France suffered immense casualties in World War I, with approximately 1.3 to 1.4 million military deaths, representing about 16% of its conscripted male population, a staggering loss that severely impacted its demographics for generations. Figures range slightly, with sources citing around 1.327 million, 1.385 million, or up to 1.4 million when including colonial soldiers, with some estimates suggesting the real number might be closer to 1.5 million.
Australian Casualties
According to the First World War page on the Australian War Memorial website from a population of fewer than five million, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner. The latest figure for those killed is given as 62,000.
Over the course of the war, 880,000 British forces died, 6% of the adult male population and 12.5% of those serving.
The 22nd August 1914, stands as the single bloodiest day in French military history. In Lorraine, the French First & Second Armies advanced directly into strong German positions & heavy artillery, leading to an unimaginble death toll - 27,000 in just 24 hours.
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
Philippe Pétain was convicted of treason for overseeing the surrender of France to the Germans in 1940 and subsequently acting as head of the collaborationist puppet government of Vichy France.
Private George Lawrence Price is believed to be the last Canadian soldier to die in battle during the First World War. He died at Mons, Belgium, about 2 minutes before the signing of the Armistice.
A summary of World War I casualties, complied by the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service, lists 1,773,700 German war dead, 4,216,058 wounded, 1,152,800 prisoners, for a total of 7,142,558 casualties, an amazing 54.6 percent of the 13,000,000 soldiers Germany mobilized for the war.
The Soviet Union suffered the most deaths in World War II, with estimates ranging from 22 to 27 million fatalities (military and civilian), followed by China, with around 20 million deaths, making these the two nations with the highest human cost from the war. Poland also experienced catastrophic losses relative to its population, and Germany and Japan also had immense casualties.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel held great respect for Australian soldiers, viewing them as tough, skilled, and formidable fighters, especially in attack, famously stating he'd use Australians to take hell and New Zealanders to hold it, though some historians question the exact phrasing while confirming his admiration for their fighting prowess in North Africa, documented in his letters.
A strong sense of patriotism and loyalty to Britain, often called the "Mother Country", drove support for involvement. Both Prime Minister Joseph Cook and Opposition Leader Andrew Fisher pledged to send Australian troops. Many Australians saw Britain's declaration as morally justified and vital for securing the Empire.
James Charles Martin (3 January 1901 – 25 October 1915) was the youngest Australian known to have died in the First World War. He was only 14 years and nine months old when he succumbed to typhoid during the Gallipoli campaign.
The leading cause is cardiovascular disease at 31.59% of all deaths.
The Russian Empire suffered an estimated 1.7 to 2.25 million deaths. (Excluding 50,000 civilian casualties).
Before the war was over, if you were between 18 and 31, you had a 25 percent chance of serving in uniform, as either a draftee or a volunteer. If you did end up as an average soldier in the armed forces, you would be 25 years old, 5 feet, 7½ inches tall, and a compact 144 pounds, with a 31-inch waist and 14-inch neck.
Germany was outmatched. They could have taken Russia or France alone, but not both. Their only path to victory was to knock one of the two out of the war right at the beginning. Once that didn't happen, their fate was sealed.
The Shaanxi earthquake killed 830,000 people. As days go, January 23 1556 was a proper stinker. According to most accounts, this fateful date saw more human lives extinguished than any other day in history, with the vast majority of these deaths occurring in the Shaanxi province of northwest China.
On this day in 1891, Canada's most decorated indigenous soldier was born. Francis Pegahmagabow is known for being the deadliest sniper of WW1. He acquired the Military Medal 3 times following the killing of 378 Germans and the capturing of 300 prisoners.
On September 28, 1918, in an incident that would go down in the lore of World War I history—although the details of the event are still unclear—Private Henry Tandey, a British soldier serving near the French village of Marcoing, reportedly encounters a wounded German soldier and declines to shoot him, sparing the life ...
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
John Wayne didn't serve in WWII due to a combination of age (34 at Pearl Harbor), family status (deferment for wife and kids), and, crucially, occupational deferments secured by his studio, Republic Pictures, who argued his films were vital for national morale, though he reportedly wanted to enlist, leading to lifelong guilt and a reputation as a "draft dodger" despite his patriotic image.
It was the rival Weltanschauung, Marxism (which for him embraced social democracy as well as communism), with its insistence on internationalism and economic conflict. Beyond Marxism he believed the greatest enemy of all to be the Jew, who was for Hitler the incarnation of evil.
Aftermath and Hitler's Reaction
On August 24, Hitler asked his staff: “Is Paris burning?” He was furious when he learned about the capitulation of Choltitz and that the city was still intact.