10 Deadliest Wars In History

1. World War II (Worldwide, 1939-1945): 40 Million-85 Million Deaths

No surprises that the conflict which tops the list is World War II - a six-year global war that claimed the lives of between 40million and 85million people between 1939 and 1945. Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany provoked the Allied Powers of Britain and France (and latterly the USSR, China and the USA) to take up arms against the Axis Powers of the German Empire and Italy (and latterly Japan). "Total war" took complete hold of the continent of Europe, with almost every single nation completely geared towards production of arms for conflict and for aiding the war effort. More than 1million civilians were killed during bombing raids throughout the war - including more than 200,000 when the USA dropped nuclear warheads on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 - while up to 11million Jews, homosexuals, political prisoners, people with disabilities and travellers were massacred by the Nazis during the Holocaust (one of several genocides carried out throughout the war). It is believed more than 25million military personnel and more than 50million civilians were killed during the war - including 27million in the USSR (8.7million military deaths and 19million civilian deaths). Approximately 85% of those killed were on the Allied side (with the majority being Russian or Chinese), while only 15% of those who perished were believed to be on the Axis side. The Katyn massacre (carried out by the Soviets on 22,000 Polish officers) and the Nanking massacre (carried out by the Japanese on 300,000 Chinese civilians) are just two of the atrocities committed during the conflict, while tens of millions of people also died from starvation, famine, disease and dislocation. The Second World War really did affect the human race on a global scale - with the adult-male population, already decimated by the Great War, severely depleted once more.