War Dead
Sources:
Discussions about the dead in wars across different conflicts reveal various grave realities and significant impacts. Here are some key insights shared by experts in different podcast episodes:
Vietnam War
In the Vietnam War, both sides experienced substantial losses. Jocko Willink and James Webb highlight that the North Vietnamese admitted to losing 1.4 million soldiers, while the South Vietnamese lost about 250,000 soldiers, and the Americans lost 58,000 1. This underscores the sheer human cost of the conflict, complicated by guerrilla warfare and heavy artillery usage.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was extraordinarily deadly, with over half a million deaths, mostly from hand-to-hand combat. Jeremi Suri emphasizes that the deadliest day in American history occurred during this war at the Battle of Antietam, where over 22,000 died in a single day 2. Additionally, disease played a major role, accounting for 400,000 of the total deaths, far surpassing battlefield casualties 3.
World War I
World War I was another conflict with widespread devastation. Greg Jackson points out that battle deaths alone were around 7.5 million across all participating nations. This figure excludes millions more who died from disease, as well as civilians and mentally affected veterans, leading to the term "Lost Generation" 4.
These discussions highlight not only the enormous loss of life in different wars but also the varied causes and impacts on societies, long after the conflicts have ended.
RELATED QUESTIONS