They took a lot of lives.
War is as old as humanity itself. The earliest documented evidence of war relate to the battle in Egypt in the Mesolithic (cemetery 117), which occurred approximately 14,000 years ago. The war took place in most parts of the globe, leading to the deaths of hundreds of millions of people. In our review of the bloodiest wars in the history of mankind, which can not in any case forget not to repeat the like.
1. The war for the independence of Biafra
1 million dead victims
Conflict, also known as the Nigerian civil war (July 1967 – January 1970), was caused by the attempt at secession of the breakaway state of Biafra (Eastern province of Nigeria). The conflict occurred as a result of political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions that preceded the formal decolonization of Nigeria in 1960 – 1963. Most people in the war died of starvation and various diseases.
2. The Japanese invasion of Korea
1 million dead
The Japanese invasion of Korea (or Indiska war) took place between 1592 and 1598 for years: have passed the initial invasion in 1592, and a second invasion in 1597, after a brief truce. The conflict ended in 1598 with the withdrawal of Japanese troops. Killed about 1 million Koreans, but the Japanese losses are unknown.
3. The Iran-Iraq war
1 million dead
The Iran-Iraq war – armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from 1980 to 1988, making him the longest war of the 20th century. The war began when Iraq invaded Iran on 22 September 1980 and ended in stalemate on 20 August 1988. From the point of view of tactics, the conflict was comparable with the First world war because it was used large scale trench warfare, machine-gun, bayonet, psychological pressure, as well as widely used chemical weapon.
4. The Siege Of Jerusalem
1.1 million dead
The oldest conflict in the list (it happened in 73 ad) was the decisive event of the First Jewish war. The Roman army besieged and captured the city of Jerusalem, which was defended by the Jews. The siege ended with the looting of the city and the destruction of its famous Second Temple. According to the historian Josephus, during the siege were killed 1.1 million civilians, mainly as a result of violence and hunger.
5. The Korean war
1.2 million dead
Lasting from June 1950 to July 1953 the Korean war was the armed conflict which began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations, headed by USA, came to the aid of South Korea while China and Soviet Union supported North Korea. The war ended after a truce was signed, was created a demilitarized zone and an exchange of prisoners of war. However, a peace Treaty was not signed, and the two Koreas technically are still at war.
6. The Mexican revolution
2 million dead
The Mexican revolution that lasted from 1910 to 1920, radically changed the whole Mexican culture. Considering that then, the population was only 15 million, the losses were appallingly high, but numerical estimates are very different. Most historians agree that killed 1.5 million people, and nearly 200 000 refugees fled abroad. The Mexican revolution is often classified as the most important sociopolitical event in Mexico and one of the great social upheavals of the 20th century.
7. The Conquest Of Chaka
2 million dead
The conquest of Chaka is a term used for a series of massacres and conquests in South Africa, which led Chuck – the famous monarch of the Zulu Kingdom. In the first half of the 19th century Chuck at the head of a large army invaded and ransacked a number of regions in South Africa. Estimated to be killing up to 2 million people from the indigenous tribes.
8. Compresso-sui war
2 million dead
One more conflict involving violence in Korea were compreso-sui wars series military campaigns waged by the Chinese sui dynasty against Koguryo, one of Korea’s three kingdoms in 598 — 614 years. These wars (which eventually was won by the Koreans) have killed 2 million people and the total death toll is probably much higher, as no account of the loss of the Koreans among the civilian population.
9. Religious wars in France
4 million dead
Also known as the Huguenot wars, the French religious wars that were fought between 1562 and 1598 for years are the period of civil strife and military confrontations between French Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). The exact number of wars and their respective dates are still debated by historians, but it is assumed that killing up to 4 million people.
10. The second Congolese war
5.4 million dead million
Also known by several other names such as the Great war of Africa or the African world war, the second Congolese war was the bloodiest in modern African history. It directly involved nine African countries, as well as about 20 armed groups.
The war was waged for five years (1998 to 2003) and has led to 5.4 million deaths, mainly due to disease and starvation. This makes Congo war the deadliest conflict in the world since the Second world war.
11. The Napoleonic wars
6 million dead
Which lasted between the years 1803 and 1815 the Napoleonic wars were a series of major conflicts being fought by the French Empire led by Napoleon Bonaparte against many European powers formed into various coalitions. During his military career Napoleon had spent about 60 battles and lost only seven, mostly at the end of his reign. In Europe killed approximately 5 million people, including from-for diseases.
12. The thirty years war
11.5 million million dead
The thirty years war, which was fought between the years 1618 and 1648, was a series of conflicts for hegemony in Central Europe. This war became one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, and it originally began as a conflict between Protestant and Catholic States in the divided Holy Roman Empire. Gradually, the war developed into a much larger conflict involving most of the great powers of Europe. Estimates of the number killed vary considerably, but the most probable calculation shows that killed about 8 million people, including civilians.
13. Chinese civil war
8 million dead
The Chinese civil war was fought between the forces loyal to the Kuomintang (the political party of the Republic of China) and forces loyal to the Communist party of China. The war began in 1927 and ended it essentially only in 1950, it stopped when major active battles. The conflict eventually de facto led to the formation of the two States: the Republic of China (now known as Taiwan) and people’s Republic of China (the mainland). The war is remembered for its brutality on both sides, millions of civilians were deliberately murdered.
14. Civil war in Russia
12 million dead
Civil war in Russia lasted from 1917 to 1922, erupted in result of the October revolution of 1917, when many groups began to fight for power. The two largest groups were the Red army of the Bolsheviks and allied forces known as the White army. Over 5 years of war in the country were recorded from 7 to 12 million victims, who were mostly civilians. Civil war in Russia was even described as the greatest national catastrophe which has ever experienced in Europe.
15. The Conquest Of Tamerlane
20 million dead
Also known as Timur, Tamerlane was famous Turko-Mongol conqueror and military leader. In the second half of the 14th century, he led a brutal military campaign in Western, southern and Central Asia, the Caucasus and southern Russia. Tamerlane became the most powerful ruler in the Muslim world after defeating the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria, the emerging Ottoman Empire and the crushing defeat of the Delhi Sultanate. Scholars estimate that his military campaigns caused the deaths of 17 million people, which accounted for about 5% of the then world population.
16. The Dungan revolt
20,8 million dead
The Dungan revolt was mainly an ethnic and religious war that was fought between the Han (Chinese ethnic group native East Asia) and Hui people (Chinese Muslims) in the 19th century in China. The revolt arose over a pricing dispute (the merchant when the Han Hui which the buyer has not paid the required amount for the bamboo sticks). In the end during the uprising has killed more than 20 million people, mostly due to natural disasters and events caused by war, such as drought and famine.
17. The conquest of North and South America
138 million dead
European colonization of North and South America technically began in the 10th century, when Norwegian sailors settled briefly on the shore of modern day Canada. However, basically we are talking about the period between 1492 and the years 1691. During those 200 years, tens of millions of people were killed in the fighting between the colonists and native Americans, but the estimate of the total number of fatalities varies greatly due to the lack of consensus on the demographic population of pre-Columbian period.
18. The An Lushan Rebellion
36 million dead
During the reign of the Tang dynasty in China was another devastating war the an Lushan rebellion, which lasted from 755 to 763. There is no doubt that the uprising led to a huge number of deaths and greatly reduced the population of the Tang Empire, but the exact death toll is difficult to estimate even in approximate terms. Some scientists suggest that during the rebellion killed 36 million people, about two-thirds of the Empire’s population and about 1/6 of the world population.
19. The first world war
18 million dead
The first world war (July 1914 – November 1918) was a global conflict that emerged in Europe and which gradually sucked all of the economic powers of the world, which have merged into two opposing Alliance: the allies and the Central powers. The total number of deaths amounted to about 11 million military personnel and about 7 million civilians. About two thirds of the deaths during the First world war occurred during the battle, unlike the conflicts that took place in the 19th century, when most deaths occurred due to disease.
20. The Taiping rebellion
30 million dead
This revolt, also known as the civil war the Taiping, continued in China from 1850 to 1864. The war was fought between the ruling Manchu Qing dynasty and the Christian movement the “heavenly Kingdom of Peace”. Although at the time there was no census, according the most reliable estimates the total death toll during the uprising was about 20 – 30 million civilians and soldiers. Most of the deaths were attributed to plague and famine.
21. The conquest of the Qing dynasty the Ming dynasty
25 million dead
Manchurian conquest of China – a period of conflict between the Qing dynasty (the Manchu dynasty, ruling in North-East China) and the Ming (Chinese dynasty, ruling the South of the country). The war, which ultimately led to the fall of Ming, was the cause of death of approximately 25 million people.
22. The second Sino-Japanese war
30 million dead
War waged between 1937 and 1945, was an armed conflict between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. After the Japanese attacked pearl Harbor (1941), the war actually joined the Second world war. It was the largest Asian war in the 20th century, killing up to 25 million Chinese and more than 4 million Chinese and Japanese soldiers.
23. The War Of The Three Kingdoms
40 million dead
The war of the three kingdoms – a series of armed conflicts in ancient China (220-280 years). During these wars, three States – Wei, Shu and Wu vied for power in the country, trying to unite the peoples and bring them under his control. One of the bloodiest periods in Chinese history was marked by a number of fierce battles that could lead to the death of 40 million people.
24. The Mongol conquest
70 million dead
The Mongol conquests progressed throughout the 13th century, resulting in the vast Mongol Empire conquered most of Asia and Eastern Europe. Historians consider the period of Mongol raids and invasions became one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. In addition, at this time in most part of Asia and Europe spread of bubonic plague. The total death toll during the conquest is estimated at 40 – 70 million people.
25. The second world war
85 million dead
The second world war (1939 – 1945) was global: it involved the vast majority of countries around the world, including all the great powers. It was the most widespread war in history, be it directly involved more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries.
It was marked by mass deaths of civilians, including because of the Holocaust and strategic bombing of industrial and human settlements, which led (according to various estimates) to the deaths of 60 million to 85 million people. In the end the Second world war was the deadliest conflict in human history.
