American War Deaths

This may seem like a gruesome topic, but it can be useful to consider the relative size of the many wars the U.S. has been a part of. They vary enormously in size, scope, and duration. Where does World War I fit? See below (only major wars are included).

American Revolution:  @25,000

War of 1812:  @15,000

Mexican War:  13,283

Civil War:  @650,000

Spanish-Am. War:  2,446

Philippine War:  4,196

World War I:  116,516

World War II:  405,399

Korean War:  36,516

Vietnam War:  58,209

Afghanistan War:  4,419 (as of March 2020)

Iraq War:  4,497

The death toll in World War I is especially dramatic considering that American troops were in combat zones for only about a year in significant numbers. Just over half of those who died were felled by disease rather than by weapons, but the overwhelming majority would not have died unless they had been exposed to the crowded, disease-spreading conditions of the training camps and battlefront. In class, our coverage may have left you surprised that so many survived.