War is an armed conflict between state armed forces, or between governments and organized armed groups capable of sustained military operations. It is characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and death, employing regular or irregular forces. Warfare encompasses the general activities and traits of different war types. Total war involves engaging targets beyond legitimate military objectives, potentially leading to widespread civilian casualties and suffering.
1914: Disease as a Deadly Force in Warfare: From Typhus to Modern Medicine
By 1914, disease remained a significant threat in warfare, as exemplified by the devastating impact of typhus, which claimed more military lives than combat from 1500 to 1914. Advancements in medical science by this time played a crucial role in mitigating casualties from disease and infection, underscoring the transformative impact of medicine on warfare.
1917: Economic Fallout of World War I and the Russian Revolution
The economic consequences of World War I, particularly for Russia, were devastating, contributing significantly to the Russian economy's near collapse and setting the stage for the 1917 Russian Revolution, demonstrating the profound and destabilizing effects of war on national economies and political structures.
1939: World War II's Start and Devastating Death Toll
Initiated in 1939, World War II stands as a grim testament to the devastating human cost of conflict, ultimately claiming between 70 to 85 million lives by 1945.
1940: Economic Impact of World War II: From Depression to Production Boom
The economic landscape transformed during World War II, with nations shifting towards wartime production around 1940, leading to the end of the Great Depression as countries ramped up their manufacturing of war materials, demonstrating the complex interplay between conflict and economic forces.
1941: German Atrocities in Byelorussian SSR during World War II
During World War II, in 1941, the Byelorussian SSR suffered immensely under German occupation, with approximately 1.6 million of its nine million inhabitants killed in acts separate from battlefield casualties, highlighting the brutal consequences of the conflict on civilian populations.
1942: Mental Health Impact of World War II on American Soldiers
Between 1942 and 1945, the psychological toll of World War II became evident as one-tenth of mobilized American soldiers required hospitalization for mental health issues, illustrating the profound and enduring impact of combat on the mental well-being of those who served.
1945: Post-World War II Shift in Warfare
A significant trend emerged in warfare after 1945, marked by a predominance of civil wars and insurgencies, deviating from the large-scale international conflicts that characterized earlier periods.
1945: Psychological Impact of Prolonged Combat in World War II
By 1945, studies revealed that prolonged exposure to combat during World War II had a severe impact on the mental state of soldiers, with 98% exhibiting varying degrees of psychiatric disturbances after just 35 days of continuous fighting.
1945: World War II's End and Legacy of Death
Concluding in 1945, World War II left an indelible mark on human history as the deadliest conflict in terms of total fatalities, with an estimated 70 to 85 million lives lost.
1971: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 stands out as a major exception to the trend of civil wars and insurgencies that predominated warfare after 1945, highlighting the persistence of interstate conflicts during this period.
1985: Estimating War Deaths: 1985-1994
From 1985 to 1994, it was estimated that war claimed the lives of approximately 378,000 people each year, underscoring the continued human cost of conflict even as global death rates declined.
1990: High War Deaths in 1990
The year 1990 witnessed a high number of war-related deaths, reaching 72,000, underscoring the significant human cost of conflict during that period.
1991: Estimating War Deaths: 3000 BCE to 1991
By 1991, scholars faced challenges in accurately estimating war-related deaths throughout history, with figures for the period from 3000 BCE to 1991 ranging widely from 151 million to a staggering 2 billion, highlighting the difficulty of quantifying the human cost of conflict across millennia.
1994: Youth Bulge and the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
The 1994 Rwandan genocide, a horrific event, has been analyzed as partly influenced by a significant youth bulge in the country. This theory suggests that a large population of young people, often facing limited opportunities and susceptible to manipulation, can contribute to social unrest and conflict.
1994: End of a Period of Significant War Deaths
The year 1994 marked the end of a period where an estimated 378,000 people died annually due to war, highlighting a time of significant human loss attributed to conflict.
2005: Decline of Armed Conflicts After the Cold War
The Human Security Report 2005 revealed a substantial decrease in both the frequency and intensity of armed conflicts globally following the conclusion of the Cold War in the early 1990s.
2008: Stalling Decline in Armed Conflicts
Contrary to the previous decline, in 2008, research from the Center for International Development and Conflict Management suggested a stagnation in the decrease of armed conflicts, raising concerns about a potential resurgence in global violence.
2013: Decline in War Deaths Since 1990
By 2013, there was a significant decrease in war-related deaths, with 31,000 recorded compared to 72,000 in 1990, indicating a positive trend towards reduced conflict casualties.
2019: Impact of the 2019 Coronavirus Pandemic on Conflicts
The emergence of the 2019 coronavirus pandemic introduced an unforeseen variable in global conflicts, acting as a natural catalyst for pauses in violence due to its widespread impact on health systems, economies, and movement, demonstrating the influence of external factors on the trajectory of warfare.