Lest we forget

As we remember those who died in service, it is worth recalling how massive the death tolls have been in the last 100 years, but also how thankfully they have been much less in later decades.

• 1914 – 1918 WWI – 17 million killed
• 1917 – 1921 Russian Civil War – 6.7 million killed
• 1927 – 1949 Chinese Civil War – 8 million killed
• 1936 – 1939 Spanish Civil War – 700k killed
• 1939 – 1945 WWII – 60 million killed
• 1950 – 1953 Korean War – 1.3 million killed
• 1954 – 1962 Algerian War – 700k killed
• 1955 – 1975 Vietnam War – 1.5 million killed
• 1966 – 1970 Nigerian Civil War – 1.7 million killed
• 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War 300k killed
• 1980 – 1988 Iran-Iraq War – 600k killed
• 1983 – 2005 Second Sudanese Civil War – 1.4 million killed
• 1998 – 2003 Second Congo War – 3.6 million killed
• 1979 – 2000 Afghanistan War – 2.6 million killed
• 2001 – 2013 War on Terror – 600k killed

WWI saw 42% of New Zealand men (of fighting age) serving in the NZ Forces. 103,000 served, 17,000 died and 41,000 were wounded.