battles in history. The biggest wars by number of casualties The most brutal war in human history
Throughout its history, humanity has been in a state of continuous war. Every year, conflicts arise that are resolved not through words and negotiations, but through weapons and the deaths of thousands of innocent people. The struggle is for territory, natural and human resources. IN chronological order starting from the most ancient and ending with the last major war, we will list and briefly describe the terrible pages of the history of the globe.
Rebellion of Ai Lushan (755-763)
For a long time, the bloodiest war in human history remained Civil War in China. Dubbed the Ai Lushan Mutiny. At this time, China was ruled by the Tang Dynasty. In the service of the emperor was Ai Lushan, who achieved influence in several border provinces.
In 755 he rebelled against the current ruler and proclaimed himself the new emperor. Despite the fact that in 757 the leader of the rebels was killed in his sleep, his comrades-in-arms in the struggle for power. They were able to completely suppress the uprising in the country 8 years after the start of the unrest in February 763. During the conflict, according to various sources, from 13 to 36 million people died, which is equal to the population of modern Canada 34 million people, and in those distant times it was 15% of the total population of the planet.
Formation and wars of the Mongol Empire of the 13th-15th centuries
The Mongol Empire is the largest state that has ever existed on Earth. The maximum size reached 24 million square kilometers, a huge empire in which many different peoples lived. The formation of the Empire began with the great warrior Genghis Khan, who united the warring tribes under his leadership.
After the formation of the Mongol state at the beginning of the 13th century, they waged continuous military campaigns. During all the wars that the Mongol Empire waged until its collapse in 1480, about 60 million people(the population of modern Italy), at that time it was from 10 to 17% of the population of the entire globe.
Rise to power of the Manchu dynasty (1616-1662)
Another power struggle in China leads to death 25 million people It was precisely this many lives that the rise to power of the Manchu dynasty of the last ruling imperial dynasty of China cost. Led by Nurhaci, who united dozens of tribes under his leadership and set out to conquer all of China.
The ruling Ming dynasty at that time had an overwhelming numerical advantage, but due to the stupid command it suffered a crushing defeat. Despite the death of Nurhaci in 1626, it was no longer possible to stop the bloodshed. During the struggle for power, about 5% of the Earth's population died in the numerical equivalent of the population of modern North Korea.
Napoleonic Wars(1799-1815)
Wars waged by France under Napoleon Bonaparte in Europe and Africa. Napoleon, who came to power on November 9, 1799, had huge plans to seize power not only in France, but also to establish dominance throughout Europe. These wars took place not only on the battlefield, but also at the diplomatic table, the rulers of states sought benefits from diplomatic alliances.
Depending on military successes, new agreements were concluded and existing agreements were terminated between countries. Therefore, the Napoleonic Wars consist of various types of military conflicts, in which there were many different alliances and allies, including: the Third Coalition of 1805, the Fourth Coalition of 1806-1807, the Fifth Coalition of 1808-1809, Patriotic War 1812 and so on. During the wars in which most European countries were drawn, historians estimate that about 3-4 million people, which is the population of present-day Croatia.
World War I (Great War), (1914-1918)
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the political situation in Europe was tense, Germany and Great Britain were fighting for influence in both Europe and Africa. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo was the last straw, and the world plunged into war. A month later, on July 28, 1914, full-scale clashes began.
This military conflict ended on November 11, 1918. After the end of the war with geographical map disappeared, four great empires: Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German. As a result, 34 states from all over took part in World War I globe. Died during the war about 65 million people(20 million directly in combat and about 45 million people from the massive Spanish flu epidemic). The battle losses in this war are equal to the population of modern Romania.
Participation in World War I, the weakening of the tsar's power, led to the revolution of 1917 and the collapse of imperial power in Russia. Civil war broke out from the ashes of the Tsarist empire. A struggle for power began between the Bolsheviks and the “white movement”. Each opposing side pursued its own goals and ideals.
Some wanted a return to the old system, others were building a new country where power should belong to the people, others robbed and killed taking advantage of the chaos that arose in the country. In this fratricidal struggle, according to various estimates, people died 5.5 to 9 million people. This is the number of residents currently living in Belarus.
World War II (1939-1945)
After defeat in World War 1, the German people needed a new leader who would lead the country to new heights. Adolf Hitler became such a leader when he came to power in Germany. It is with the name of this man that the most terrible and bloody times that the population of our planet has ever experienced are associated. The Second World War lasted 6 long years, from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945, and 62 countries out of 73 that existed on Earth at that time took part in it. 80% of the entire world population was involved in this conflict.
The battle took place on the ground (on three continents), in the air and even under water (rivers, seas and oceans). In this war, for the first and only time this moment a terrible weapon was used - nuclear. According to historians, the war claimed lives from 40 to 72 million people. In our time, the population of only 18 countries exceeds the number of those killed in this terrible battle for peace on Earth.
The largest wars in human history in terms of death toll.
The earliest war for which there is evidence from excavations took place approximately 14,000 years ago.
It is impossible to calculate the exact number of victims, since in addition to the death of soldiers on the battlefield, there is death civilians from the effects of weapons of war, as well as the death of civilians from the consequences of hostilities, for example from hunger, hypothermia, and disease.
Below is a list of the largest wars by number of victims.
The causes of the wars listed below are very different, but the number of victims exceeds millions.
1. Nigerian Civil War (Biafra War of Independence). The death toll is more than 1,000,000 people.
The main conflict was between the Nigerian government forces and the separatists of the Republic of Biafra. The self-proclaimed republic was supported by a number of European countries, among them, such as France, Portugal, Spain. Nigeria was supported by England and the USSR. The UN did not recognize the self-proclaimed republic. There were enough weapons and finances on both sides. The main victims of the war were the civilian population, who died from hunger and various diseases.
2. Imjin War. The death toll is more than 1,000,000 people.
1592 - 1598. Japan made 2 attempts to invade the Korean Peninsula in 1592 and 1597. Both invasions did not lead to the seizure of territory. The first Japanese invasion involved 220,000 soldiers and several hundred warships and transport ships.
The Korean troops were defeated, but at the end of 1592, China transferred part of the army to Korea, but was defeated; in 1593, China transferred another part of the army, which managed to achieve some success. Peace was concluded. The second invasion in 1597 was not successful for Japan and in 1598 military operations were stopped.
3. Iran–Iraq War (death toll: 1 million)
1980-1988. The longest war of the 20th century. The war began with the invasion of Iraq on September 22, 1980. The war can be called positional - trench warfare, using small arms. Chemical weapons were widely used in the war. The initiative passed from one side to the other, so in 1980 the successful offensive of the Iraqi army was stopped, and in 1981 the initiative passed to the side of Iraq. On August 20, 1988, a truce was concluded.
4. Korean War (death toll: 1.2 million)
1950-1953. War between North and South Korea. The war began with North Korea's invasion of the territory South Korea. Despite the support of North Korea by the Soviet Union, Stalin opposed the war because he feared that this conflict could lead to World War 3 and even nuclear war. On July 27, 1953, a ceasefire agreement was concluded.
5. Mexican Revolution (1,000,000 to 2,000,000 death toll)
1910-1917. The revolution fundamentally changed Mexico's culture and government policies. But at that time the population of Mexico was 15,000,000 people and losses during the revolution were significant. The preconditions for the revolution were very different, but as a result, at the cost of millions of victims, Mexico strengthened its sovereignty and weakened its dependence on the United States.
6. Conquests of Chaka's army. First half of the 19th century. (death toll 2,000,000)
The local ruler Chaka (1787 - 1828) founded the state of KwaZulu. He assembled and armed a large army that conquered disputed territories. The army plundered and devastated the tribes in the occupied territories. The victims were local Aboriginal tribes.
7. Goguryeo-Sui Wars (2,000,000 dead)
These wars include a series of wars between the Chinese Sui Empire and the Korean state of Goguryeo. The wars took place on the following dates:
· war of 598
· war of 612
· war of 613
· war of 614
Ultimately, the Koreans managed to repel the advance of Chinese troops and win.
The total number of casualties is much higher because civilian casualties are not taken into account.
8. Religious Wars in France (death toll 2,000,000 to 4,000,000)
The religious wars in France are also known as the Huguenot Wars. Occurred between 1562 and 1598. They arose on religious grounds as a result of the conflict between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). In 1998, the Edict of Nantes was adopted, which legalized freedom of religion. On August 24, 1572, Catholics staged a mass massacre of Protestants, first in Paris and then throughout France. This happened on the eve of the feast of St. Barthomey, this day went down in history as St. Bartholomew's Night, on that day more than 30,000 people died in Paris.
9. Second Congo War (killed from 2,400,000 to 5,400,000)
The deadliest war in the history of modern Africa, also known as the African War World War And Great War Africa. The war lasted from 1998 to 2003, involving 9 states and more than 20 separate armed groups. The main victims of the war were the civilian population, who died due to disease and hunger.
10. Napoleonic Wars (death toll 3,000,000 to 6,000,000)
The Napoleonic Wars were an armed conflict between France, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and a number of European states, including Russia. Thanks to Russia, Napoleon’s army was defeated. Various sources provide different data on victims, but the largest number of scientists believe that the number of victims, including civilians, from famine and epidemics reaches 5,000,000 people.
11. Thirty Years' War (death toll 3,000,000 to 11,500,000)
1618 - 1648. The war began as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the collapsing Holy Roman Empire, but gradually a number of other states were drawn into it. Number of victims from Thirty Years' War, according to most scientists, is 8,000,000 people.
12. Chinese Civil War (death toll 8,000,000)
The Chinese Civil War was fought between forces loyal to the Kuomintang (the political party of the Republic of China) and forces loyal to the Chinese Communist Party. The war began in 1927, and it essentially ended when major active fighting ceased in 1950. Although historians give the war's end date as December 22, 1936, the conflict ultimately led to the formation of two de facto states, the Republic of China (now known as Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China on the Chinese mainland. During the war, both sides carried out mass atrocities.
13. Russian Civil War (killed between 7,000,000 and 12,000,000)
1917 - 1922. The struggle for power of various political trends and armed groups. But mainly the two largest and most organized forces fought - the Red Army and White Army. The Russian Civil War is considered the greatest national catastrophe in Europe in the entire history of its existence. The main victims of war are the civilian population.
14. Wars led by Tamerlane (casualty ranged from 8,000,000 to 20,000,000)
In the second half of the 14th century, Tamerlane led cruel, bloody conquests in Western, South, Central Asia, and in southern Russia. Tamerlane became the most powerful ruler in the Muslim world, conquering Egypt, Syria and the Ottoman Empire. Historians believe that 5% of the entire population of the Earth died at the hands of his warriors.
15. Dungan uprising (number of victims from 8,000,000 to 20,400,000 people)
1862 - 1869. The Dungan uprising was an ethnic and religious war between the Han Chinese (a Chinese ethnic group originally from East Asia) and Chinese Muslims. The rebels against the existing government were led by the spiritual mentors of Xinjiao, who declared jihad infidel.
16. Conquest of the Americas (casualty ranged from 8,400,000 to 148,000,000)
1492 - 1691. During the 200 years of colonization of America, tens of millions of the native population were killed by European colonizers. However, there is no exact number of casualties, since there are no initial estimates of the original size of the Native American population. The conquest of America is the largest extermination of the indigenous population by other peoples in history.
17. An Lushan rebellion (casualty ranged from 13,000,000 to 36,000,000)
755 - 763 AD Revolt against the Tang Dynasty. According to scientists, up to two children of the entire Chinese population could have died during this conflict.
18. First World War (casualties: 18,000,000)
1914-1918. War between groups of states in Europe and their allies. The war claimed 11,000,000 military personnel who died directly during the fighting. 7,000,000 civilians died during the war.
19. Taiping Rebellion (casualties 20,000,000 - 30,000,000)
1850 - 1864. Peasant revolt in China. The Taiping Rebellion spread throughout China against the Manchu Qing dynasty. With the support of England and France, Qing troops brutally suppressed the rebels.
20. Manchu conquest of China (25,000,000 casualties)
1618 - 1683. The war of the Qing Dynasty, to conquer the territories of the Ming Dynasty Empire.
As a result of long wars and various battles, the Manchu dynasty managed to conquer almost all strategic territories of China. The war cost tens of millions human lives.
21. Sino-Japanese War (casualties 25,000,000 - 30,000,000)
1937 - 1945. War between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. Separate fighting began in 1931. The war ended with the defeat of Japan with the help of allied forces, mainly the USSR. The United States launched 2 nuclear strikes on Japan, destroying the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On September 9, 1945, the government of the Republic of China accepted the surrender of the commander of Japanese troops in China, General Okamura Yasuji.
22. Wars of the Three Kingdoms (number of casualties 36,000,000 - 40,000,000 people)
220-280 AD Not to be confused with the War (of England, Scotland and Ireland between 1639 and 1651). The war of three states - Wei, Shu and Wu for complete power in China. Each side tried to unite China under its own leadership. The bloodiest period in Chinese history, which led to millions of victims.
23. Mongol conquests (casualties 40,000,000 - 70,000,000)
1206 - 1337. Raids across the territories of Asia and of Eastern Europe with the formation of the state Golden Horde. The raids were distinguished by their cruelty. The Mongols spread the bubonic plague over vast territories, from which people died, having no immunity to this disease.
24. World War II (casualties 60,000,000 - 85,000,000)
The most brutal war in human history, when people were destroyed along racial and ethnic lines with the help of technical devices. The extermination of peoples was organized by the rulers of Germany and their allies, led by Hitler. Up to 100,000,000 troops fought on both sides of the war. With the decisive role of the USSR, fascist Germany and her allies were defeated.
Almost any significant date in the history of mankind is associated with a military conflict, if not with victory or defeat, then at least with their consequences. Wars break out in the struggle for territory, resources, power, ideas, and even violated honor. Their cruelty sometimes frightens the imagination. Bloody battles, millions of dead, destruction, pain and suffering of survivors - what was it for?
We did not dare to categorize wars based on the nominal number of victims, because the magnitude of losses does not always indicate the degree of cruelty. Many wars were accompanied by epidemics, famines, etc., causing most of the losses. In addition, losses in the war 2000 years ago are not comparable with modern ones, since then only 300,000,000 people lived on Earth, and now there are 25 times more.
| N | date(years) | Victims(Human) | |
| 1 | 66-73 | 800 000 | |
| 2 | 220-280 | 40 000 000 | |
| 3 | 755-763 | 15-35 000 000 | |
| 4 | 1207-1308 | 50-70 000 000 | |
| 5 | 1492-1691 | 120 000 000 | |
| 6 | 1562-1598 | 4 000 000 | |
| 7 | 1618-1648 | 8 000 000 | |
| 8 | 1616-1662 | 25 000 000 | |
| 9 | 1799-1815 | 3-4 000 000 | |
| 10 | 1816-1828 | 2 000 000 | |
| 11 | 1850-1864 | 20-100 000 000 | |
| 12 | 1910-1920 | 1.5-2 000 000 | |
| 13 | 1914-1918 | 20 000 000 | |
| 14 | 1917-1922 | 20 000 000 | |
| 15 | 1939-1945 | 68 000 000 | |
| 16 | 1927-1950 | 8 000 000 | |
| 17 | 1950-1953 | 1 300 000 | |
| 18 | 1955-1975 | 4 000 000 | |
| 19 | 1980-1988 | 1 500 000 | |
| 20 | 1998-2002 | 5 500 000 |
First Jewish War (66 -73 AD)
At the beginning of 66, the oldest recorded military conflict occurred. The Jews of Israel and Palestine rebelled against the Roman invaders. The reason was the looting of the temple treasury by the procurator Flavius.
One of major events ancient war- the siege of Jerusalem by four Roman cohorts led by Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian. In 70, when the events described took place, the city was a large, strong fortress with a triple line of defensive walls. The Jews bravely defended themselves and, despite severe hunger, held the siege for about six months. Having captured the fortress, the Roman army plundered and burned the main shrine of Judaism - the Temple of Jerusalem. During the blockade, 200 thousand people died from exhaustion, and the entire war claimed more than 800 thousand dead. The number of those captured and sold into slavery is incalculable.
Wars of the Three Kingdoms in China (220 – 280)
China in the first millennium AD was characterized by frequent bloody internecine conflicts. The fall of the ruling Han dynasty led to the division of the country into three kingdoms - Wu in the southeast, Shu in the southwest and Wei in the north.
The new rulers constantly waged bloody wars, trying to seize and subjugate neighboring territories to their power. The sixty-year era of the Three Kingdoms ended with the victory of the northern state of Wei and the subjugation of the southern kingdoms. China became a unified country again, but only for a few decades. During this historical period, a number of fierce battles took place, claiming the lives of about 40 million people.
Chinese civil wars (755 – 763)
One of the biggest bloodsheds ancient history counts internecine war in the Chinese provinces during the Tang Dynasty. The outbreak of military conflicts provoked an uprising led by the military leader of the border provinces An Lushan, a Turk (or Sogdian) by origin. Having declared himself emperor, the rebel held power for 2 years and was killed by his own eunuch.
Despite the death of the leader, which was carefully hidden, the companions continued the war with the ruling dynastic clan. The last outbreaks of the uprising could only be extinguished by 763. Over the 8 years of military confrontation, the population of China decreased, according to various sources, by 15 - 35 million people, which at that time amounted to more than half of the total population of China.
Mongol conquests (1207 – 1308)
The formation of the Mongol Empire as the largest state ever world history happened at the beginning of the 13th century. The area of imperial conquests was about 24 million square meters. km. Genghis Khan laid the foundation for the formation of the great state; his warriors conquered Asia and eastern Europe.
The Mongol raids continued for 2 centuries and are considered the longest and deadliest military conflict in human history. Collapse great power occurred after the death of Tamerlane, the last famous commander of the Turko-Mongol empire. Victories over the Egyptian and Syrian Mamluks, the Delhi Sultanate and the Ottoman Empire gained the unquestioned authority of his name. During the military conflicts, the population of the conquered countries decreased (according to various estimates) by 50 - 70 million people, which amounted to from 12 to 18% of the inhabitants of the entire planet.
Colonization of the American continent (1492 – 1691)
The colonial wars in America began in the 10th century, long before Columbus, in the territories of modern Canada. But the period of the most brutal battles occurred at the end of the 15th – 18th centuries.
A huge number of Indian tribes lived on the new continent, existing in their own socio-historical “vacuum”. The Aborigines did not have firearms and became easy prey for the first colonialists. Their barbaric extermination, destruction of culture and plunder of the natural resources of the continent continued for more than two centuries. It is impossible to calculate the exact number of victims; there is no historical data on the indigenous population of the continent. Some estimates put the death toll at around 120 million.
Religious medieval conflicts in France (1562 – 1598)
Civil strife in France in the late 16th century is known in historical records as the Huguenot Wars. The confrontation between the Catholic and Protestant faiths resulted in an innumerable number of bloody military conflicts, and historical disputes are still ongoing about their exact number.
End thirty years of conflict Henry lV put it by issuing an edict on complete equality of Catholics and Protestants. By that time, population losses amounted to about 4 million dead. Oddly enough, the religious conflict tempered and strengthened France. The cessation of feudal revolts and the centralization of the state made it the strongest in Europe.
Thirty Years' European War (1618 – 1648)
The medieval conflict for political and military supremacy in central Europe was provoked by the schism of the Holy Roman Papacy. The confrontation between the Protestant and Catholic powers resulted in one of the bloodiest and long wars V general history Europe. Military operations took place on the territories of most large states, the total losses amounted to about 8 million people, including civilians.
This war is considered the last European religious conflict, after which interstate relations began to be exclusively secular in nature. The signing of the Peace of Westphalia secured territorial boundaries and became the main protocol for concluding international treaties.
Manchu conquest of China (1616 – 1662)
Seizure of power in China by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the last imperial clan ancient state, was marked by half a century of bloodshed. One of the vassals of the ruling Ming Emperor rebelled and united the northern provinces of the Jurchens under his command. Having declared himself khan, Aisingyoro Nurhatsi led dozens of united tribes to conquer the entire territory of the Chinese kingdom.
Despite the death of the leader in 1626, it was not possible to stop the military conflict. The numerical superiority of the imperial army did not help the Ming dynasty to maintain power, and it suffered a crushing defeat. Another internecine conflict claimed the lives of more than 25 million people.
Napoleonic Wars (1799 – 1815)
Having come to power and proclaiming himself emperor in November 1799, Bonaparte hatched plans to conquer not only Europe, but also World domination. His army made campaigns across the Indian and atlantic oceans, leading military campaigns in Africa and India.
A talented commander significantly expanded French possessions through military victories and diplomacy. Without hesitation, he tore off old ones and entered into new, more profitable alliances with other states, pursuing his own political goals. This is how the 3rd, 4th, 5th coalitions were formed, plus an alliance in the Patriotic War of 1812. Military luck turned away from Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo during the 7th, anti-Napoleonic coalition. The number of deaths during military conflicts ranges from 3 to 4 million people.
Chuck Wars (beginning 1816 – 1828)
The world did not know the history of the African continent until the first Europeans appeared on its coast. The Aborigines did not have a written language. The period of the first half of the 19th century was marked for South Africa by the conquests of Chaka, the famous Zulu monarch.
Having come to power in 1816, the illegitimate son of Senzangakon began measures to carry out military reforms and mobilized all men between 20 and 40 years of age for service. Thanks to the talent of the commander, his army won brilliant victories over superior enemy forces. Chaka increased the territory of his possessions 100 times, plundering and scattering independent tribes throughout the south of the continent. According to experts, about 2 million people were destroyed.
Taiping Rebellion (1850 – 1864)
The history of Chinese internecine conflicts is amazing in the number of victims. The seizure of power by the Manchu Qing dynasty and its brutal rule provoked one of the bloodiest “Peasant” Wars in Chinese history. Having rebelled with good intentions to free the people, the leaders quickly lost control over the conduct of hostilities and drowned the country in a bloodbath.
Only documented facts indicate that 20 million died from violent acts. According to unofficial evidence from historians, the number of victims is about 100 million.
Mexican Revolution (1910 – 1920)
The revolutionary movement in Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century was similar to all revolutions in the world, but was characterized by an extremely high percentage of civilian casualties. With a population of 15 million people at that time, according to various estimates, from 1.5 to 2 million died and more than 200 thousand emigrated from the country.
The revolution began with an uprising against the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, which developed into a civil war that lasted almost 10 years. This military conflict was of great historical significance. The country gained independence, adopted a new constitution and held agrarian reforms. The Mexican Revolution had a great influence on the socio-political life of the entire Latin America 20th century.
First World War (1914 – 1918)
The second decade of the 20th century was marked by one of the most large-scale military campaigns with the participation of first European and then world powers. The military conflict began with the murder of the Austrian ambassador to Montenegro. The tense political situation between Germany and England for influence in the European and African bridgeheads led to the split of states into two blocs - the “Entente” with the participation of Russia, Great Britain and France and the “Quadruple Alliance” with the entry of the German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires, as well as Bulgarian kingdom.
The bloody battles resulted in the disappearance of political map 4 empires - Germany, Ottomania, Austria-Hungary and Russia. 35 states were involved in the cycle of the First World War and about 20 million people died on the battlefields, about 45 million died from a catastrophic influenza epidemic.
Russian Civil War (1917 - 1922)
The second revolutionary coup in October 1917 led Russia to a civil confrontation between supporters of the monarchical system and the Bolshevik Party. A feature of the fratricidal war was the participation of the Entente countries in it, which provoked even greater destruction on the territory of the state and led Russia to a political-economic and civilizational crisis.
The result of military clashes between the two largest military groups - the Red and White Armies - was the destruction of about 20 million people, most of them the civilian population of the country. The civil conflict in the fragments of the Russian Empire has been described by European historians as the greatest national catastrophe.
World War II (1939 – 1945)
The number of victims in the Second World War, the most massive and bloody nightmare of the 20th century, cannot be accurately calculated. 72 states were drawn into the madness of war, and military operations were carried out on the territories of 40 countries. About 100 million people, including women, old people and children, were subjected to military and labor mobilization in the USSR alone.
About 28 million soldiers of the opposing armies died in full-scale military conflicts. Losses among the civilian population, according to the most conservative estimates, amount to about 60 million human lives. Unfortunately, in our time, attempts are being made to rewrite history and erase concentration camps and the first nuclear bombings from human memory.
Chinese Civil War (1927 – 1950)
China, with its multi-million population, is breaking all records of sacrifice in the struggle for its development. The long conflict between the Kuomintang, supported by the American bourgeoisie, and the Chinese Communist Party lasted more than 20 years. The main hostilities unfolded after the end of World War II and led to the formation of two states - Taiwan (an island state) and the People's Republic of China (mainland China).
The war led to the liberation of China from feudal-landlord oppression and the dominance of foreign imperialists. The clashes between the opposing armies were remembered for savage atrocities on both sides. More than 8 million civilians were tortured and killed.
Korean War (1950 – 1958)
The military conflict on the isthmus of the Korean Peninsula began with the invasion of the PRC army into the territory of its southern neighbor. The rapid advance of the North Korean army forced the United States and then the United Nations to take the side of South Korea. Pilots provided support to the DPRK Soviet Union and China.
The alternating success of the Korean armies caused so much destruction and casualties on both sides that an armistice was signed in July 1953. Having created a demilitarized zone and exchanged prisoners of war, the Korean states postponed the signing of a peace treaty indefinitely and, technically, they are still at war. The military conflict claimed the lives of 1.3 million Koreans.
Vietnam War (1957 – 1975)
The large-scale and bloody Vietnam War began with the uprising of the communist underground of South Vietnam. After 2 years, North Vietnamese troops came to the aid of the rebels, and from 1961 the United States directly entered into the military conflict. A contingent of American troops launched a monstrous aerial bombardment of northern Vietnam using napalm and chemical weapons. 15% of the entire territory of Vietnam was exposed to toxic substances.
During the military conflict, more than a million Viet Cogs were killed - soldiers of North Vietnam and about 2.6 million civilians of both countries. The US Army lost about 60 thousand soldiers killed and more than 1,800 missing. The consequence of the monstrous war was the birth of more than half a million Vietnamese children with congenital anomalies and developmental defects at the level of genetic mutations. However, the United States was never charged with officially using chemical weapons.
Iran-Iraq armed conflict (1980 – 1988)
Military operations in the Middle East bridgehead in the penultimate decade of the 20th century began with the invasion of the Iraqi army into the sovereign space of Iran. The armed conflict was provoked by religious differences and opportunistic sentiments of nearby powers. An Israeli Air Force attack on nuclear reactor engineering development sites in Iraq delayed the country's energy supply program for many years.
The military conflict had dire consequences for both sides; almost no one won. Losses were estimated at 200 thousand soldiers of the Iraqi army and 500 thousand soldiers from the Iranian side. In addition, about 25 thousand civilians were affected. In total, the countries lost about one and a half percent of their population.
Great African War (1998 – 2002)
The name of the Second Congo War on the African continent is associated with one of the most significant bloodsheds of the late 20th century. The conflict was provoked by ethnic tensions and genocide in the Republic of Rwanda, the consequences of which spread to the territory of the republican democracy of the Congo.
Bloody battles with the direct participation of 9 major continental powers, which created more than 20 armed groups, led to the destruction of almost 5.5 million people. What’s sad is that about half the population died (at the turn of the 21st century!) from epidemics and famine. The military campaign was accompanied by savagery - about half a million women were subjected to sexual violence, even five-year-olds were not spared, and cases of dismemberment and cannibalism were also recorded.
The history of mankind is the history of wars. The Swiss Jean-Jacques Babel calculated that throughout history since 3500 BC. and to this day, humanity has lived peacefully for only 292 years.
But there were different wars. It is often difficult to estimate the number of deaths in war, but if we take the minimum figures for casualty estimates, the picture emerges like this.
10. Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815)
The wars that Napoleon Bonaparte waged with various European countries from 1799 to 1815 are usually called the Napoleonic Wars. The gifted commander began redistributing the political map of Europe even earlier than he carried out the coup of the 18th Brumaire and became First Consul. Hanoverian Campaign, War of the Third Coalition or Russian-Austro-French War of 1805, War of the Fourth Coalition, or Russian-Prussian-French War of 1806-1807, which ended with the famous Peace of Tilsit, War of the Fifth Coalition, or Austro-French War of 1809, Patriotic War the war of 1812 and the war of the Sixth Coalition of European powers against Napoleon and, finally, the campaign of the “Hundred Days” era, which ended with the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, claimed the lives of at least 3,5 million people. Many historians double this figure.
9. Russian Civil War (1917-1923)
More people died in the civil war that followed the 1917 revolution in Russia than in all Napoleonic Wars: no less 5,5 million people, and according to bolder estimates, all 9 million. And although these losses amounted to less than half a percent of the world's population, for our country the war between the Reds and the Whites had the most dire consequences. No wonder Anton Ivanovich Denikin abolished all awards in his army - what awards in a fratricidal war? And, by the way, it is in vain to think that the Civil War ended in 1920 with the Crimean evacuation and the fall of the White Crimea. In fact, the Bolsheviks managed to suppress the last pockets of resistance in Primorye only in June 1923, and the fight against the Basmachi in Central Asia lasted until the early forties.
8. Dungan uprising (1862)
In 1862, the so-called Dungan uprising against the Qing Empire began in northwestern China. Chinese and non-Chinese Muslim national minorities - Dungans, Uighurs, Salars - rebelled, as Bolshaya writes. Soviet Encyclopedia, against the national oppression of the Chinese-Manchu feudal lords and the Qing dynasty. English-speaking historians do not entirely agree with this and see the origins of the uprising in racial and class antagonism and in economics, but not in religious strife and rebellion against the ruling dynasty. Be that as it may, the uprising, which began in May 1862 in Weinan County, Shaanxi Province, spread to the provinces of Gansu and Xinjiang. There was no single headquarters for the uprising, and in the war everyone suffered, according to various estimates, from 8 up to 12 million people. The uprising was brutally suppressed as a result, and the surviving rebels were sheltered Russian empire. Their descendants still live in Kyrgyzstan, Southern Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
7. Rebellion of Ai Lushan (8th century AD)
The era of the Tang Dynasty is traditionally considered in China to be the period of the highest power of the country, when China was far ahead of its contemporary countries. And the civil war at that time was a match for the country - grandiose. In world historiography it is called the Ai Lushan uprising. Thanks to the favor of Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved concubine Yang Guifei, a Turk (or Sogdian) in Chinese service, Ai Lushan concentrated enormous power in the army - under his command were 3 of the 10 border provinces of the Tang Empire. In 755, Ai Lushan rebelled and next year proclaimed himself emperor of the new Yan dynasty. And although already in 757 the sleeping leader of the uprising was stabbed to death by his trusted eunuch, the rebellion was only pacified by February 763. The number of victims is staggering: the smallest number of deaths 13 million people. And if you believe the pessimists and assume that the population of China at that time decreased by 36 million people, then you will have to admit that the rebellion of Ai Lushan reduced the then world population by more than 15 percent. In this case, if we count the number of victims, it was the largest armed conflict in the entire history of mankind until World War II.
6. Firstworld war (1914-1918)
The hero of Francis Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby called it "the belated migration of the Teutonic tribes." It was called the war against war, the Great War, the European War. The name with which it remained to live in history was coined by the Times military columnist Colonel Charles Repington: The First World War.
The starting shot of the world meat grinder was the shot in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. From this day until the armistice on November 11, 1918, deaths by the most conservative measure 15 million If you come across the number 65 million, don’t be alarmed: it also includes all those who died from the Spanish flu, the most massive influenza pandemic in the history of mankind. In addition to the mass of victims, the result of World War I was the liquidation of four entire empires: Russian, Ottoman, German and Austria-Hungary.
5. Wars of Tamerlane (14th century)
Do you remember Vasily Vereshchagin’s painting “The Apotheosis of War”? So, initially it was called “The Triumph of Tamerlane,” and all because the great eastern commander and conqueror loved to build pyramids from human skulls. It must be said that there was no shortage of material: over 45 years of conquest, the lame Timur - in Persian Timur-e-Lyang, and in our language Tamerlane - killed, no less, more than 3.5 percent of the world's population in the second half of the 14th century century. Minimum – 15 million, or even all 20. Wherever he went: Iran, Transcaucasia, India, the Golden Horde, Ottoman Empire– the interests of the iron lame man extended widely. Why “iron”? But because the name Timur, or rather Temur, is translated from Turkic languages as “iron”. By the end of Tamerlane's reign, his empire extended from Transcaucasia to Punjab. Emir Timur did not manage to conquer China, although he tried - death interrupted his campaign.
4. Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)
China is again in fourth place, which is not surprising: the country is populated. And again the times of the Qing Empire, that is, turbulent: the opium wars, the Dungan uprising, the Yihetuan movement, the Xinhai revolution... And the bloodiest Taiping uprising, which claimed lives according to the most conservative estimates 20 million people. The immodest increase this figure to 100 million, that is, to 8% of the planet's population. The uprising, which began in 1850, was essentially peasant war- disenfranchised Chinese peasants rose up against the Manchu Qing dynasty. The goals were the most good: to overthrow the Manchus, drive out foreign colonialists and create a kingdom of freedom and equality - the Taiping heavenly kingdom, where the word Taiping itself means “Great Calm”. The uprising was led by Hong Xiuquan, who decided that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ. But it didn’t work out Christianly, that is, mercifully, although the Taiping Kingdom was created in South China, and its population reached 30 million. The "Hairy Bandits", so called because they rejected the braids imposed on the Chinese by the Manchus, occupied big cities, got involved in the war foreign countries, uprisings began in other parts of the empire... The uprising was suppressed only in 1864, and then only with the support of the British and French.
3. Capture of China by the Manchu dynasty
You will laugh, but... Again the Qing dynasty, this time the era of the conquest of power in China, 1616-1662. 25 millions of victims, or almost five percent of the planet's inhabitants - this is the price of creating an empire founded in 1616 by the Manchu clan of Aisin Gyoro on the territory of Manchuria, that is, what is now northeastern China. In less than three decades, all of China, part of Mongolia and a large piece of Central Asia came under her rule. The Chinese Ming Empire weakened and fell under the blows of the Great Pure State - Da Qing-kuo. What was won in blood lasted a long time: the Qing Empire was destroyed by the Xinhai Revolution of 1911-1912, the six-year-old Emperor Pu Yi abdicated the throne. However, he will still be destined to lead the country - the puppet state of Manchukuo, created by the Japanese occupiers on the territory of Manchuria and which existed until 1945.
2. Wars of the Mongol Empire (13-15 centuries)
Historians call the Mongol Empire the state that emerged in the 13th century as a result of the conquests of Genghis Khan and his successors. Its territory was the largest in world history and extended from the Danube to the Sea of Japan and from Novgorod to South-East Asia. The area of the empire is still amazing - approximately 24 million square kilometers. The number of people who died during the period of its formation, existence and collapse will also not leave you indifferent: according to the most optimistic estimates, it is no less 30 million Pessimists number all 60 million. True, we are talking about a significant historical period - from the first years of the 13th century, when Temujin united the warring nomadic tribes into a single Mongolian state and received the title of Genghis Khan until he stood on the Ugra in 1480, when the Moscow state under Grand Duke Ivan III was completely freed from the Mongol-Tatar yoke. During this time, from 7.5 to more than 17 percent of the world's population died.
1. World War II (1939-1945)
The Second World War holds the most terrible records. It is also the bloodiest - the total number of its victims is cautiously estimated at 40 millions, and carelessly in all 72. It is also the most destructive: the total damage to all the warring countries exceeded the material losses from all previous wars combined and is considered equal to one and a half, or even two trillion dollars. This war is the most, so to speak, global war - 62 states out of 73 existing on the planet at that moment, or 80% of the Earth's population, participated in it in one form or another. The war took place on earth, in the skies and on the sea - fighting took place on three continents and in the waters of four oceans. This was the only conflict to date in which nuclear weapons were used.