![]() ![]() Not only was the scale of the conflict larger than any that had come before, but the nature of and reasoning behind this loss make the Second World War stand out as one of the most devastating and cruelest conflicts in history.Īlthough the war is considered by many to be the defining event of the 20 th century, exact figures for death tolls have proven impossible to determine, for a variety of reasons. In this regard, Nazi activities alone resulted in 17 million deaths, including six million Jews in what is now known as The Holocaust. Systematic genocide, extermination campaigns, and forced labor, particularly by the Germans, Japanese, and Soviets, led to the deaths of millions. It is believed that 60 to 67 percent of all deaths were civilian fatalities, largely resulting from war-related famine or disease, and war crimes or atrocities. In contrast, 15 to 20 percent were among the Axis powers, and the majority of these were military deaths, as shown in the death ratios of Germany and Japan. Over 80 percent of all deaths were of those from Allied countries, and the majority of these were civilians. China then suffered the second greatest, at around 20 million, although these figures are less certain and often overlap with the Chinese Civil War. The Soviet Union suffered the highest number of fatalities of any single nation, with estimates mostly falling between 22 and 27 million deaths. Estimates for the total death count of the Second World War generally range somewhere between 70 and 85 million people.
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