Studies have shown that conflict is inherent to human nature, hence it is no surprise that human history is plagued with countless conflicts and wars over issues ranging from religious differences to territorial disputes, politics, and ethnicity. Even though war is usually destructive and expensive, there have been few wars in history that have been particularly deadly in terms of both casualties and overall devastation. These Wars which have become known to be the deadliest wars in human history took countless millions of human lives and are widespread destruction in cities and countries around the world. So without any further ado, here are the 10 deadliest wars in human history.

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10. The Thirty Years’ War

As the names suggest the Thirty Years’ War is a 30-year war among European power in Central Europe. The conflict initially originated between Protestant and Catholic states from the disintegrating Holy Roman Empire. It however quickly spread in the years that followed to encompass much of the European continent.

The Thirty Years’ War grew to become one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Peace was eventually brokered with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, but an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle, famine, and disease caused by the war.

9. Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War was a conflict fought in China during the mid-Twentieth Century between Communist forces and the Republic of China. Occurring in two separate phases: 1927 – 1936 and 1946 -1950. The conflict erupted as the Kuomintang and communist forces both attempted to seize power, following the collapse of the Qing Dynasty.

The war ended with Communist control of mainland China, but an estimated 8 million people (both military personnel and civilians) died as a result of the War. Many of these deaths are often attributed to the mass atrocities and genocides perpetuated by both Communist and Kuomintang forces during the duration of the war.

8. Russian Civil War

The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war fought between 1917 and 1926 which involved both the Red Army (communist) and White Army (nationalist) forces. Following the collapse of the Russian Empire and the dissolution of Tsar Nicholas II’s power, Bolshevik forces led by Vladimir Lenin engaged nationalist troops for control of the former Russian Empire.

Although the Communist regime would emerge victorious, Approximately nine million had lost their lives, with several million more maimed or seriously wounded by the war. Millions more, not counted in the official death toll, are known to have perished from circumstances caused by the war (such as famine, epidemics, and starvation).

7. The Dungan Revolt

The Dungan Revolt also known as refers to a religious conflict between the Hui Minorities and the Qing Dynasty in Western China between 1862 to 1877. The revolt began as a result of the racial and religious discrimination perpetuated by the Qing Dynasty. The administration responded by carrying out reprisals and massacres against Hui Muslims.

The Hui Rebels were both outmatched by their adversaries, leading to a high degree of casualty. Based on China’s population figures and the chaotic situation on the ground in 1862 within the region, the death toll for the Dungan Revolt is estimated to be around 10 million people, with millions of other civilians, rebels, and soldiers wounded by the conflict.

6. World War I

The First World War, also known as the “Great War,” is no doubt one of the deadliest wars in history. The conflict originated in Europe on 28 July 1914 and lasted up till Nov 1918. Fighting occurred throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. Europe in particular faced devastation on a scale never before seen in history.

An estimated 9 million soldiers were killed in combat, plus another 23 million wounded. 9 million civilians died due to military action, hunger, and disease. Scholars attribute these tremendous death tolls to advances in technology; most notably, the arrival of the machine gun, chemical weapons, and the advent of airplanes.

5. Taiping Rebellion

The Taiping Rebellion refers to a civil war that took place in China between 1850 and 1864 between the Qing government and Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The uprising was led by Hong Xiuquan, an individual who believed he was the brother of Jesus Christ. Hong sought the conversion of the people to Christianity and topple the Qing Dynasty.

The conflict lasted from 1850 until the fall of Tianjing in 1864, although the last rebel army was not wiped out until August 1871. The conflict resulted in approximately 20 million deaths, taking its place as one of the deadliest wars in history. The established Qing government won decisively, although at a great price to its fiscal and political structure.

4. The Qing Conquest of the Ming Dynasty

The Qing Conquest of the Ming Dynasty, also known as the “Ming-Qing Transition” refers to a decades-long war between the Qing and Ming Dynasty that lasted from 1618 to 1683. The conquest began as a small rebellion in northeastern China by a group of rebels alongside the peasants against the ruling Ming Dynasty with the hope of achieving reform.

The Rebellion ultimately resulted in one of the deadliest wars in history, which led to the death of over 25 million people with millions of additional people maimed and scarred from the countless battles. Following the war, tens of thousands also perished due to military attacks and reprisals carried out against Ming loyalists.

3. Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War refers to the conflict between the Republic of China and the Japanese Empire between 1937 to 1945. The Japanese Empire seeking to expand its influence into the heart of Asia for resources and labor used the Marco Polo Bridge incident as an excuse to invade China, starting the largest Asian war in the 20th century.

The war is widely considered one of the deadliest wars in human history as Japanese forces raped, pillaged, and killed countless Chinese civilians and military personnel in their quest for victory, leading to the death of over 25 million Chinese civilians. Four to five million military personnel were killed on both the Chinese and Japanese sides.

2. An Lushan Rebellion

The An Lushan Rebellion was an eight-year civil war that occurred in Northern China from 755 – 763. The rebellion was a direct result of General An Lushan declaring himself emperor of Northern China in defiance of the established Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty in response hired 4,000 mercenaries to accompany their army in the battles that ensued.

Spanning the reign of three separate emperors, the war resulted in tremendous social, economic, and political upheaval within China. Destruction of crops and various food sources, alone, resulted in mass starvation and disease outbreak, leading to leading to the death of about 36 million people (Military and civilians included).

1. World War II

World War II was the global conflict that took place between 1930 to 1945. The war included the vast majority of the world’s countries, fighting as part of two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The two military alliances engaged in total war for nearly six years with devastating consequences in terms of both death and destruction.

World War II is by far the deadliest war in human history, resulting in an estimated 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, massacres, and disease. The War saw the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war.

Summary

The table below summarizes the 10 deadliest wars in human history and the number of casualties (death) that occurred as a result of the war.

Ranking	War	Casualties (Death)
1	World War II	85 Million
2	An Lushan Rebellion	36 Million
3	Second Sino-Japanese War	29 Million
4	The Qing Conquest of the Ming Dynasty	25 Million
5	Taiping Rebellion	20 Million
6	World War I	18 Million
7	The Dungan Revolt	10 Million
8	Russian Civil War	9 Million
9	Chinese Civil War	8 Million
10	The Thirty Years’ War	8 Million

Top 10 Deadliest Wars In Human History