Nine Largest Wars (by Death Toll)
Three of the ten most costly wars, in terms of loss of life, have been waged in the last century. These are of course the two World Wars, then followed by the Second Sino-Japanese War (which is sometimes considered part of World War II, or overlapping with that war). Most of the others involved China or neighboring peoples. The death toll of World War II, being 60 million plus, surpasses all other war-death-tolls by a factor of two. This may be due to significant recent advances in weapons technologies, as well as recent increases in the overall human population.
| Deaths (millions) |
Date | War |
|---|---|---|
| 60–72 | 1939–1945 | World War II (see World War II casualties) |
| 36 | 755–763 | An Shi Rebellion (number exaggerated based on census system,but not considering the territorial shrink and inefficient census system afterwar） |
| 30–60 | 13th century | Mongol Conquests (see Mongol invasions and Tatar invasions) |
| 20 | 1914–1918 | World War I (see World War I casualties) |
| 20 | 1850–1864 | Taiping Rebellion (see Dungan revolt) |
| 20 | 1937–1945 | Second Sino-Japanese War |
| 8–12 | 1862–1877 | Dungan revolt |
| 7–20 | 1370–1405 | Conquests of Tamerlane |
| 5–9 | 1917–1922 | Russian Civil War and Foreign Intervention |
Read more about this topic: Causes Of War
Famous quotes containing the words largest, wars and/or death:
“The debt was the most sacred obligation incurred during the war. It was by no means the largest in amount. We do not haggle with those who lent us money. We should not with those who gave health and blood and life. If doors are opened to fraud, contrive to close them. But don’t deny the obligation, or scold at its performance.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“The grief of the keen is no personal complaint for the death of one woman over eighty years, but seems to contain the whole passionate rage that lurks somewhere in every native of the island. In this cry of pain the inner consciousness of the people seems to lay itself bare for an instant, and to reveal the mood of beings who feel their isolation in the face of a universe that wars on them with winds and seas.”
—J.M. (John Millington)
“Go; and if that word have not quite killed thee,
Ease me with death by bidding me got too.
Oh, if it have, let my word work on me,
And a just office on a murderer do.
Except it be too late to kill me so,
Being double dead: going, and bidding go.”
—John Donne (1572–1631)