World War I casualties

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Pie chart showing deaths by alliance and military/civilian. Many of the civilian deaths were due to the outbreak of the Spanish flu or related to famine.

The number of World War I casualties (military and civilian) was about 40 million - over 19 million deaths and 21 million wounded. This includes 9.7 million military deaths and about 10.0 million civilian deaths. The Allied Powers lost more than 5 million soldiers and the Central Powers about 4 million. Casualty numbers are a topic of debate due to the fact that military casualty statistics include combat related deaths as well as losses caused by accidents, disease and prisoner of war deaths.

[edit] Debated numbers

The sources for the numbers used in this article are listed below.

Estimates for World War I casualty numbers vary to a great extent. The data listed here is from official sources, whenever available. Total military deaths are given as well as the figures of the killed or missing in action and died of wounds which are listed separately. Furthermore, estimates of civilian deaths may include part of the Russian Civil War and Armenian Genocide, and it is debated to which degree - or if at all - these events should be included.

Many of the civilian deaths were due to the outbreak of the Spanish flu or related to famine.

[edit] Casualties by country

Pie chart showing military deaths of the Allied Powers.

Pie chart showing military deaths of the Central Powers.

[edit] Table sources

Graves of French soldiers who died on the Ypres Salient, Ypres Necropole National, Ieper, Belgium.

The India Gate commemorates the Indian soldiers who died during World War I.

The main sources used for military and civilian deaths (unless stated otherwise in the footnotes below) are:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2005-2006 is the source of the military dead for the UK and Colonies, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa ,India. The war dead totals listed in the report are based on the research by the CWGC to identify and commemorate Commonwealth war dead. The totals include those killed or missing in action and died of wounds as well as deaths due to disease, accidents; deaths of prisoners of war, military deaths outside of combat theaters and war related deaths during 1919-1921. The report is available online at [6].

• Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War 1914-1920, The War Office March 1922 ^[11]-This report lists the deaths of 908,371 soldiers killed or missing in action; died of wounds; and POW deaths in the combat theaters from to 1914-18. The figures from the War Office report for the UK and Allied Dominion nations are listed in the footnotes^[11,237].The losses of Bulgaria and Portugal were also listed in the War Office report.^[11,352-354]
  

• Casualties and Medical Statistics, 1931,^[21] the final volume of the Official Medical History of the War, gives a breakout of British Empire Army losses by cause of death. Total losses in combat theaters from 1914-1918 were 876,084, which included 418,361 killed, 167,172 died of wounds , 113,173 died of disease or injury , 161,046 missing and presumed dead and 16,332 prisoner of war deaths . These losses were not broken out for the UK and each Allied Dominion.^[21,12].
  

• Huber M.,La Population de la France pendant la guerre, Paris 1931, ^[12]This study published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace lists official data for war related military deaths and missing of France and its colonies.

• Mortara, G. La Salute pubblica in Italia durante e dopo la Guerra, New Haven: Yale University Press 1925. ^[20] The official government Italian statistics on war dead are listed here. A brief summary of data from this report can be found online at -[7](go to Vol 13, No. 15).

• Urlanis, B. Wars and Population, Moscow 1971. Lists the military dead of Russia, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro.^[6,209]. Estimated combat related casualties; killed and missing in action or died of wounds are detailed for each nation. These figures are listed in the footnotes.^[6,85]

• Heeres-Sanitätsinspektion im Reichskriegsministeriums, Sanitätsbericht über das deutsche Heer, (Deutsches Feld- und Besatzungsheer), im Weltkriege 1914-1918, Volume 3, Sec. 1, Berlin 1934.^[8]- The official German Army medical war history listed German losses.

• Grebler, Leo- The Cost of the World War to Germany and Austria-Hungary, Yale University Press, 1940-This study published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace details the losses of Austria-Hungary and Germany in the war ^[17]

• Edward J. Erickson, Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War, Greenwood 2001. The data published here for casualties is from official Ottoman sources^[14,211]

• L. Hersch, La mortalité causée par la guerre mondiale, Metron- The International Review of Statistics, 1927, Vol 7. No 1. Detailed the demographic impact of the war on France, the UK, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Serbia, Romania and Greece.

The main source for military wounded (unless stated otherwise in the footnotes below) is:

• Tucker, Spencer C. The European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia, Garland Publishing, New York, 1996.^[4,172]

The source of population data is.

• Haythornthwaite, Philip J., The World War One Source Book Arms and Armour, 1993.

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Australia
   Included in total are 55,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85]-.
   The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2005-2006 is the source of total military dead.
   Totals include 2,005 military deaths during 1919-21^[15]-. The 1922 War Office report listed 59,330 Army war dead^[11,237].
2. ^ Belgium
   Official Belgian government figures for military losses were 26,338 killed, died of wounds or accidents; 14,029 died of disease or missing. Plus an additional 2,620 soldiers killed in the African campaign.^[28,100]
   The estimate by UK War Office in 1922 was 13,716 killed and 24,456 missing up until Nov.11, 1918. "These figures are approximate only, the records being incomplete." ^[11,352]. By US War Dept in 1919: 102,000 Battle Deaths^[25,139]
   Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 92,000, caused by food shortages and the Spanish Flu(30,000)^[23,59-62]Prof. John Horne estimates the deaths of 6,500 Belgian and French civilians killed in German reprisals[1]
3. ^ Canada
   Included in total are 53,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds.^[6,85]
   The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2005-2006 is the source of total military dead.
   Totals include 3,789 military deaths during 1919-21 and 150 Merchant Navy deaths^[15]-. The losses of Newfoundland are listed separately on this table. The 1922 War Office report listed 56,639 Army war dead^[11,237].
4. ^ France
   Included in total are 1,186,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
   The figures of total military dead are from a study published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in 1931^[12]- Totals include the deaths of 71,100 French colonial troops and war related military deaths of 28,600 from 11/11/18 to 6/1/1919.^[12,414]
   Other estimates of French casualties are as follows:
   By UK War Office in 1922, 1,385,300 dead and missing, including 58,000 colonial soldiers^[11,352]-
   By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths-1,385,000^[25,139]
   Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 500,000, caused by food shortages and the Spanish Flu(197,000)^[23,30-47], Civilian dead include 1,509 merchant sailors.^[12,314] and 3,357 killed in air attacks and long range artillery bombardments^[12,312-13]
5. ^ Greece
   Jean Bujac in a campaign history of the Greek Army in World War One listed 8,365 combat related deaths and 3,255 missing^[13,339], The Soviet researcher Boris Urlanis estimated total dead of 26,000 including 15,000 military deaths due disease^[6,160].
   Other estimates of Greek casualties are as follows:
   By UK War Office in 1922: Killed/died wounds 5,000; prisoners and missing 1,000^[11,353]-
   By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 7,000^[25]
   Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 150,000, caused by food shortages and the Spanish Flu^[23,80-81]
6. ^ India
   The British colony included present day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
   Included in total are 27,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
   The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2005-2006 is the source of total military dead.
   Totals include 15,069 military deaths during 1919-21 and 1,841 Merchant Navy dead^[15]. The 1922 War Office report listed 64,454 Army war dead(including 2,393 British solders serving with the Indian forces)^[11,237].
7. ^ Italy
   Included in total are 433,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85]
   Figures of total military dead are from a 1925 Italian report using official data^[20].
   Other estimates of Italian casualties are as follows:
   By UK War Office in 1922 Dead 460,000^[11,352]-
   By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 364,000 ^[25,139]
   Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 1,021,000 caused by food shortages and the Spanish Flu(432,000)^[23,52-59], civilian deaths included 1,107 in air and sea bombardment^[20,62-66].
8. ^ Japan
   War dead figure is from a 1991 history of the Japanese Army^[19,111]. However, Michael Clodfelter reported the official toll was put at 300 KIA and noted that "A more reliable count of total Japanese military deaths from all causes lists 1,344 fatalities."^[10,483].
9. ^ Montenegro
   Michael Clodfelter lists 3,000 battle deaths and 7,000 missing and POW.^[10,483]. However, the Yugoslav government in 1924 listed 13,325 military war dead from Montenegro ^[6,62-63].
10. ^ New Zealand
    Included in total are 14,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2005-2006 is the source of total military dead.
    Totals include 702 military deaths during 1919-21^[15]. The 1922 War Office report listed 16,711 Army war dead^[11,237].
11. ^ Newfoundland
    Newfoundland was a dominion at the time, and not part of Canada. The 1922 War Office report listed 1,204 Army war dead^[11,237]
12. ^ Portugal
    Figures reported by UK War Dept. include the following: killed and died of other causes up until Jan.1, 1920; 1,689 in France and 5,333 in Africa. Figures do not include an additional 12,318 listed as missing and POW^[11,354].
    Another estimate of Portuguese casualties was as follows: By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 2,000 ^[25,139]
    Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 220,000, caused by food shortages and the Spanish Flu^[23,61-65]
13. ^ Romania
    Included in total are 177,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The statistic of 250,000 military dead is "The figure reported by the Rumanian Government in reply to a questionnnaire from the International Labour Office"^[6,64].
    Other estimates of Romanian casualties are as follows:
    By UK War Office in 1922: 335,706 Killed and missing ^[11,353]-
    By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 100,000^[25,139]
    Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 430,000, caused by food shortages, epidemics and the Spanish Flu^[23,76-80]
14. ^ Russia
    Included in total are 1,451,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85]
    The estimate of total Russian military and civilian losses was made by the Soviet researcher Boris Urlanis.^[6,46-57].
    Other estimates of Russian casualties are as follows:
    By UK War Office in 1922: Killed 1,700,000^[11,353]-
    By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 1,700,000 ^[25,139]
    Civilian deaths from 1914-1917 exceeded the prewar level by 1,500,000 due to famine and disease ^[6,268]
15. ^ Serbia
    Included in total are 165,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The estimate of total combined Serbian and Montenegrin military losses of 278,000 was made by the Soviet researcher Boris Urlanis^[6,62-64]
    Other estimates of Serbian casualties are as follows:
    By Yugoslav government in 1924: Killed 365,164 ^[6,62-63].
    By UK War Office in 1922: Killed 45,000, missing 82,535^[11,353]-
    By US War Dept in 1919:(including Montenegro): Battle deaths: 125,000^[25,139]
    Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 450,000, due to food shortages, epidemics and the Spanish Flu^[23,65-76]
16. ^ South Africa
    Included in total are 5,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2005-2006 is the source of total military dead.
    Totals include 380 military deaths during 1919-21^[15]. The 1922 War Office report listed 7,121 Army war dead^[11,237].
17. ^ UK and Colonies
    Included in total are 624,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Annual Report 2005-2006 is the source of total military dead.
    Military dead total includes 34,663 deaths during 1919-21 and 13,632 Merchant Navy deaths^[15].
    The losses of Newfoundland are listed separately on this table.
    The 1922 War Office report listed 702,410 war dead for the UK^[11,237], 507 from "other colonies"^[11,237] and the Royal Navy (32,287)^[11,339]. Merchant Navy war dead of 14,661 were listed separately ^[11,339];
    The official "final and corrected" figures for British Army losses up until Sept. 30, 1919 were 573,507 Killed(including died from wounds and died of other causes); 99,868 missing and presumed dead; Total 673,375.^[27,PartIV]
    Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 292,000, due to food shortages and the Spanish Flu(183,577)^[23,47-61]
    The 1922 War Office report detailed the deaths of 1,260 civilians and 310 military personnel due to air and sea bombardment of the UK.^[11,674-678]. Losses at sea were 908 UK civilians and 63 fisherman killed by U-Boat attacks^[18,78]
18. ^ United States
    Official military war deaths listed by the US Dept. of Defense for the period ending Dec. 31, 1918 are 116,516; which includes 53,402 battle deaths and 63,114 other deaths.[2], The US Coast Guard lost an additional 192 dead ^[10,481].
    United States estimated civilian losses include 128 killed on the RMS Lusitania as well as 629 crewmen killed on merchant ships, details given at United States Merchant Marine website[3].
19. ^ Austria-Hungary
    Included in total are 900,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The figures of total estimated military dead are from a study published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in 1940, based on analysis of Austro-Hungarian War Dept. data.^[17,179]
    Other estimates of Austro-Hungarian casualties are as follows:
    By Austrian Ministry of Defense in 1938: Military dead 1,016,200^{[26, VII, Beilage 37]}
    By UK War Office in 1922: Dead 1,200,00^[11,357]-
    By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 800,000^[25,139]
    Civilian deaths are those in excess of the pre war level, the primary cause being famine and the Spanish flu.^[17,179]-
20. ^ Bulgaria
    Included in total are 62,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The data reported by the Bulgarian War Office was 48,917 killed, 13,198 died of wounds , 888 accidentally killed , 24,497 died of disease, "losses during the retreat from sickness and privations were much greater than the figures they possess".^[11,354].
    Another estimate of Bulgarian casualties was as follows: By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 100,000 ^[25,139]
    Civilian deaths exceeded the prewar level by 100,000 due to food shortages and the Spanish Flu ^[6,268].
21. ^ Germany
    Included in total are 1,796,000 killed or missing in action and died of wounds^[6,85].
    The official German medical war history lists the following confirmed military dead from all causes: Army 1,900,876, Navy 34,836 and Colonial troops 1,185. There were an additional estimated 100,000 missing and presumed dead. Total dead 2,036,897. ^[8,7-14]-
    Other estimates of German casualties are as follows:
    By UK War Office in 1922: Killed 1,808,545 exclusive of 14.000 African conscripts killed during the war.^[11,355]-
    By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 1,600,000^[25,139]
    Civilian deaths are those in excess of the pre war level, the primary cause being famine(424,000) and the Spanish flu(200,000).The figures of civilian war related deaths are from a study published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in 1940, based on analysis of German government data.^[17,78] 720 German civilians were killed by Allied air attacks ^[11,678].
22. ^ Ottoman Empire
    Total Ottoman losses were approximately 5 million, the Ottoman Empire suffered among the greatest number of casualties per capita of all combatants. Civilian losses were caused by famine, disease and the Armenian Genocide which resulted in the deaths of about 1.5 million Armenians^[22,77]
    Ottoman military casualties are from data in the Ottoman Archives that was published in Turkey in the World War by Ahmed Emin, Yale 1930. Military deaths include 305,085 killed or missing action and 466,759 deaths due to disease^[14,211]
    Other estimates of Ottoman military casualties are as follows:
    By UK War Office in 1922: Killed 50,000, died wounds 35,000, died of disease 240,000 ^[11,]-
    By US War Dept in 1919: Battle deaths 250,000^[25,139]
    Regarding civilian losses in the Ottoman Empire Edward J. Erikson [4]has noted “ To the military losses must be added the huge loss of life and productivity of the Muslim, Armenian and other Ottoman civilians killed or injured during the war” He also noted that “The empire’s productive Armenian population was largely gone”^[14,210-211]. -
23. ^ Norway
    Norway was neutral in the war but 1,892 Norwegian sailors died, mostly due to vessels torpedoed by German submarines. Norway lost about 50% of its merchant fleet, percentage-wise the highest loss of any nation's merchant fleet in WWI.[5]
24. ^ Total sum of existing numbers in the table (i.e. countries not included in table are excluded).

[edit] See also

[edit] Main article

World War I

[edit] Other

• Allies of World War I
• Thankful villages - villages in England and Wales which lost no men in World War I
• World War II casualties

[edit] References

• 1. ^ -Everett, Susanne, World War I-An Illustrated History, Bison Books, 1980 ISBN 0671069330
• 2. ^ -Nicolson, Colin, The Longman Companion to the First World War, Longman 2001, ISBN 0-582-28983-1
• 3. ^ -Bird, Will R., The Communication Trench, Anecdotes & Statistics from The Great War 1914-1918. CEF Books, Ottawa, 2000. ISBN 1896979092
• 4. ^ -Tucker, Spencer C. The European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia, Garland Publishing, New York, 1999, ISBN 0-8153-3351-X
• 5. ^ -Hirschfeld, Gerhard (Ed.), Enzyklopaedie Erster Weltkrieg, Paderborn, 2004, ISBN 3506739131 (esp. article "Kriegsverluste" by Ruediger Overmans P. 663-666)
• 6. ^ -Urlanis, Boris, Wars and Population, Moscow, 1971
• 7. ^ -Urlanis, Boris, Bilanz der Kriege, Berlin, 1965.
• 8. ^ -Heeres-Sanitaetsinspektion im Reichskriegsministeriums, Sanitaetsbericht über das deutsche Heer, (deutsches Feld- und Besatzungsheer), im Weltkriege 1914-1918, Volume 3, Sec 1. Berlin 1934.
• 9. ^ -Dumas, Samuel, Losses of Life Caused by War, Oxford 1923

World War I Portal

• 10. ^  Michael Clodfelter. Warfare and Armed Conflicts- A Statistical Reference to Casualty and Other Figures, 1500-2000. 2nd Ed. 2002 ISBN 0-7864-1204-6.
• 11. ^ -Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War 1914-1920, The War Office March 1922 -Reprinted by Naval & Military Press- ISBN 1847346812
• 12. ^ -"Huber M.,La Population de la France pendant la guerre, Paris 1931
• 13. ^ -"Bujac, Jean. Les campagnes de l'armèe Hellènique, 1918-1922, Paris, 1930
• 14. ^ -Edward J. Erickson, Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War, Greenwood 2001. ISBN 0313315167
• 15. ^ -The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register.[8]
• 16. ^ -Grey, Randal Chronicle of the First World War, Vol II: 1917-1921, Facts On File, 1991. ISBN 0816025959
• 17. ^ -Grebler, Leo- The Cost of the World War to Germany and Austria-Hungary, Yale University Press, 1940
• 18. ^ Gilbert,Martin-Atlas of World War I, Oxford UP, 1994. ISBN 0195210778
• 19. ^ Harries, Merion, Soldiers of the Sun-The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army,Random House, 1991 ISBN 0679753036
• 20. ^ Mortara, G. La Salute pubblica in Italia durante e dopo la Guerra, New Haven: Yale University Press 1925.
• 21. ^ Mitchell, T.J. Casualties and Medical Statistics of the Great War London 1931; Reprinted by Battery Press, 1997 ISBN 0898392632
• 22. ^ James L.Gelvin The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521852890
• 23. ^ L. Hersch, La mortalité causée par la guerre mondiale, Metron- The International Review of Statistics, 1927, Vol 7.
• 24. ^ -Ellis, John World War I-Databook, Aurum Press, 1993 ISBN 1854107666
• 25. ^ -Ayers, Leonard, The War With Germany- A Statistical Summary, US War Dept 1919.
• 26. ^ -Österreichischen Bundesministerium für Herrswesen, Österreich-Ungarns letzer Kreig, 1914-1918. Vol. 7, Vienna 1938.
• 27. ^ The Army Council. General Annual Report of the British Army 1912-1919. Parliamemtary Paper 1921, XX, Cmd.1193.
• 28. ^ l'Annuaire statistique de la Belgique et du Congo Belge 1915-1919. Bruxelles 1922.

[edit] External links

• World War I casualties - Casualties of World War I from "Trenches on the Web"
• World War I casualties - from Twentieth Century Atlas
• World War I casualties - Casualties of World War I from about.com
• World War I troop statistics - Troop Strength, Wounded, and Casualty Statistics