Most lethal battles in world history

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The following is a list of the most lethal battles in world history. This list will include both sieges (not technically battles but usually yielding similar combat-related deaths) and civilian deaths during the battles.

Note: Battle casualties are almost impossible to calculate precisely. Many of these figures are estimates, and some have been heavily criticized. Some figures may also mean killed or wounded while others may just mean killed - since this is the list of most lethal battles, number of killed is used where it is known. This list does not include most bombing runs or missile strikes (such as the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki), which despite potentially massive casualties are not typically classified as "battles," since they are usually one-sided engagements. Tactical or strategic strikes, however, may form part of larger engagements which are themselves battles.

[edit] Classical formation battles

These refer to battles of the old era, where armies met on a single field of battle and fought. In most cases these lasted one day or up to several days. With more advanced weapons, military formations lost their impact and this type of battle died out in favor of grander military operations. As a general rule, this happened in the late 19th / early 20th century. The last war to have been fought on a battle-by-battle as opposed to campaign basis is generally held to be the Second Boer War.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Sieges and urban combat

This list includes sieges, as well as modern battles that were fought almost exclusively in urban areas. Such battles were often very bloody, resulting in high loss of life. Battles that involved sieges or attacks on cities as secondary to the main operation are listed under "operations".

This list is sortable. Click the box next to a column heading to sort by that criteria.

[edit] Major operations

This list includes major operations, i.e. prolonged battles or offensive operations fought over a large area.

See also : List of wars and disasters by death toll

[edit] Notes