World War I completely changed the world. The post-war division of the world caused a significant weakening or disintegration of the strongest empires, all trade ties were disrupted, the development of national capitalism and the anti-war movements of the working people accelerated. And in Russia, active hostilities on the world stage coincided with the fall of the monarchy and the establishment of Bolshevik power.
But the outcome of the world war was not only geopolitical and economic. The fighting directly or indirectly affected the majority of the civilian population of the participating countries, destroyed families, deprived many families of shelter, rendered healthy men disabled, women unhappy widows, and children orphans. The losses in World War I were not comparable with the victims of conflicts that occurred earlier.
Parties to the conflict
The beginning of the First World War was the killing of ex-Duke Franz Ferdinand by the Serbian terrorist Gavrila Princip. How did it happen that just this crime a few years later caused the calculation of how many people died in the First World War? In fact, the war could have begun ten years before this event.
Germany has long felt left out in the colonial division of the world. The power tried to unite now with Great Britain against France, then with France against Great Britain, but the British leadership had good relations with the French, and Russia was in France's sphere of interests. Germany had no choice but to make an alliance with the Ottoman Empire, Italy and Austria-Hungary.
After the incident with Morocco, nationalist sentiment swept across Europe. All countries have been building up military capabilities for several years. All that was needed was for the war machine to come into action. It was this reason that the Serbian student Gavrilo Principle gave.
The first war in Serbia was declared by Austria-Hungary, a few days later Germany made the same attack on the side of Russia, France and Belgium. Great Britain declared war on Germany, Montenegro - Austria-Hungary, Austria-Hungary - Russia. The events of the First World War (table - see below) began to develop rapidly.
Two enemy camps formed before the start of active hostilities. Russia sided with the Entente. Also, the union included France, the USA (only in 1917-1918), Serbia, Great Britain and the dominions, Italy (since 1915). Opponents were the Central Powers (they were also called the Triple Alliance, later - the Fourth Union): Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria (since 1915).
Human powers
How many people died in the First World War? Monstrously much, especially if you do not count the soldiers who were mobilized. In percentage terms, the losses look almost the same as in other conflicts. Such a huge number of victims seems only because a lot more people participated in the war than in previous wars.
Entente forces amounted to more than 45 million soldiers. The population of the member countries of the union at the same time totaled 1.315 million people. For allied countries, mobilization resources (from among men of draft age or total population) are:
- The Russian Empire mobilized 15.3 million soldiers;
- France - 6.8 million men;
- Great Britain - almost five million males and draftees;
- Italy - nearly six million men of military age;
- Greece - 353 thousand soldiers;
- USA - 4.7 million soldiers (just over two million soldiers were sent to Europe);
- Belgium - 500 thousand men of military age;
- Romania - 1.2 million people;
- Serbia - more than 700 thousand;
- Portugal - 53 thousand soldiers;
- India (as the dominion of the British Empire) - 1.4 million people;
- The Japanese Empire - 30 thousand people;
- Canada - more than 600 thousand men of military age;
- Australia - 412 thousand.
How many people died in the First World War of them? More than five and a half million people are dead. The table of events of the First World War clearly confirms this.
The forces of the Triple Alliance were represented by almost 26 million people (almost two times less than at the disposal of the Entente). Most of the soldiers mobilized the German Empire (13.2 million of 16 million men of draft age), less - Austria-Hungary (9 million of 12 million males of draft age). The Ottoman Empire sent almost three million people out of five and a half to the front. Least of all soldiers mobilized Bulgaria - almost seven hundred thousand of more than a million men.
Total losses of participants
The archive of those killed in World War I has ten million names of soldiers on both sides. More than eighteen thousand were wounded, 8.5 million were captured. Among civilians, almost eleven and a half thousand people are considered dead. So how many people died in the First World War, counting soldiers, officers, and civilians? More than twenty million people lost their lives during hostilities.
Russia in the First World War
Losses in the First World War of the Russian Empire amounted to more than 1.5 million soldiers. All these people were killed in battle or died during the sanitary evacuation. On average, 12% of the soldiers died, and 17% of the officers were killed in WWI. Almost four million Russian soldiers were wounded, 3.3 million were captured. Among civilians, more than a million people died.
Allied losses
The Entente’s losses, together with the Russian Empire, amounted to 5.6 million soldiers and almost eight million civilians, almost 13.5 million people. France lost 1.3 million soldiers, Great Britain - 702 thousand, Italy - 462 thousand, Greece - 26.6 thousand, USA - 116 thousand, Belgium - 58.6 thousand, Romania - 219 thousand, Serbia - 127 thousand, Portugal - 7 , 2 thousand, British India - 64.4 thousand, the Japanese Empire - 415 people (out of thirty thousand mobilized), Canada - 56.6 thousand.
Losses of Central States
The Triple (Four) Union lost 4.4 million soldiers and 3.4 million civilians in the war. In the German Empire, a little more than two million people were considered dead, in the Ottoman Empire - 763 thousand, Bulgaria lost 155 thousand, and Austria-Hungary - almost 1.5 million soldiers.