THE DEADLIEST WARS IN HUMAN HISTORY WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET HAPPENED

BIAFRAN WAR

(DEATH TOLL: 1 MILLION)

Also known as the Nigerian Civil War, the Biafran War (July

1967 – January 1970) was a war fought to counter the 

secession of Biafra, a secessionist state in Nigeria. The

conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural

and religious tensions which preceded Britain’s formal

decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Most of the

people who lost their lives in the war died from

starvation and various diseases.

JAPANESE INVASION OF KOREA

(DEATH TOLL: 1 MILLION)

Fought between 1592 and 1598, the Japanese invasions of

Korea comprised two separate yet linked operations: the

initial invasion in 1592 and the second invasion in 1597 that

followed after a brief truce. The conflict ended in 1598 with the

withdrawal of the Japanese forces, leaving about 1 million

casualties on the Korean side (Japanese casualties are unknown).

IRAN–IRAQ WAR

(DEATH TOLL: 1 MILLION)

The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and

Iraq lasting from 1980 to 1988, making it the 20th century’s

longest conventional war. The war began when Iraq invaded

Iran via air and land on 22 September 1980 and it ended with a

stalemate on 20 August 1988. In terms of the tactics used,

the conflict has been compared to World War I as it included

large-scale trench warfare, manned machine-gun posts,

bayonet charges, human wave attacks across a no-man’s

land and extensive use of chemical weapons.

SIEGE OF JERUSALEM

(DEATH TOLL: 1.1 MILLION)

The oldest conflict on the list (it took place in 73 AD), the Siege of

Jerusalem was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War.

The Roman army besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem,

which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders. The siege

ended with the sacking of the city and the destruction of its

famous Second Temple. According to historian Josephus, 1.1

million civilians died during the siege, mainly as a result of

violence and famine.

KOREAN WAR

(DEATH TOLL: 1.2 MILLION)

Fought from June 1950 to July 1953, the Korean War was a

major armed conflict that started when North Korea invaded 

South Korea. The United Nations, with US as the principal force,

came to the aid of South Korea while China and the 

Soviet Union supported North Korea. The fighting ended

after an armistice was signed. The agreement created the 

Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate the Koreas and allowed

the return of prisoners. However, no peace treaty has been

signed and the two Koreas are technically still at war.

MEXICAN REVOLUTION

(DEATH TOLL: 1 – 2 MILLION)

Lasting from 1910 to 1920, the Mexican Revolution was a

major armed struggle that radically transformed Mexican

culture and government. Out of the population of 15 million,

the losses were high but numerical estimates vary greatly.

Perhaps 1.5 million people died in the revolt and nearly

200,000 refugees fled abroad. The Mexican Revolution is

often categorized as the most important socio-political

event in Mexico and one of the greatest upheavals of

the 20th century.

SHAKA´S CONQUEST

(DEATH TOLL: 2 MILLION)

Shaka´s Conquest is a term used for a series of massive

and violent conquests in Southern Africa led by Skaha, a

prominent monarch of the Zulu Kingdom. In the first half

of the 19^thcentury, Shaka was in charge of a large army that

invaded and plundered a number of regions in Southern

Africa, dispossessing tribe after tribe in a deadly cycle of

fight and conquest. It is estimated that up to 2 million

tribal people fell victim to the ravaging spree.

GOGURYEO–SUI WAR

(DEATH TOLL: 2 MILLION)

Another violent conflict declared on Korea, the Goguryeo–Sui War

was a series of campaigns launched by the Sui dynasty of China 

against Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, between

AD 598 and AD 614. The war (that was eventually won by the

Koreans) caused the death of 2 million people but the total

death toll was probably much higher as the number does

not include Korean and civilian casualties.

FRENCH WARS OF RELIGION

(DEATH TOLL: 2 – 4 MILLION)

Also known as the Huguenot Wars, the French Wars of

Religion (fought between 1562 and 1598) is the name of a

period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily

fought between French Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots).

The exact number of wars and their respective dates are

still debated by historians but it is estimated that up to

4 million people died as a result of the war, famine and

war-related diseases.