Military Casualties of World War Two
Estimates of the number of military casualties from World War Two vary significantly, mainly due to the fact that numerous Axis Powers have withheld their records and figures. Most estimates for the total military casualties between 1939 and 1945 range between 22 and 25 million, not taking into account the vast number of military troops from both sides who were injured in battle.
In fact, historians believe the number of people from China alone who were killed and injured could actually exceed 50 million. Of course, the Allied Powers are also responsible for many deaths during World War Two. Figures estimate that Germany lost more than five million troops during the war, with Japan suffering casualties of more than two million. Even without taking into account any disputed figures, World War Two is considered one of the largest conflicts in recorded history.
The numbers below are one set of estimates of the total war dead, but they are far from definitive.
Allied forces:
| Great Britain + Commonwealth | 452,000 |
| France | 250,000 |
| USA | 295,000 |
| USSR | 13,600,000 |
| Belgium | 10,000 |
| Holland | 10,000 |
| Norway | 10,000 |
| Poland | 120,000 |
| Greece | 20,000 |
| Yugoslavia | 300,000 |
| Czechoslovakia | 20,000 |
| China (from 1937 on) | 3,500,000 |
| Total | 18,587,000 |
Axis forces:
| Germany | 3,250,000 |
| Austria | 230,000 |
| Italy | 330,000 |
| Rumania | 200,000 |
| Hungary | 120,000 |
| Bulgaria | 10,000 |
| Finland | 90,000 |
| Japan | 1,700,000 |
| Total | 5,930,000 |
Total military casualties Allies + Axis forces = 24,517,000
Total civilian + military casualties (Allies + Axis) = 55,014,000
MLA Citation/Reference
"Military Casualties of World War Two". HistoryLearning.com. 2024. Web.