No-one would have dared to predict the casualties of World War One. When World War One was declared there were street celebrations in most of Europe’s capital cities. No-one even envisaged trench warfare in August 1914 let alone the appalling casualties that occurred over 4 years of fighting. In August 1914, Ypres remained a fine example of a medieval city. By 1918, it lay in ruins and the surrounding land had witnessed death by the tens of thousands. The Somme and Verdun witnessed appalling slaughter. No-one could have predicted the horrifying consequences of modern weaponry being used together with out-of-date tactics. The grim figures ‘speak’ for themselves.

Country Men mobilised Killed Wounded POW’s + missing Total casualties casualties in % of men mobilised
Russia 12 million 1.7mill 4.9mill 2.5mill 9.15mill 76.3
France 8.4 mill 1.3mill 4.2mill 537,000 6.1mill 73.3
GB + Empire 8.9mill 908,000 2mill 191,000 3.1mill 35.8
Italy 5.5mill 650,000 947,000 600,000 2.1mill 39
USA 4.3mill 126,000 234,000 4,500 350,000 8
Japan 800,000 300 900 3 1210 0.2
Romania 750,000 335,000 120,000 80,000 535,000 71
Serbia 700,000 45,000 133,000 153,000 331,000 47
Belgium 267,000 13,800 45,000 34,500 93,000 35
Greece 230,000 5000 21,000 1000 27,000 12
Portugal 100,000 7222 13,700 12,000 33,000 33
Total Allies 42million 5 million 13million 4 million 22million 52%
Germany 11million 1.7million 4.2million 1.1million 7.1million 65
Austria 7.8million 1.2million 3.6million 2.2million 7 million 90
Turkey 2.8million 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 34
Bulgaria 1.2million 87,000 152,000 27,000 266,000 22
Total

Central Powers

 22.8mill 3.3million 8.3million 3.6million 15 million 67
Grand Total 65 million 8.5mill 21million 7.7mill 37million 57%

Please note that the figures are rounded up and the total per section (such as killed, wounded etc.) will not necessarily equal the total figure.