Top 10 Most Bloody Wars in The History

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

 Quite a few wars have been fought throughout history. Whether they were fought for political reasons, power and reign, religious persecution, or any other political or governmental issues, death tolls and bloodshed were quite high in many of these wars that have occurred throughout history. Although each war has its own history, and has a different agenda, these are among the top 10 most bloody wars in the history, regardless of the time period they were fought, or the reason which the wars commenced.

1. World War 2 

Although the death toll is still debated to this day, it was the war which saw the most casualties in history, with a number ranging from 50 to 80 million deaths. Most historians and most cited sources say the death toll, from all nations that were involved in the war, was around 65 to 70 million, but no official number has been cited, for the period from 1939 – 1945.

2. Mongol Conquests 

The estimated death toll was between 30 to 60 million deaths during the war, which took place from 1206 – 1324. The Mongol invasions, which took part during the 13th century, and led to the Mongol Empire in S.E Asia, were some of the bloodiest battles in history, and took a number of lives during the period.

3. Qing Dynasty (conquered the Ming Dynasty) -
Ruling from 1644 to 1922, this was the last imperial dynasty in China. During the course of reign, the dynasty overtook the Ming dynasty, and wars erupted throughout China, for political leadership, and for land. By the war’s end, the death toll had reached about 25 million people.

 4. Taiping Rebellion 

This was probably the largest civil war to take place in China, from 1850 to 1864, between the Manchu and Qing dynasties. At least 20 million deaths were noted during the war, and many of these were civilians, making it one of the deadliest wars in China, and one which brought the nation against one another during the years the war was fought.

5. World War I 

The “global war” which lasted from 1914 to 1918, involved all the world’s great powers. Resurgence of imperialism was one of the great reasons the war began, where Europe emerged as a leading nation. The death toll during the 4 year span reached nearly 17 million people, only a fraction of the number taken during the second world war.

6. The White Lotus Rebellion 

Taking 16 million lives, this war lasted from 1794 to 1804 in China. It eventually led to the end of the Qing dynasty, but the war also marked the highest point of power during the Qing dynasty period as well. It initially began as a tax protest in China, led by the secret religious organization, but quickly emerged to rebellions against bureaucratic powers.

7. An Lushan Rebellion 

The war began in 455, when general An Lush declared himself as the emperor of N. China, and established the Yan dynasty. 13 million deaths were noted in this battle, that took place between the Tang and Yan dynasty, to determine the powerhouse in N. China during this period.

 8. The Era of Warring States 

From 475 to 221 BCE, 10 million deaths occurred, when the different states of China, declared war against one another. With Qin, Han, Wei, Zhao, and other major powers, controlling different portions of China, the religious, political, and government powers in these neighboring states, led to this major era of war and disunity.

9. The Dungan Revolt 

This ethnic based war, with religious underpinnings took place during the 19th century in China. With an estimated death toll of 8 to 12 million people, the war was fought between the major ethnic groups in China. The war initially was set off due to an over pricing of bamboo poles, which took place between a Hui and Han, and this led to the years of fighting which took place in China during this period.

10. The Chinese Civil War 

Taking about 7.5 million lives, the war lasted from 1927 to 1949. The war was fought between the forces which were loyal to the KMT forces, and the communist party forces that were in place during this time period. The Republic of China in Taiwan and the People’s Republic (in China), were formed during this period, which showed which side the locals were loyal to, and which religious beliefs they wanted the country to follow, not only during, but following the war time period as well.