The war in numbers
Human losses, armies, battles and war production in figures. Many are disputed: where sources differ we show the range of estimates, and every chart lists its sources.
- Military deaths
- 8.5–11m
- People; killed, died of wounds and disease in all armies. US War Department (1924): 8.54 m; most often 9–10 m; Wikipedia: up to 11 m (ZPE: 8.4–11.8 m)
- Civilian deaths
- 5–13m
- People; incl. deaths from famine, disease, massacres and the Armenian genocide, excl. the 1918 influenza pandemic. AFP: 5–10 m; Wikipedia: 6–13 m; USHMM: up to 13 m
- Men mobilised in all armies
- 65–70m
- People; total over the whole war. US War Department (1924): 65 m in the 16 main belligerents; AFP: c. 70 m
- Days of war
- 1,568
- From Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia, 28 Jul 1914, to the Armistice of Compiègne, 11 Nov 1918, inclusive (computed: 1,567 days apart + 1)
Deaths
The first war to kill soldiers by the million.
Military deaths by country
Soldiers killed in action, died of wounds, of disease and in captivity, and missing presumed dead, 1914–1918 (British Empire and US per official tallies that also cover the first post-war years); civilians excluded. British Empire including the Dominions, India and the colonies. The range is the spread of serious estimates: the low end is usually the 1920s tallies (e.g. the US War Department's of 1924), the high end later official histories and research (Urlanis, Krivosheev, Erickson).
low estimaterange of estimates
- Russia1.7–2.3m
- Germany1.8–2m
- Austria-Hungary1.1–1.5m
- France1.4–1.4m
- British Empire908k–1.1m
- Ottoman Empire325–772k
- Italy460–651k
- Serbia128–450k
- Romania250–336k
- United States117–117k
- Bulgaria88–102k
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia1918 data and US War Department: 1.7 m; Urlanis: 1.81 m; Krivosheev: 2.25 m (incl. missing presumed dead) | 1,700,000 | 2,254,369 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com · zpe.gov.pl |
| GermanyUS War Department (1924): 1.77 m; German official history (1934): 2.04 m | 1,773,700 | 2,037,000 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com · zpe.gov.pl |
| Austria-HungaryUrlanis: 1.1 m; US War Department: 1.2 m; Austrian official history: 1.49 m, incl. 478,000 died as POWs | 1,100,000 | 1,494,200 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com · zpe.gov.pl |
| France1919 government report: 1.36 m army dead and missing to 11 Nov 1918; 1.40 m with the navy and post-armistice deaths from wounds; incl. colonial troops | 1,357,800 | 1,397,800 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com |
| British EmpireWar Office (1922): 908,000 in the land forces; the CWGC commemorates over 1.1 m Commonwealth dead (incl. navy, to 1921); British Isles alone: c. 744,000 | 908,371 | 1,100,000 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com · gov.uk |
| Ottoman EmpireOttoman statistics of 1922: 325,000; Erickson (from the archives): 772,000, incl. 467,000 died of disease | 325,000 | 771,844 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com |
| ItalyWar Office: 460,000; Italian government: 651,000, incl. invalids who died up to April 1920 | 460,000 | 651,000 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com · zpe.gov.pl |
| SerbiaEllis & Cox: 127,500; Urlanis: 278,000 (with Montenegro); Serbian estimates: up to 450,000. The 45,000 of the 1924 tallies is regarded as far too low | 127,500 | 450,000 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com |
| RomaniaRomanian government (1924): 250,000; US War Department and War Office: 336,000 | 250,000 | 335,706 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com |
| United StatesDepartment of Defense: 116,500, incl. 53,400 battle deaths and 63,100 other deaths | 116,516 | 116,708 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com |
| BulgariaBulgarian War Office: 87,500; Ellis & Cox: 102,000 | 87,500 | 101,950 | en.wikipedia.org · necrometrics.com |
Deaths as a share of the pre-war population
Military and civilian dead (incl. deaths from war-induced famine and disease and, in the Ottoman Empire, the Armenian genocide) as a share of the 1914 population within 1914 borders. Population base in the Wikipedia table: Germany 64.9 m, Austria-Hungary 51.4 m, UK 45.4 m, France 39.6 m, Italy 35.6 m, Ottoman Empire 21.3 m, Romania 7.5 m, Greece 4.8 m, Serbia 4.5 m, Bulgaria 5.5 m. The range is the spread between that table and the Centre européen Robert Schuman data, which differ in civilian death totals. Only countries for which both sources give the share.
low estimaterange of estimates
- Serbia16.1–27.8%
- Ottoman Empire13.3–15.4%
- Romania7.7–9.1%
- France4.3–4.4%
- Germany3.4–4.3%
- Austria-Hungary3–4%
- Greece3.2–3.7%
- Italy3–3.7%
- Bulgaria3.4%
- United Kingdom1.9–2.2%
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serbia750,000 to 1.25 m dead; the high end is the Serbian estimate | 16.1 | 27.8 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com · interactive.guim.co.uk |
| Ottoman EmpireIncl. victims of the Armenian genocide | 13.3 | 15.4 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| Romania | 7.7 | 9.1 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| France | 4.3 | 4.4 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| GermanySpread depends on the blockade death toll (0.3–0.76 m) | 3.4 | 4.3 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| Austria-Hungary | 3 | 4 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| Greece | 3.2 | 3.7 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| Italy | 3 | 3.7 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| Bulgaria | 3.4 | 3.4 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
| United KingdomIn the Wikipedia table incl. colonies, excl. Dominions and India | 1.9 | 2.2 | en.wikipedia.org · mapasmilhaud.com |
Poles
Poles fought in the armies of all three partitioning powers, often on opposite sides of the front.
Poles under arms, 1914–1918
The partitioning-power rows count Poles called up over the whole war (not strength at one moment); the Polish-formation rows give the total number of volunteers or the peak strength, as stated for each. Rows are not additive: the first is the total, and many soldiers passed from the partitioning armies (and from POW camps) into the Polish formations. The range is the spread of estimates in the sources; the partitioning-army figures are very rough, as none of these armies counted soldiers by nationality.
low estimaterange of estimates
- Total in the partitioning powers' armies2.9–3.4m
- Russian army1.2–2m
- Austro-Hungarian army1.4–1.5m
- German army800–850k
- Polish Army in France (Blue Army)17–70k
- Polish Legions30–40k
- I Polish Corps in Russia24–29k
- II Polish Corps in Russia6,918–7,000
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total in the partitioning powers' armiesWrzosek (after S. Dąbrowski): at least 2.9 m; 'Zarys dziejów Polski' (ed. J. Tazbir): 3.4 m; Museum of Polish History: over 3 m | 2,900,000 | 3,400,000 | dzieje.pl · repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl · dzieje.pl · forsal.pl |
| Russian armyTazbir: 1.2 m; Museum of Polish History: c. 2 m; in spring 1917 c. 500 k Poles were serving in it, per Wrzosek | 1,200,000 | 2,000,000 | dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl · en.wikipedia.org · repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl |
| Austro-Hungarian armyTazbir: 1.4 m; Museum of Polish History: almost 1.5 m | 1,400,000 | 1,500,000 | dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| German armyTazbir: 800 k; Museum of Polish History: 850 k (on both fronts); English Wikipedia gives an unsourced 700 k | 800,000 | 850,000 | dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| Polish Army in France (Blue Army)17 k in November 1918 (Wrzosek, Museum of Polish History); 68,433 soldiers were shipped home in 1919 (Wrzosek), c. 70 k by most estimates; most joined after the Armistice, including c. 25 k POWs from Italy | 17,000 | 70,000 | repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl · dzieje.pl · pl.wikipedia.org |
| Polish LegionsEveryone who passed through the Legions: Museum of Polish History 30 k; dzieje.pl 35–40 k; Wrzosek over 40 k; peak strength in autumn 1915 over 25 k (Wrzosek) | 30,000 | 40,000 | dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl · repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl |
| I Polish Corps in RussiaPeak strength: c. 29 k in mid-January 1918 (Wrzosek: 'no more than 29 k'); halved in the fighting with the Bolsheviks, 23,661 men in May 1918 (Bagiński) | 23,661 | 29,000 | repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl · pl.wikipedia.org |
| II Polish Corps in RussiaBefore Kaniów: 651 officers and 6,267 other ranks (strength on 1 May 1918, Wrzosek after the Central Military Archives); over 7 k in March 1918, incl. c. 1.5 k from the Legions' II Brigade | 6,918 | 7,000 | repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl · pl.wikipedia.org |
Losses of Poles and the Polish lands, 1914–1918
Poles in all armies and the population of the Polish lands (Russian, Austrian and Prussian partitions). Rows are not additive: killed and wounded are soldiers, then refugees and deportees (incl. a subset: Poles among the bieżeńcy). All figures are estimates, often heavily rounded; the range is the spread of estimates in the sources. Civilian deaths are not shown: we found no two independent estimates.
low estimaterange of estimates
- Soldiers killed, died or missing (all armies)385–530k
- Wounded soldiers900k–1m
- Refugees and deportees into Russia (1915, all nationalities)2–3.5m
- of whom Poles1–1.2m
- Refugees and evacuees from Galicia (1914–1915)900k–1m
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldiers killed, died or missing (all armies)Nałęcz: 385 k; Museum of Polish History and Zamoyski: c. 450 k; Wrzosek: c. 530 k (Austro-Hungarian army over 220 k, Russian c. 200 k, German over 110 k); Chwalba: 350–400 k killed and died of wounds, excluding disease | 385,000 | 530,000 | dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl · forsal.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| Wounded soldiersZamoyski: c. 900 k; Bideleux and Jeffries: c. 1 m | 900,000 | 1,000,000 | rp.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| Refugees and deportees into Russia (1915, all nationalities)From Congress Poland and the western provinces, mostly Orthodox peasants: A. Prymaka-Oniszk up to 2 m from the Polish lands; Chwalba 3.5 m from Congress Poland and the Russian partition; some researchers up to 5 m | 2,000,000 | 3,500,000 | dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl |
| of whom PolesChwalba: c. a third of 3.5 m; PAP (after D. Sula and A. Walaszek): c. a million exiles and prisoners, 'a very rough estimate'; Kruszyński: c. a million Poles from Congress Poland and Galicia | 1,000,000 | 1,200,000 | dzieje.pl · dzieje.pl · ceeol.com |
| Refugees and evacuees from Galicia (1914–1915)Into the Habsburg interior, Poles, Jews and Ruthenians: Chwalba c. 900 k; K. Ruszała: just under a million in four waves | 900,000 | 1,000,000 | dzieje.pl · ceureviewofbooks.com |
Armies and battles
How many were called up – and what the greatest battles cost.
Men mobilised by country
All men called into the armed forces in 1914–1918 (not the strength at any one time). Low values are usually the US War Department figures of 1924, high values the governments' replies to the International Labour Office questionnaire (1924) or later estimates; the range is the spread of these sources. British Empire incl. the Dominions and India.
low estimaterange of estimates
- Russia12–15m
- Germany11–13m
- Austria-Hungary7.8–9m
- British Empire8.9m
- France7.9–8.4m
- Italy5.6m
- United States4.3–4.4m
- Ottoman Empire2.9m
- Bulgaria1.2m
- Serbia707k–1m
- Romania750k–1m
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RussiaUS War Dept.: 12 m; ILO: 15.07 m; Krivosheev: 15.38 m (ZPE: 15.8 m) | 12,000,000 | 15,378,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · zpe.gov.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| GermanyUS War Dept.: 11 m; German government to the ILO: 13.25 m (AFP: 13 m, ZPE: 14 m) | 11,000,000 | 13,250,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · rte.ie · zpe.gov.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| Austria-HungaryUS War Dept.: 7.8 m; Austrian government to the ILO: 9 m (also AFP and ZPE) | 7,800,000 | 9,000,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · rte.ie · zpe.gov.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| British EmpireIncl. the Dominions and India; Great Britain alone c. 5.7 m (ZPE) | 8,904,467 | 8,904,467 | libraryofsocialscience.com · spartacus-educational.com · rte.ie |
| FranceILO: 7.94 m; US War Dept.: 8.41 m (AFP and ZPE: 8 m) | 7,935,000 | 8,410,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · zpe.gov.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| ItalyUS War Dept. and ILO agree | 5,615,000 | 5,615,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · zpe.gov.pl · en.wikipedia.org |
| United StatesUS government to the ILO: 4.27 m; US War Dept.: 4.36 m | 4,272,521 | 4,355,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · spartacus-educational.com · en.wikipedia.org |
| Ottoman EmpireUS War Dept. and the Ottoman official statistics of 1922 agree | 2,850,000 | 2,850,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · spartacus-educational.com · en.wikipedia.org |
| BulgariaUS War Dept.; the Bulgarian government reported only 400 k to the ILO | 1,200,000 | 1,200,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · spartacus-educational.com · en.wikipedia.org |
| SerbiaUS War Dept.: 707 k; Yugoslav government to the ILO: 1.01 m | 707,343 | 1,008,240 | libraryofsocialscience.com · spartacus-educational.com · en.wikipedia.org |
| RomaniaUS War Dept.: 750 k; ILO: 1 m | 750,000 | 1,000,000 | libraryofsocialscience.com · spartacus-educational.com · en.wikipedia.org |
The costliest battles and campaigns
Casualties of both sides combined: killed, wounded, missing and taken prisoner (sick excluded unless noted). Each side's figure comes from different works, often covering slightly different periods, so the totals are approximate. The range is the spread of serious estimates in the cited sources; outliers rejected by most historians are mentioned in the row notes. The Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo (Caporetto) is shown separately, and the "Battles of the Isonzo" row covers the first to the eleventh battle.
low estimaterange of estimates
- Brusilov offensive2–2.9m
- German spring offensive 19181.6–1.7m
- Battle of the Somme1.1–1.2m
- Battles of the Isonzo I–XI1.1–1.1m
- Battle of Verdun712–755k
- Gallipoli campaign475–589k
- First Battle of the Marne500–561k
- Third Battle of Ypres457–560k
- Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo (Caporetto)375–388k
- Meuse–Argonne offensive287–318k
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brusilov offensiveJune–September 1916; Russians c. 1–1.44 m, Central Powers c. 0.95–1.5 m; Russian archival data for the first six weeks only: c. 0.5 m Russian casualties | 1,950,000 | 2,940,000 | historyofwar.org · mentalfloss.com · en.wikipedia.org · pl.wikipedia.org |
| German spring offensive 191821 March – 18 July 1918; Allies c. 863 k (Churchill), Germans 688 k (Reichsarchiv via Churchill) to c. 800 k | 1,550,000 | 1,660,000 | vimyridge.valourcanada.ca · en.wikipedia.org · pl.wikipedia.org |
| Battle of the SommeBritish Empire c. 420 k, French c. 200 k, Germans c. 450–600 k; Miles (1938) gave 660–680 k for the Germans | 1,070,000 | 1,225,000 | nam.ac.uk · en.wikipedia.org |
| Battles of the Isonzo I–XIJune 1915 – September 1917, without Caporetto; Italians c. 645 k, Austria-Hungary c. 450–500 k; with the Twelfth Battle c. 1.5 m in all | 1,095,000 | 1,146,000 | warhistoryonline.com · en.wikipedia.org |
| Battle of Verdun21 February – December 1916; French c. 377–400 k, Germans c. 333–355 k; the most cited total is 714 k (Heer and Naumann) | 712,000 | 755,000 | memorial-verdun.fr · en.wikipedia.org · pl.wikipedia.org |
| Gallipoli campaignApril 1915 – January 1916; Allies over 220–300 k, Ottomans c. 255–289 k; some figures include evacuated sick | 475,000 | 589,000 | nam.ac.uk · en.wikipedia.org |
| First Battle of the MarneSeptember 1914; French c. 250 k, Germans c. 250–298 k, British c. 13 k | 500,000 | 561,000 | historycrunch.com · worldatlas.com · en.wikipedia.org |
| Third Battle of YpresJuly–November 1917; British Empire c. 240–300 k, Germans c. 217–260 k; higher estimates (Wolff, Edmonds) are rejected | 457,000 | 560,000 | nam.ac.uk · en.wikipedia.org |
| Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo (Caporetto)October–November 1917; Italians 10–13 k killed, 30 k wounded and 265–275 k prisoners, Central Powers c. 70 k | 375,000 | 388,000 | worldatlas.com · en.wikipedia.org |
| Meuse–Argonne offensive26 September – 11 November 1918; Americans 117–122 k, French c. 70 k, Germans 100–126 k | 287,000 | 318,000 | historyofwar.org · en.wikipedia.org |
Verdun and the Somme: casualties by army
Killed, wounded, missing and taken prisoner in 1916: Verdun from 21 February to December, the Somme from 1 July to 18 November. British Empire means the British Army with Dominion and Indian troops. The range is the spread of estimates in the cited sources; German losses on the Somme are the most disputed.
low estimaterange of estimates
- Somme – Germany450–600k
- Somme – British Empire420k
- Verdun – France377–400k
- Verdun – Germany333–355k
- Somme – France194–204k
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somme – GermanyNAM: at least 450 k; Harris: c. 500 k; Sheffield: c. 600 k; Miles (1938): 660–680 k, considered too high | 450,000 | 600,000 | nam.ac.uk · en.wikipedia.org |
| Somme – British EmpireBritish official history (Miles): 419,654 | 420,000 | 420,000 | nam.ac.uk · en.wikipedia.org |
| Verdun – FranceHeer and Naumann: 377,231; Mémorial de Verdun: 163 k dead and 216 k wounded | 377,000 | 400,000 | memorial-verdun.fr · en.wikipedia.org |
| Verdun – GermanyHeer and Naumann: 337 k; Mémorial de Verdun: 143 k dead and 190 k wounded | 333,000 | 355,000 | memorial-verdun.fr · en.wikipedia.org |
| Somme – FranceEdmonds: 194,451; Wendt: 202,567; Miles: 204,253 | 194,000 | 204,000 | nam.ac.uk · en.wikipedia.org |
The sea and production
The submarine war and the war of factories.
German U-boats 1914–1918
Submarines of the Imperial German Navy (U, UB, UC and UA types), excluding Austro-Hungarian boats and boats completed after the armistice. Sources count differently: some only operational boats, others every boat commissioned, and some include in the losses the boats scuttled in the Adriatic and Flanders in autumn 1918 and accidents, others do not. The range is the spread of figures in the cited sources.
low estimaterange of estimates
- In service 1914–1918351–375
- Lost to all causes202–217
- Sunk by the enemy178
- In service at the armistice134
- In service in August 191420–24
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In service 1914–1918Incl. pre-war boats. Clodfelter: 351 operational boats (24 in 1914 + 327 commissioned during the war); historycrunch: 373 built; uboat.net: 375 | 351 | 375 | en.wikipedia.org · uboat.net · historycrunch.com |
| Lost to all causesuboat.net: 202 (incl. boats scuttled when Pola, Cattaro and Flanders were evacuated); Clodfelter: 217 (178 in action and 39 other losses) | 202 | 217 | uboat.net · en.wikipedia.org |
| Sunk by the enemyPer Clodfelter, 41 by mines, 30 by depth charges and 13 by Q-ships; about 5,000 crewmen were killed | 178 | 178 | en.wikipedia.org · worldhistory.org · historyhit.com · historycrunch.com |
| In service at the armisticeStrength at the end of 1918 per Clodfelter | 134 | 134 | en.wikipedia.org · historyhit.com |
| In service in August 1914World History Encyclopedia: 20 operational boats; Clodfelter: 24 | 20 | 24 | worldhistory.org · en.wikipedia.org |
Aircraft production 1914–1918
Aircraft built in each country while it was at war (Italy from 1915, Russia to 1917, the USA as marked), all types: combat, reconnaissance and trainers. United Kingdom without the Dominions. Tallies differ in whether they count only airframes accepted by the military and in how they treat 1914 and late 1918; the range is the spread of figures in the cited sources.
low estimaterange of estimates
- France52–68k
- United Kingdom52–58k
- Germany48–49k
- Italy18–20k
- United States15–16k
- Austria-Hungary5,180–5,431
- Russia4,700–5,000
Table and sources
| from | to | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FranceFrench Wikipedia: 52,000 aircraft and 90,000 engines; The Aerodrome: 67,987 | 52,000 | 67,987 | fr.wikipedia.org · theaerodrome.com |
| United KingdomImperial War Museum (via Wikipedia): 52,000; The Aerodrome: 58,144 | 52,000 | 58,144 | en.wikipedia.org · theaerodrome.com |
| GermanyDeutsches Historisches Museum: over 47,000 from 35 firms; German Wikipedia: 47,637 and 40,449 engines; The Aerodrome: 48,537 | 47,637 | 48,537 | dhm.de · de.wikipedia.org · theaerodrome.com |
| Italy1915–1918; Wikipedia: about 18,000 in three years of war (article on Austro-Hungarian aviation) and 20,000 (article on Italian aviation); The Aerodrome: 20,000 | 18,000 | 20,000 | theaerodrome.com · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org |
| United StatesThe Aerodrome: 15,000; Assembly Magazine: 2,148 in 1917 and 14,020 in 1918 (16,168 together, full calendar years) | 15,000 | 16,168 | theaerodrome.com · assemblymag.com |
| Austria-HungaryWikipedia: 5,180 in four years of war (elsewhere about 5,430); The Aerodrome: 5,431 | 5,180 | 5,431 | en.wikipedia.org · theaerodrome.com |
| Russia1914–1917; The Aerodrome: 4,700; Wikipedia: about 5,000 aircraft and 4,000 engines | 4,700 | 5,000 | theaerodrome.com · en.wikipedia.org |