Top 10 Wars in History

The Top Ten
1 World War 2

World War 2 was truly the most powerful war in history. It was also the greatest/most powerful human conflict ever. With 68,000,000-72,000,000 casualties ( more than 2.5% of the world's population at that time), a total of more than 1.2 trillion dollars spent (making it more expensive than all the other wars in history), and even though it lasted only 6 years, 72 countries were involved in the war. It was also the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, which were two atomic bombs of such incalculable strength/power, damage, and fatalities. No war has ever come nowhere near WW2 deadliness. That explains why it is the most powerful war history has ever seen.

Definitely the worst, you can't ignore the death tolls, especially civilian death tolls, and also the amount of money spent. Just want to clear up a couple things though:

To the commenter that said 50 million Chinese lives were lost, that is very wrong, between 10 and 20 million Chinese dies as in WW2. I'm guessing you're thinking about the Great Leap Forward in which it is believed that up to 60 million Chinese dies as a result of.

Also in regards to the Atomic bomb, it had to be done. Approximately 240,000 Japanese died as a result. If the US invaded Japan and Japan didn't give up (Which they were never going, if they were facing loss they suicide bombed US tanks and even thousands of civilians committed suicide instead of being captured), it was estimated approximately 10 million Japanese would have died and a couple million Americans would have died, as well as it would have consumed time and resources. Also, it allowed the USA to test their new toy, it was a win-win.

2 World War 1

WW1 was a war where countries fought each other with no real bad guy. The war shaped warfare and Europe forever, amazing empires collapsed and ended. Most of the war was fought in trenches with trench warfare. There were bodies everywhere and hundreds dead each day. Constant artillery and gunfire and mud filled the trenches sinking men in like quicksand.

The war killed many people and wounded many more. It was the first war with tanks, flamethrowers, and gas.

Some soldiers would get PTSD or "shell shock" where they would not fight and many were executed. Around 20 million people died. But this war is often overshadowed by WW2 because WW2 had a higher death toll, but that does not mean the WW2 was scarier.

Even though WWII caused massive amounts of destruction and had unparalleled influence in the world, WWI was the first war of such scale. It involved the most powerful nations such as the British Empire, Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, etc. After that, the world was definitely left wounded, in shock and changed indefinitely with the fall of great empires and the emergence of new powers (United States, Soviet Union, etc).

3 American Civil War

The American Civil War is, in my opinion, the most important struggle in American history. How can a nation of free men promote the idea of slavery, and despotism, simply because your a certain race? I understand the American Revolution was the beginning of America, but what makes America so great? Its constitution. God has given rights entitled to every citizen in that country. The constitution was in danger, and the ideas that birthed the nation were in danger. Not only that but it also ended a sort of southern aristocracy in our country. By taking away the way of life that came from only being to farm. It gave the middle class a chance in America. And isn't that what the country is all about? Equal opportunity? That is why the Civil War is the most important war in American History, and should be number 2 on this list. (WW2 is number 1)

I think one of the things interesting about this war is how it's actually kinda hard to tell who the real bad guys and good guys were (if you really look at certain facts and details about both sides).

I also agree with what the previous commenter said, though if the weaponry were more advanced than they were during that time period, then there would have probably been an even higher death rate since that's what caused the high death rates in the first place(using advance weaponry with old battle tactics).

The war also may seem to be one of the only civil wars where the rebels were a part of a formal government (the CSA) instead of just being a part of a militia or paramilitary group.

And bayonets are awesome, laugh out loud.

4 American Revolutionary War

This was the most influential war. We were not losing so badly, the British soldiers fought because it was their job, we fought from passion to win, and when you fight with passion, it helps you win. France and Spain were a big help, but if we didn't fight dirty, we would have lost, we demolished the British at Saratoga. France never switched sides, because they absolutely hated the British, so they wanted to take them down.

It was a war that bore of the greatest country, or, to not be opinionated, one if not the strongest country on earth.

Not the deadliest, but chain effects. This got the French in debt and a civil war, which got Napoleon in power, which created the German empire which made ww1, ww2 and Cold War conflicts

5 Napoleonic Wars

Being Europe the center of culture and ideas that ruled the globe over the next century, this war made the corner stones of our ideas in modern society. Making the world was we live what it is. It moved every nation in Europe made the system of great powers that we live upon. It made the door for other revolutions like the Germany, Italy, Russia, and China revolution later on. I would think as the most important war of modern era if not for the world wars.

This was why America became so powerful. While Europe was dealing with Napoleon, America was flourishing.

Every country in Europe fighting all over the world with 10,000,000 casualties over a 10 year span.

6 Vietnam War

I'm not going to get political and say this war was fought for nothing. I'm also not going to say that the US lost, because they didn't, they just... abandoned it. But it did devastate soldiers and citizens, some still affected to this day.

This war was just a mistake, the USA did not win this war like it or not, but this war is still very affective and it is good to honor the soldiers who fought in it.

The United States had no right being there. We lost 60,000 men (mostly all college kids) to a senseless war that wasn't going to be won anyway.

7 The Russian Revolution

A massive war with a casualty figure close to a world war.

Also known as the October Revolution.

8 Mongol Conquests

I want say about this, maybe this not true, but really this is real world war 1 because war with many country, they conquer a lot of country but fail to conquer Japan. Dynasty Yuan actually never exit, only mongol conquer China 100 years, China history also got fake like Dynasty Yuan, how come China emperor not chinese during Yuan? and kill almost 90% Chinese and don't know we are real chinese or not...don't know because history is write by victory

Actually it's the biggest war of all time.

9 Cold War

Due to the legal procedures of classified issues during the huge long term cold war. We can assume the worst of what has happened behind closed doors. We do know is that the U.S. and the USSR promoted violent actions against each other through geopolitical actions.

I can't believe this... how can people be so dumb?
This war was a terrible war, leaving 12 nuclear issuses, sending lots of spys across the globe, causing huge acts of terrorism and leading the battle 1955, the Korean war and the soviet war in Afghanistan. So yeah this war was terrible

Still affects us today. Not as bad as the 2 world wars, but worse than the American Revolutionary War.

10 Hundred Years War

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The Contenders
11 Crusades

You mean the wars that lasted from the late 11th century to the 13th century A.D.? All that was was a war between Christians and Muslims. All it accomplished was death. That's all these "holy wars" accomplish. Just death on a grand scale. Nothing holy about it. I don't care WHAT excuse you give me.

Does nobody think about how this "holy war" just led to slaughter, which good Christians and Muslims know is horrible?

I don't know what the heck a type of war is this?

12 Seven Years' War

This war kicked off the economic and political conditions that lead to the French, American, Latin American and other revolutions.

13 Gulf War
14 Syrian Civil War

Civillians don't seem to realize how bad it is! We need to kill the terrorists who support systematically raping children and beheading pregnant mothers

15 French and Indian War

Was a semi world War, took place in British America, Canada, Europe, and India

16 Korean War

It's sad that not much people know of the Korean War. Well, they may have heard of it, but they don't really KNOW about it. Over two and half million people died, and it bore of the wicked dictatorship of North Korea.

17 East Pakistan - West Pakistan War

Bangladesh (East Pakistan) has won the war against Pakistan (West Pakistan) in 1971. West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March 1971. About 3 million people were killed by West Pakistan. On 16 December 1971, Lt. Gen A. A. K. Niazi, CO of Pakistan Army forces located in East Pakistan signed the Instrument of Surrender. Over 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered to the Indian forces & Bangladesh Liberation forces, making it the largest surrender since World War II.

We Bangladeshi people had no weapons to fight. We had steal weapons from Pakistani like assassins and then use it against them. This was a war where lower class people of Bangladesh participated in. This was normal people with no weapons or training against Elite Armies. Those 9 months were really scary times. There's no other war like this in history of the world. I am so proud of my country, Bangladesh! Joy Bangla!

18 Thirty Years War
19 Kargil War

It is the most important thing of Indian army... It was very difficult but we managed to do it...

Kargil war showcased the impotance of artillery in the modern day battlefield scenario...

20 Turkish War of Independence

After WWI, the Ottoman Empire was forced to be divided and its citizens were to kneel infront of occupying troops. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk went across the whole country to inform people and start the war. Hundreds of thousands of voluntary soldiers went to the frontline, fighting Armenian, Greek, British, French and Italian troops all at once. In the meanwhile, Ataturk opened the grand national assembly and did series of revolutions that made Turkey independent and secular. The Turks won the war, claiming their beloved land.

The first war that showed to the world that imperialist countries could be defeatet, and showed the way how to do it to other leaders like mahatma gandi.

21 Chinese Civil War
22 War On Terror

This war seems as if it's never going to end, and the terrorist forces have not only destroyed ancient historical and religious monuments (Taliban), but literally kill innocent, unarmed civilians for no reason... other than for the sake of their religion. Well, I'm specifically referring to the terrorists in the middle east.

23 Bosnian War

The fall of Europe's most powerful country.

24 Second Punic War

The Roman Republic would have never become the Roman Empire and the influence on Western culture to this day would not be influenced by Rome but by Hannibal and Carthage.

This war cost 1/5 of the population of men to be killed. It had a million soldiers going head to head.

If carthage was victorious here, the fate of history would be absolutely different.

25 Taiping Rebellion
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