Losses in the First World War. Losses of the Russian army in the First World War. Some general data and assessments of the consequences of the war

The strength and losses of the Russian armed forces in the First World War

Fragments from ch. II book "Russia and the USSR in the wars of the twentieth century. Losses of the armed forces. Statistical study". Under the general editorship of G.F. Krivosheev.
M.OLMA-PRESS, 2001

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Table 38

The population and composition of the ground forces of the main participants in military coalitions

States	Population in 1914 (million people)	Ground troops and aviation
		Number of armies (million people)
		On the eve of the war	After the mobilization	By the end of the war	Total drafted for the entire war	In % of the population
Entente countries

United Kingdom


Central Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary

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... On July 17, Tsar Nicholas II signed a decree on general mobilization. Using this decision of the head of state as a pretext, Germany declared war on Russia on July 19. On July 21, war was declared on France, as well as on Belgium, which rejected an ultimatum to allow German troops to pass through its territory. Great Britain demanded that Germany maintain the neutrality of Belgium, but, having received a refusal, on July 22 declared war on Germany. Thus began the First World War of 1914-1918, which, in terms of the number of participants, as well as in the number of victims and the scale of destruction, surpassed all other wars that had happened before in the history of mankind.

From the moment of the official start of the war and general mobilization to the introduction of the main forces into the struggle fighting by the belligerents were carried out mainly to cover the strategic deployment of troops in the theaters of military operations. In the Western European theater of operations, they were of the nature of an offensive with limited tasks, in the East European theater they were of the nature of reconnaissance operations by forces of large groups of cavalry.

By August 4-6, Germany deployed 8 armies in the first echelon (about 1.8 million people), France - 5 (1.3 million people), Russia - 6 (over 1 million people), Austria- Hungary - 5 armies and 2 army groups (over 1 million people). Already in the autumn of 1914, the war engulfed the territories of Europe, Asia and Africa. The main land fronts were the Western (French) and Eastern (Russian). The main maritime theaters of military operations at that time were the North, Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Seas.

The Russian Armed Forces completed their mobilization on the 45th day after the start of the war. By September 3, it was called up from the reserve of lower ranks, officers, doctors and class ranks, Cossacks (3115 thousand people) and warriors of the 1st category (800 thousand people) - a total of 3915 thousand people. And if we take into account that the strength of the Russian Armed Forces before the announcement of the general mobilization was 1423 thousand people. , then by mid-September 1914 there were 5338 thousand people in the ranks of the Russian army.

The First World War lasted 4 years, three months and 10 days (from August 1, 1914 to November 11, 1918), covering 38 countries with a population of over 1.5 billion people. In the states of the Entente, about 45 million people were mobilized, in the coalition of the Central Powers - 25 million, and in total - 70 million people. Consequently, the most able-bodied part of the male half of the inhabitants was withdrawn from material production and thrown into mutual extermination for the sake of imperialist interests. By the end of the war, the number of armies increased (compared to peacetime): in Russia - 8.5 times, in France - 5, in Germany - 9, in Austria-Hungary - 8 times.

In Russia, about 16 million people were mobilized into the armed forces, that is, more than one third of all those put under arms in the countries of the Entente and among its allies.

In June 1917, of the 521 divisions that the Entente had, 288 (55.3%) were Russian. The number of those mobilized in Germany reached 13 million 250 thousand people, which was more than half of the mobilized contingent in the coalition of the Central Powers. In June 1918, out of 361 divisions of this bloc, 236 (63.4%) were German. The large number of armies led to the formation of vast fronts, total length which reached 3-4 thousand km.

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Use of human resources during the war years

It was already mentioned earlier that before the start of mobilization, the Russian army numbered 1 million 423 thousand people. During the war, another 13 million 700 thousand people were drafted into it. Thus, in total, 15 million 378 thousand people were put under arms. (round about 15.5 million people) For peasant Russia, this was a huge figure: half of the able-bodied men went to the army (out of 1,000 people - 474); out of every 100 peasant farms, 60 men of the most "draft" age died at the call, as a result, more than half of the farms were left without breadwinners.

In relation to the entire population of the country (without distinction of sex and age), out of every thousand citizens, 112 people left for the war. Full statistical information about the called-up human contingent is given in table 47, compiled from the most reliable sources.

Table 47

The volume of conscription of human resources in the Russian army at various stages

		Number of people called (in thousand)	Total taken from the population (cumulative total) (in thousand)
1914
	The size of the Russian army at the beginning of mobilization
During August - September	The lower ranks of the army and navy, officers, doctors and nurses, class ranks (military officials, Cossacks)
	Warriors* of the reserve militia of the 1st category at the age of 40 - 43 years old, who have served in active service
	Warriors of the reserve militia of the 1st category, who did not serve in the army, aged 22-25 years
During October - November	Warriors of the reserve militia of the 1st category, who did not serve in the army, aged 22-32 years
	Recruits** aged 21

1915
During January - August	Warriors of the militia reserve of the 1st category, who did not serve in the army, aged 21-36 years
	Recruits aged 21
During September - November	Warriors of the militia reserve of the 1st category, who did not serve in the army, aged 20-38 years
	Warriors of the reserve militia, 2nd category, aged 20-26 years
	Recruits aged 21

1916
During January - August	Warriors of the militia reserve of the 1st category, who did not serve in the army, aged 2 1-40 years
	Reserve militia warriors, 2nd category, aged 28-31
	Re-certified white-ticketers***
	Recruits aged 19

* Ratnik - a soldier of the state militia of Russia, which existed until October 1917. The militia included: those liable for military service (from 20 to 43 years old), who Peaceful time were exempted from conscription due to unfitness for military service, but were considered fit for it in wartime; persons who previously completed military service and were in the reserve (up to 43 years). The state militia was divided into warriors of the 1st category, fit for military service and intended to replenish the army, and warriors of the 2nd category, fit for non-combatant service. Due to the fact that by the middle of 1915 almost the entire contingent of militia warriors of the 1st category had been exhausted, the question arose of replenishing the active army with warriors of the 2nd category. - Military History Journal, 1993, No 6, p. 62-66).

** Recruit - in pre-revolutionary Russia, a person of military age enrolled in active military service by a county, city or district military presence. After the call, the recruits were sent to military units as part of special marching teams or in stages in their own clothes, with the issuance of fodder money on the route. From the moment they arrived at the unit, they became soldiers (sailors). The draft age for recruits during the war dropped from 21 to 19.

*** White ticket - a person exempted from conscription in the army due to unfitness for military service for health reasons.

Table 48 provides generalized information on the age composition of the entire human contingent drafted into the Russian army on the eve and during the war.

Thus, in total, 15 million 378 thousand people were involved in the Russian armed forces during the war. Of them:

Consisted in the army before the start of mobilization - 1 million 423 thousand people;
Called for mobilization - 13 million 955 thousand people.

Including:

Reserve officials of all categories - 3 million 115 thousand people;
Militia warriors of the 1st category, transferred from the reserve 400 thousand people;
Warriors of the militia of the 1st category who did not pass active military service - 2 million 705 thousand people;
Militia warriors of the 2nd category - 3 million 75 thousand people;
Recruits - 4 million 460 thousand people;
Re-examined white-ticketers - 200 thousand people.

Table 48

The age composition of the Russian army during the war

The following is information on the number of persons liable for military service who were subject to conscription during the war in accordance with the law on military service, but received a deferment as they worked for the needs of the state's defense on October 1, 1916. This information is calculated by the following figures:

The ranks of the reserve, who worked at factories and enterprises of the military and naval departments, railways ah, commercial and port courts - 173 thousand people;
Militia warriors who worked at the same defense facilities - 433 thousand people.
Employees in government institutions, whose departure to the army could adversely affect the work of these institutions 64 thousand people.

Thus, a total of 670 thousand people received a deferment.

In addition, the law of December 6, 1915 provided additional deferrals for all categories of persons liable for military service who worked for defense. Among them:

recruits - 99850;
militia warriors under 26 years old - 175650;
those who worked on the construction of railways - 72,000;
employees for free employment in the department of communications - 173498;
employees in zemstvo and city unions - 5352;
employees of institutions of military-industrial committees - 976312;
employees in private credit institutions - 3700 people.

The total number of those who received a deferment among those who worked for the needs of defense was 1,506,362.

In total, 2,176,362 persons liable for military service had a deferment from conscription on October 1, 1916. By the end of the war, the number of deferrals had risen to 2.5 million. Towards total number drafted into the army (15 million 378 thousand people), this amounted to 16%. The total number of those liable for military service called up to the army (15.378 million) and those liable for military service who received a deferment due to the recognition of their work as extremely important in the framework of the country's war effort (2.5 million people) reached a huge figure of 18 million people.

According to the "Regulations on the Field Command of Troops in Wartime" (1912), the active army of Russia in the First World War was called the land and naval armed forces, military departments and institutions subordinate to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The territory intended for the deployment and deployment of the active army was called the theater of military operations.

Inside the country there were reserve troops involved in the training of drafted recruits and warriors, security service troops, as well as numerous institutions serving the army in the field. All these rear structures of the armed forces were subordinate to the Minister of War.

The size of the Russian active army was constantly changing depending on the losses incurred and their replenishment. A similar relationship between income, expenditure and the presence of people existed in the Russian armed forces as a whole. Thus, after the call-up of reserve ranks of the first stage, their number (together with the pre-war personnel) was increased by August 1 to 4 million 700 thousand people. , in the active army of military personnel from this total number there should have been 3 million 500 thousand

Due to the fact that the concentration of forces intended for the full staffing of the army ended only 2.5 months after the announcement of mobilization, that is, by October 1, then to establish the strength of the troops and institutions that were in the theater of operations before the start of the draft contingent, it was not possible (due to the lack of documents on this issue). Moreover, during this time, several bloody battles took place in the East European theater of operations (East Prussian and Warsaw-Ivangarod operations, the Battle of Galicia), in which the Russian army suffered huge losses. As a result, its population by the end of the concentration was only 2 million 700 thousand people. Meanwhile, intense fighting continued (Lodz and Czestochowa-Krakow operations in November), resulting in numerous combat losses in the troops. In addition, the number of sick soldiers and officers has increased. Therefore, the above figure decreased by December 1 to 2 million people.

The catastrophic decrease in the number of personnel of the active Russian army was the result of those enormous losses; which she had to bear in 1914 in order to save France from being defeated by the Germans during the Battle of Marne. Replenishments, due to the ill-conceived organization of reserve troops, did not have time to arrive on time. In divisions, instead of 15 thousand fighters, there were an average of 7-8 thousand people.

Finally, by January 1, 1915, thanks to the adoption of emergency measures, the staffing of front-line units and formations was basically over. Their total number increased to 3 million 500 thousand people. However, the fierce January-February battles (the August defensive operation, the beginning of the Prasnysh defensive operation on the North-Western Front) again reduced the strength of the active troops by February 15 to 3 million 200 thousand people. After the understaffing of the depleted units and the arrival of new formations at the front, the strength of the active army increased significantly and by April 1, 1915, amounted to 4 million 200 thousand people.

However, less than three weeks later, on April 19, the Austro-German superior forces managed to carry out the Gorlitsky breakthrough in Galicia. The troops of the Russian Southwestern Front, which at that time experienced an acute shortage of ammunition, again suffered heavy losses. The size of the active army again decreased and by May 15 amounted to 3 million 900 thousand people.

One of the officers of the British military mission, Captain Neilson, who witnessed the heavy fighting of the 3rd Russian Army of the Southwestern Front (it was mainly attacked by the combined forces of the enemy), in his report of July 11, reports: "All the latest offensives were just killings, since we, without artillery preparation, attacked the enemy, who had numerous light and heavy artillery ".

Due to the great loss in summer campaign 1915, the number of active troops by September 15 is reduced to 3 million 800 thousand people, despite their repeated replenishment. A month later, this figure begins to increase slightly and again reaches 3 million 900 thousand people. Due to the fact that in October 1915 the intensity of hostilities decreased significantly, the level of staffing of the troops of the fronts quickly increased, reaching 4 million 900 thousand people on November 1.

Introduction by General M.V. Alekseev to the post of Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (August 23, 1915) marks the beginning of the introduction of more advanced scientific methods in higher command and control. Energetic, thoughtful work is being carried out to restore the armed forces after the failures and upheavals experienced in the summer of 1915. The existing units are fully equipped, new formations are created, and the organization of reserve troops is improving. As a result, the size of the active army is growing rapidly. By February 1, 1916, it reaches 6 million 200 thousand people. By April 1 of the same year, it increased to 6300 thousand, and by July 1 - 6 million 800 thousand people.

The victorious battles of the troops of the Southwestern Front ("Brusilovsky breakthrough"), which were fought in May - July 1916 (mainly in the interests of helping France, attacked near Verdun, and for the sake of saving Italy from its complete defeat by the Austro-Hungarian troops), were also accompanied by significant losses. Therefore, the number of Russian troops decreased by September 1 to 6 million 500 thousand people. (taking into account the received replenishment). At this level, it remained until the beginning of October, and due to the subsequent lull in hostilities, it quickly increased to 6 million 845 thousand people. The same number was presented in the secret report of the Minister of War for 1916 as of January 1, 1917.

In connection with the revolutions of 1917 (February and October), the collapse of the active Russian army begins due to the increased desertion among the rank and file and the fall in discipline in the troops. This state is beginning to be reflected in the statistical indicators of its numbers. This is evidenced by the final data for the two periods of 1917: on May 1, the actual composition of the active army decreased to 6 million 800 thousand people. (taking into account the received replenishment); as of September 1 - up to 6 million people. The Petrograd Military District, which at that time was only listed in the active army, was excluded from the account.

Below are tables 49 and 50, which contain more detailed statistics on the size of the active army from 1914 to 1917.

Table 49

The composition of the troops, departments and institutions of the army in the field by periods
(October 1, 1914 to November 1, 1916)

Periods	Consisted on the list
	Total	Including
		officers	class ranks	Soldier
		officers	class ranks	Combatants	non-combatants

Table 50

Information on the number of military officials on the fronts of the Russian army on May 1, 1917
(in thousands)

Name of fronts	officers	class ranks	Soldier	Total
West
Northern
Southwestern
Romanian
Caucasian

* Russia in World War 1914-1918. (in numbers). - M., 1925. p. 24.

It must immediately be emphasized that the information given in tables 49 and 50 on the strength of the active army far exceeds the number of "active bayonets" or "fighters" in it. This is due to the fact that the front formations contained a large number of lower ranks, who were actually engaged in logistic support. According to N.N. Golovin, who had been studying this issue for a long time, at the end of 1914 the "combat element" was about 75% of the active army, and at the end of 1916 - only 50%. If we apply this scale to table 49, it turns out that the number of "fighters" fluctuated during the war between 1 million 500 thousand people. (as of December 1, 1914) and 3 million 500 thousand people (as of November 1, 1916).

General M.V. wrote about this in one of his notes. Alekseev, Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief: “The field quartermaster says that he feeds from 5,500 thousand to 6,000 thousand mouths at the front, not counting the internal districts. We recruit about 2,000 thousand soldiers. If this is the actual ratio, then we we come to the impermissible conclusion that one fighter is served by two rear men ... for each military unit has its secret warehouses serviced by people from the ranks, each has a lot of people on the way, sent for shopping, with a broken wagon, in various workshops. creates a bleak picture of our situation. They tell us from the center that they gave the active army 14 million, they have lost 6, that the army has 8 million, and we all continue to ask because of the severe shortage in the combat units of the infantry ".

General M.V. Alekseev was rightly indignant at the excessive "swelling" of the rear of the active army itself due to the reduction in the number of "combat element". However, neither the Supreme Commander-in-Chief nor his headquarters were able to cope with this negative phenomenon, generated by the poor organization of logistics support for the active troops.

The total number of deep rear troops subordinate to the Minister of War (including the reserve troops located in the internal military districts) was measured by the following figures:

As of December 31, 1915 - 2,300,000 people,
As of December 31, 1916 - 2,550,000 people.
As of November 1, 1917 - 1,500,000 people.

With the declaration of war, 500 reserve battalions were formed inside the country, and soon another 500 similar battalions of the second stage were added to them. But the losses suffered by the Russian army in the first campaigns were so great that the organization and the number of reserve troops established by the Minister of War did not at all meet the needs of the army. The reinforcements sent to the fronts at the end of 1914, about 1 million 500 thousand people, could not bring the existing formations and units to full strength. Due to the lack of military-trained resources, throughout 1915, poorly prepared reinforcements were sent to the front.

General A.A. Polivanov, who replaced V.A. Sukhomlinov as Minister of War, sought to restore at least some order in ensuring the staffing of the troops. This made it possible to significantly reduce in 1916 and 1917. the number of poorly trained replacements sent to the front by increasing the time for their preparation to 4-5 months. This is evidenced by comparative data for three years (see table 51).

Table 51

The number of annually sent replenishment to the active army in 1915-1917. (in absolute numbers)

Types of troops	Number of people sent to the active army (by years)
Types of troops		Total

Number of marching companies
To regular cavalry
In the Cossacks
In artillery units
To the engineering department

Note. The table was compiled on the basis of statistical materials from N. N. Golovin's book "Russia's Military Efforts in the World War". - Military History Journal, 1993, No 4, p. 26.

Information about the human losses of the Russian armed forces in the First World War, found in domestic and foreign sources, suffers for the most part from inconsistency and inconsistency. This is explained primarily by the unequal completeness and reliability of the materials used by the researchers, as well as significant differences in the method of calculating losses. As a result, the difference, for example, in the number of dead and dead Russian soldiers and officers, varies in published works from several tens of thousands to 1-2 million people. In confirmation of this fact, we present here a number of figures for the irretrievable demographic losses of the Russian army, taken by us from various domestic sources: ., 3,000,000 people

However, none of the given figures can claim, according to the well-known demographer B. Ts. Urlanis, at least for approximate accuracy.

Similar discrepancies in the calculation of the losses of the Russian army take place in foreign publications. Here are a few figures on the number of dead Russian soldiers shown in a number of Western sources (3,000,000 people, 2,762,000 people, 1,700,000 people, 1,290,000 people, 1,500,000 people, 5,350,000 people ., 2,000,000 people, 2,250,000 people).

“Determining the losses of Russia in the First World War is a rather difficult task,” wrote B.Ts. Urlanis at one time. “Statistical materials on the losses of Russia are very contradictory, incomplete and often unreliable. This partly led to the fact that the world press featured fantastic figures about Russian losses in the war of 1914-1918. Therefore, - Urlanis continued further, - it is necessary to critically examine the main primary sources and then approach the determination of the most reliable number of Russian soldiers and officers killed during this war ".

And such work was successfully carried out by the author of the above statement. He managed to achieve the greatest reliability in calculating the losses of the Russian army in the First World War, so our research in this area is based mainly on the statistical data of B.Ts. Urlanis. Other authoritative sources (already mentioned earlier) are also widely used and provide valuable background material on the subject under consideration.

Highest value in the course of our research, it was given to establishing the number of irretrievable human losses of the Russian army, including by their types and categories of military personnel. In the collected form, these data are presented in table 52.

Table 52

Irreversible demographic losses of the Russian army in the war of 1914-1918. (in absolute numbers)

Types of losses	Total	Including
Types of losses	Total	Officers and class ranks	lower ranks
Irretrievable combat losses
Killed, died at the stages of sanitary evacuation
Missing (presumed dead or deceased)
Died from wounds in hospitals
Died from gas poisoning

Irrecoverable non-combat losses
Died of disease
Died in captivity
Died, died as a result of accidents and other causes

Notes. The table is compiled according to the following sources: Urlanis B. Ts. Wars and population of Europe. - M., 1960; Golovin N. N. Military efforts of Russia in the world war. - Military History Journal, 1993, NoNo 1-2, 4, 6-7, 10-11); Russia in World War 1914-1918. (in numbers). M., 1925.

It should also be noted here that in the last of the mentioned sources (published by the Central Statistical Bureau), all data on the losses of the Russian army turned out to be underestimated against their actual number by 1.92 times. The specified "multiplicity factor" was obtained by us as a result of a mathematical comparison of the final (basic) figure of killed Russian soldiers and officers for the entire period of the war - 1,200,000 people. (calculated by B.Ts. Urlanis and N.N. Golovin) with a similar figure in the CSB publication - 626,440 people. (1,200,000: 626,440 = 1.92).

Sanitary losses armies (wounded, sick, gassed) were colossal. Suffice it to say that only 5,148,180 military personnel hospitalized during the war who needed long-term treatment were taken into account, of which 2,844,500 were wounded. and sick 2 303 680 people. (Russia in the World War of 1914 - 1918 (in numbers). - M., 1925, p. 4, 25).

And if we take into account all cases of injuries that did not require evacuation to hospitals, then the number of sanitary losses will increase by another 50%.

The total number of troops and losses of the Russian army calculated by us in the First World War made it possible to show the "arrival" and "expenditure" of the country's human contingent involved in the Russian armed forces (see Table 53).

Table 53

The balance of the use of human resources during the First World War
(on September 1, 1917)

	people (in thousand)
Was in the army and navy at the beginning of the war
Called up during the war
Total attracted to the army and navy during the war years
Departed from the armed forces during the war years (total)
Including: killed, died from wounds, diseases, from gas poisoning, accidents and died from among the missing (demographic losses)
Was in medical institutions, convalescent teams and short holidays (wounded and sick)
Was on long-term treatment and dismissed from service due to disability (seriously injured)
Dismissed from military service soldiers who reached the age limit of 43 on September 1, 1917 (based on the decree of the Provisional Government of April 1, 1917)
Was in captivity (in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria)
deserted
Remained in the armed forces (total) of them: - as part of the army; - as part of rear formations and military command and control bodies subordinate to the Minister of War (reserve regiments of military districts, spare parts of special combat arms, departments and institutions of the Military Ministry)

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Table 55

human losses Russian fleet in World War I

Fleet name	Types of losses					Total
Fleet name	Killed, drowned	Died of wounds	Died of disease	Wounded	Captured and missing	Total
Baltic
Black Sea
Siberian military flotilla

* All losses of the Russian fleet are already included in the total number of losses of the Russian armed forces in the world war.

Of particular interest is the analysis of the military losses of the Russian army in comparison with similar indicators of the armed forces of other powers participating in the war (see table 56).

Table 56

Losses of the armed forces of the main participants in the First World War

States	Types of losses (in thousands)			Total loss (in thousand)	Army strength (in thousand)	% of losses from the number armies
	Demographer. losses	Sanitary losses	Captured
Entente countries
Russia			3343,9

Data on the losses of the Russian army during the First World War is still unknown. The estimated number of deaths in it is 2-2.3 million people, prisoners - 4 million. The war made 600 thousand people disabled. The relative number of captured soldiers and surrendered tsarist generals was higher than in the Great Patriotic War, which well shows the lack of spirit among the troops.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. Another name for it in Russia is “ forgotten war". It was forgotten not so much by the memory of ordinary people as by the elites, for whom this war was a silent accusation of their complete incompetence.

The question remains open about the number of Russian losses in the First World War. As in the Second World War, it never occurred to the authorities to keep records of them. And today we have only estimated losses.

Let's start from the end of this story - the situation of the winter of 1917, preceding the Revolution and the beginning of the complete collapse of the Russian army.

The answer to the question of concern to many: “Could Russia have attacked in 1917 if it had not been for the abdication of Nicholas II?” gave English ambassador in Russia D. Buchanan. He wrote in his diary on January 17th:

“On January 19, 1917, in his speech at the opening of the Allied Conference in Petrograd, General Gurko said:

Russia mobilized 14 million people;

lost 2 million killed and wounded and the same number captured;

currently has 7.5 million under arms and 2.5 million in reserve.

He expressed no hope that the Russian army would be able to launch a large-scale offensive until the forthcoming formation of new units was completed and until they were trained and supplied with the necessary weapons and ammunition. Until then, all she can do is hold the enemy back with secondary operations.”

The figures of our losses (and especially the number of prisoners), first officially announced at the allied conference, shocked the allies. Prior to this, the tsar and the Headquarters got off only with general phrases, such as "the losses are small, we are holding the front."

Only one fact speaks of the general mood in the Russian army: 73 people surrendered to the tsarist generals then. Even the shameful beginning of the Great Patriotic War in 19141-42 did not give such a number of captured Soviet generals. For comparison, only two German generals fell into Russian captivity, one of whom committed suicide while in captivity.

35 Russian generals were killed in battle and died of wounds during WWI - more than two times less than those who surrendered! If the generals prefer to surrender rather than fight to the end, then it is difficult to expect special stamina from the troops in battle.

Even the rare most successful military operations (well thought out and led by talented generals) of the Russian army brought a huge number of victims.

So, S. Nelipovich (data from the book by S.G. Nelipovich, Brusilovsky breakthrough as an object of mythology, 1998) indicates the following data on the losses of the Southwestern Front during the famous “Brusilov breakthrough”: “Only according to approximate calculations according to the statements of the Headquarters, From May 22 to October 14, 1916, Brusilov's Southwestern Front lost 1.65 million people, including 203 thousand killed and 152.5 thousand prisoners. It was this circumstance that decided the fate of the offensive: thanks to the “Brusilov method”, the Russian troops choked on their own blood.”

The existing figure of Western researchers of 1 million people lost by the Russian armies during the Brusilov breakthrough for the entire period of attacks by the Southwestern Front from May to October 1916 is also not "taken from the ceiling."

The figure of 980 thousand people lost by the armies of General Brusilov was indicated by the French military representative at the Petrograd Conference in February 1917, General de Castelnau, in a report to the French War Ministry dated February 25, 1917. Apparently, this official figure was given to the French by Russian colleagues of the highest level - first of all, by the acting Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, General Gurko.

The Western historian D. Terrain cites the following numbers of German losses throughout the First World War (represented by the Germans themselves): 1 million 808 thousand killed, 4 million 242 thousand wounded and 617 thousand prisoners.

However, Terraine believed these figures were incorrect. As the main argument, he cited the figures of the Western allies, according to which the Germans lost 924 thousand prisoners (a third difference!), “so it is very possible that the other two categories of losses are underestimated to the same extent.” (J. Terrain's book "The Great War. The First World War - background and development", 2004)

Russian historian A. Kersnovsky in his work "History of the Russian Army" writes:

“The unparalleled tension led to unprecedented losses. The extent of these losses can never be determined exactly. The Russian high command was completely uninterested in the already used human meat.

The Main Sanitary Administration was not interested in this either: in hospitals there were no statistics of those who died from wounds, which cannot but stun the researcher.

Calculations of losses were made during the war and after it by individuals on the basis of incomplete and unsystematized data. They were of a random nature and led to completely different, often fantastic conclusions (suffice it to say that the number, for example, of prisoners was determined in the range from 1.3 million to 4.5 million people).

The headquarters was not at all interested in the question of the losses incurred.

People who for three years in a row sent millions of Russian officers and soldiers to death, invented the “double bypass of the Masurian Lakes”, the “offensive in the heart of Germany”, gave frenzied directives “Not a step back!” to the bloodless armies, erected pyramids of skulls on Bzura, Naroch, near Kovel, these people have never asked in three years to find out what, at least approximately, their strategic creativity costs Russia and the Russian army.

When, in July 1917, the French representative at Headquarters, General Janin, requested information about the losses suffered by Russia, the Headquarters was taken by surprise.

After a fussy search for three months, the Headquarters presented the French with the first figures that came across. Only 700 thousand people were killed, but 2.9 million were captured. Giving these explanations without any reservations or explanations, our military bureaucrats did not bother to realize that the count of the dead was carried out somewhat satisfactorily only for the troops of the Northern Front. The headquarters was completely unaware that this kind of "information" only dishonored the Russian army in the eyes of foreigners.

According to the data of the Military Department, presented shortly before the February Revolution to the Council of Ministers, our "final losses" - killed, dead from wounds and diseases, disabled, missing and captured - were determined from the beginning of the war to December 1916 at 5.5 million people.

According to information officially reported to the Russian Red Cross by the enemy, by the winter of 1916/17, there were 2.2 million prisoners of war in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. This figure is quite reliable (the enemy did not have any calculation to underestimate it).

Subtracting this number from the total, we get 3.3 million Russian losses just before the February Revolution.

100 thousand people died from diseases (the number is precisely established - the statistics of the sick were much better than the statistics of the wounded).

There were 200 thousand people in unauthorized absence (in other words, so many military deserted). 600 thousand people were retired from the army due to injuries received in battle, 300 thousand people were dismissed due to illness.

Adding these losses, we get 1.2 million crippled, dead from wounds and deserters.

The remaining 2.1 million were considered killed (we repeat once again - this is before the February Revolution).

There are ambiguities with the generally accepted figure of 2.4 million Russian prisoners during the WWI.

In 1919, the Tsentrobezhplen, an organization that was engaged in the return of prisoners to Russia, took into account the following number of captured Russian military personnel using their name lists and registration cards:

In Germany - 2 million 335 thousand 441

In Austria-Hungary - 1 million 503 thousand 412.

In Turkey - 19 thousand 795.

In Bulgaria - 2 thousand 452.

Total - 3 million 911 thousand 100 people.

Let's add here the 200,000 who died in captivity and we get a figure of more than 4.1 million people. It is hard to imagine that in the year from the February Revolution to the conclusion of the Brest peace another 1.7 million surrendered. Most likely, the initial figure of 2.4 million people for the winter of 1917 was underestimated.

Another important point. The number of Russian soldiers who were captured in the First World War - 4.1 million - in relative terms is much more than the number of Soviet soldiers who surrendered in the Second World War. 14.5 million people were mobilized in WWI, i.e. prisoners made up 28.2% of the army. 34 million people were mobilized in WWII, 5.6 million people, or 16.2% of the army, were captured. And this is taking into account the fact that WWII for the USSR lasted almost six months more than for the Republic of Ingushetia the First World War.

That is, not only the number of tsarist generals who surrendered, well characterizes the spirit (more precisely, its absence) of the Russian army in WWI, but also the total number of prisoners.

Of course, this all proves that the First World War was a foreign war for Russia (a war for foreign interests). It also well showed the entire degree of decomposition of the tsarist regime and not an accident of the two Revolutions of 1917.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some general data and assessments of the consequences of the war

Austria-Hungary

United Kingdom

During 1915, German U-boats sank 227 British ships (885,721 gross tons). The belt of British cemeteries, which ran from the North Sea to the Somme and beyond, is an idealized memorial to all those whose death in the battlefields great war nothing is marked. The bodies of over 500,000 British soldiers were never found, and if they were found, it was impossible to identify them. The English economy suffered the biggest losses in the First World War - 24.1 billion dollars or more than 34% of the national wealth.

The historian Volkov cited data that the proportion of men mobilized in the UK to the total number of men aged 15-49 was 50%, while for every thousand mobilized there were 122 killed and dead, respectively, for every thousand men aged 15-49 years, the UK lost 61 person, and the loss in terms of every thousand inhabitants of the UK amounted to 16 people.

Germany

Between 1870 and 1899, 16,000,000 boys were born in Germany; almost all of them served in the army and about 13% were killed. The German youth born in 1892-1895 suffered the greatest losses. Many thousands of Germans came home disabled: 44,657 Germans lost a leg in the war, 20,877 people lost their arm, 1264 people lost both legs, 136 people lost both arms. 2547 Germans lost their sight in the war. By the end of 1916, more than a million soldiers had already died - 241,000 in 1914, 434,000 in 1915, 340,000 in 1916. Belgium, northern France, Russian Poland, Serbia and Romania were occupied, but in November 1916 the Central Powers approached the Entente with an offer of peace, which was rejected. Female mortality, for example, in 1916 increased by 11.5%, and in 1917 - by 30.4% compared to pre-war figures, and main reason there were diseases caused by malnutrition. The German economy suffered over 20% losses.

The historian Volkov cited data that the proportion of mobilized Germany to the total number of men aged 15-49 years was 81%, while for every thousand mobilized there were 154 killed and dead, respectively, for every thousand men aged 15-49 years, Germany lost 125 people , and the losses in terms of every thousand inhabitants of Germany amounted to 31 people.

Romania

Romania lost almost 7% of its entire population. Since the beginning of the World War, the Romanian government has taken the position of "armed waiting". In the political and military circles of the belligerent countries, the opinion prevailed that the entry into the war of small states could significantly change the course of events. Therefore, the Entente for a long time tried to win over Romania to its side. Romania's entry into the war in August 1916 on the side of Russia and the Entente did not strengthen, but, on the contrary, weakened the anti-German coalition. Although the number of the Romanian army reached 650 thousand, this figure hardly reflected the real combat capability. The state of the infrastructure was extremely poor, and a third of the army was forced to serve in the rear in order to provide at least some supply to combat units. Thus, Romania was able to send only 23 divisions to the front. The Romanian army proved to be an extremely weak ally, which forced Russia to send significant forces to its aid. Despite this, by the end of 1916, the Austro-German troops managed to occupy most of the Romanian territory and capture the capital of Romania - Bucharest. In the face of disaster, General Alekseev sent reinforcements to thwart Mackensen's advance into southwestern Russia. And by the summer of 1917, the Romanian army was already much better trained and equipped than in 1916, to which was added the determination in the troops not to miss the “last chance” to preserve the Romanian statehood. The offensive of the Austro-German troops under the command of Mackensen was stopped in the battle of Maresheshti. It is believed that the heroism of the Romanian soldiers shown there actually saved Romania from being withdrawn from the war, especially since the Russian units in these hostilities were rather passive due to the ever-increasing decomposition of the Russian army. By September 8, the front finally stabilized, and these were the last active hostilities on the Eastern Front in 1917.

After October revolution Russia withdrew from the war on April 24 (May 7), 1918, and Romania was surrounded on all sides by the troops of the Central Powers. Therefore, at the end of the year, the Romanian government agreed to conclude an armistice (signed in Focsani on November 26/December 9, 1917). And after the Brest Peace, the situation for Romania became so complicated that she was forced to start negotiations on a separate peace, which was concluded on April 24/May 7, 1918 (Bucharest Peace Treaty).

At the very end of 1918, during the collapse of Romania German Empire and Austria-Hungary re-entered the war, thus securing great territorial gains in the Treaty of Versailles. However, the hostilities themselves were disastrous for Romania.

Russia

Below are data on the losses of the Russian army in the First World War according to various sources (data from the Main Directorate General Staff Russian Army dated October 3, 1917; data of the Central Statistical Bureau of the USSR in 1925; calculations by N. N. Golovin, published in 1939).

According to Western sources, by the time of the exit from the war, the total losses of the Russian Imperial Army amounted to 1.7 million killed and died from wounds; 4.95 million wounded and 2.5 million prisoners of war

The historian Volkov cited data that the proportion of men mobilized in Russia to the total number of men aged 15-49 was 39%, while for every thousand mobilized there were 115 killed and dead, respectively, for every thousand men aged 15-49 years, Russia lost 45 people, and losses in terms of every thousand inhabitants of Russia amounted to 11 people.

Although the relative losses and the economic and internal problems of the other belligerents were worse than in Russia, Russia suffered huge losses after 1917, which were not compensated at the end of the war (although the human losses, in any case, could not be compensated), because Russia, although it fought for three years on the side of the Entente that won the war in the end, but in early 1918 the Bolshevik government signed a separate peace on the terms of the Central Powers. In particular, according to the peace treaty, Russia had to pay reparations to Germany. After the defeat of Germany in the war, independent states were formed in the territories seized from Russia with the support of the Entente.

Serbia

The most catastrophic losses of the First World War were for Serbia. During the year, the Serbian army, despite an acute shortage of uniforms and ammunition, held back the superior Austrian troops, preventing them from occupying the country's territory. After Bulgaria entered the war, the fate of Serbia was decided - its territory was occupied, and the remnants of the Serbian army retreated to Greece. As a result of mass starvation, epidemics and repression by the occupation authorities, more than 467 thousand Serbs (10% of the total population) died. The Serbian army lost almost a quarter of all those mobilized killed and was reduced from 400 to 100 thousand people during the four years of the war. In total, Serbia lost a sixth of its population in four years, the war left more than 100,000 disabled people and 500,000 orphans in the country. The consequences of that demographic catastrophe are still being felt.

France

French losses amounted to 306,000 killed in 1914, 334,000 in 1915, 217,000 in 1916, 121,000 in 1917, for a total of almost 1 million dead among the 19 million male population of France. The French infantry lost 22% of its combat strength. The greatest losses - about 30% - were suffered by the youngest age group of soldiers 18-25 years old. Many of the dead did not have time to marry, and a considerable number of young French women lost their chance to marry. The 630,000 widows were not in the best position either. In 1921 in France there were 11 women for every 9 men aged 20-39. 2,800,000 French were injured, 800,000 of them seriously. Many of the injured, returning from the front, preferred to settle in homes for the disabled or in specially built settlements. The French economy suffered serious losses of 11.2 billion dollars (more than 19% of the national wealth). The historian Volkov cited data that the proportion of men mobilized by France to the total number of men aged 15-49 was 79%, while for every thousand mobilized there were 168 killed and dead, respectively, for every thousand men aged 15-49, France lost 133 people , and the losses in terms of every thousand inhabitants of France amounted to 34 people.

Population, conscription and casualty data

Warring countries	Population (as of 1914)	Soldiers mobilized	Soldier died (all reasons)	Wounded soldier	Captured soldiers	Losses of civilians
Russian empire	175 137 800	15 378 000	1 670 000	3 749 000	3 342 900	1 070 000
France	39 601 509	6 800 000	1 293 464	2 800 000	506 000	160 000
United Kingdom	46 037 900	4 970 902	702 410	1 662 625	170 389	3 000
Italy	35 597 800	5 903 140	462 391	953 886	569 000	80 000
Greece	5 463 000	353 000	26 620	21 000	16 000	15 000
USA	99 111 000	4 734 991	116 708	204 002	4 500	757
Belgium	7 638 800	500 000	58 637	78 624	46 686	10 000
Romania	7 560 000	1 234 000	219 800	200 000	240 000	270 000
Serbia	4 428 600	707 343	127 535	133 148	152 958	340 000
Portugal	6 069 900	53 000	7 222	13 751	12 318	923
British India	321 800 000	1 440 437	64 449	128 000	11 264	6 000 000
Japan	52 312 100	30 000	415	907	3
Canada	7 692 800	628 964	56 639	149 732	3 729	3 830
Australia	4 921 800	412 953	59 330	152 171	4 084	6 300
New Zealand	1 149 200	128 525	16 711	41 317	498
Newfoundland	250 000	11 922	1 204	2 314	150
Union of South Africa	6 465 000	136 070	7 121	12 029	1 538
Republic of China	441 958 000	175 000	10 000			500
Montenegro	440 000	60 000	13 325	10 000	8 000	20 000
African colonies of France	52 700 000	1 394 500	115 000	266 000	51 000
Caribs		21 000	1 000	3 000
TOTAL ANTENTE	1 315 140 409	45 073 747	5 614 350	10 581 506	5 141 017	7 980 310
German Empire	67 790 000	13 251 000	2 036 897	4 216 058	993 109	135 000
Austria-Hungary	52 749 900	9 000 000	1 496 200	2 600 000	2 220 000	420 000
Bulgaria	4 535 000	685 000	88 224	155 023	24 619	105 000
Ottoman Empire	21 373 900	2 998 321	804 000	763 753	145 104	2 800 000
African colonies of Germany	12 300 000		14 000	31 085
TOTAL TRIPLE UNION	158 748 800	25 934 321	4 452 321	7 765 919	3 428 832	3 460 000
Total	1 473 889 209	71 008 068	10 066 671	18 347 425	8 569 849	11 440 310

It is difficult to determine the exact number of military casualties, since during the war the parties often used collective burials (in the form of mass graves), including mass graves, some of the burials were destroyed during the hostilities.

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Notes

Volkov S.V.(Russian). Article. Website of the historian S. V. Volkov (2004). Retrieved April 16, 2012. .
published: “Proceedings of the Commission for the Survey of the Sanitary Consequences of the War of 1914–1920.” (Ed. People's Commissariat of Health.) Issue. I. Page 158, 159.
Russia in World War 1914–1918 (in numbers). M .: Central Statistical Bureau of the USSR, military statistics department, 1925
Golovin N. N.
of which seriously wounded and dismissed from service 348 508
643,614 along with those who died from wounds (17,174)
along with those shell-shocked and poisoned during gas attacks
When calculating the dead, N. N. Golovin proceeded from the maximum possible number of the wounded calculated by him (4,200,000), assuming that the ratio of the number of killed and the number of wounded in the Russian army was the same as in France and Germany (approximately 1: 3.23) , and that in the Russian army the number of those who died from wounds was greater than in France or Germany - although on this account he himself gives the opposite statistics
4,200,000 wounded, of which 350,000 died - those who died from wounds were classified by N. Golovin as dead (1,300,000). It should be noted that N. N. Golovin has 4,200,000 wounded - this is also an estimated number
Armed forces mobilized and casualties in World War I // The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th edition. macropaedia. Vol.29. Chicago, 1994. p. 987
World History (Edition in 24 volumes. Vol. 19. First World War) / A. N. Badak, I. E. Voynich, N. M. Volchek and others. M .: Ast, Minsk: Harvest, Literature 1997-2001
TSB M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 (article "The Irish Rebellion of 1916").
It is also worth remembering that the Spanish flu pandemic broke out in the city, which claimed the lives of tens of millions of people. The article does not indicate the number of deaths from the Spanish flu (for statistics, see the Spanish flu article).
In total, in Russia in 1914 there were 40,080,000 men of military age
G. Krivosheev in his book () is based, as he himself writes, on the data of B.Ts. Urlanis (Urlanis B.Ts. Wars and population of Europe. - M .: 1960). However, Urlanis calculated the basic losses of the Russian army (killed in battles and died at the stages of sanitary evacuation - 1,200,000) purely theoretically - by a "simple" recalculation from the known military losses of the enemy armies on the Eastern Front, based on the controversial assumption that on the Russian front Russian army lost as many times more enemy killed as the Allied armies on the Western Front lost more than the German army, that is, 1.5 times. However, G. Krivoshein in his book also cites other data, in particular, data from the Central Statistical Administration of the USSR in 1925 (Russia in the World War of 1914-1918 (in numbers). TsSU, M., 1925) - killed in battle and died at the stages of sanitary evacuation 626 440 people. (not 1,200,000). Even less were the data of Gen. headquarters of the Russian army in the summer of 1917. B. Urlanis writes in his book (): " Unlike some other countries participating in the First World War in Russia, the General Staff of the Army had regular records of losses by their individual types. These data were summarized by the information department of the General Staff and published in the Proceedings of the Commission for the Survey of the Sanitary Consequences of the War. According to these data, the number of killed soldiers and officers of the Russian army amounted to 511,068 people. Later, the materials of the General Staff were processed by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and published for the first time in 1924 in the short reference book "The National Economy of the USSR in Figures". Then the same results were given in the collection "Russia in the World War of 1914-1918 (in numbers)", published by the Central Statistical Bureau in 1925. According to these final data, the number of Russian soldiers and officers killed was 626,440 people. This number was grouped according to the time of losses, according to rank and type of troops, but the same total appears in all tables: 626,440.". Thus, it is very likely that the total loss figures are actually less than about 574,000 people (1,200,000 - 626,440), and the total military losses of the Russian army are not 2,254,369 people (), and 1,670,000 people.
Of these, 340,000 died from hostilities, 730,000 from hunger and disease. Vadim Erlikhman Population loss in the 20th century. Directory. - Moscow., 2004., p. 132
In total, in France in 1914 there were 9,981,000 men of military age
Of these, 619,600 were killed in battle, 242,900 were missing and subsequently not found, 8,000 died from gas attacks, 220,000 died of wounds, 170,000 died of disease, 18,964 died in captivity, 14,000 accidents and suicides .
Of these, 130,000 died from hostilities, 30,000 from hunger and disease.
Of these, English 4,006,158, Welsh 272,924, Scots 557,618, Irish 134,202
There were 11,539,000 men of military age in Great Britain in 1914
Of these, 327,000 were killed in battle, 158,000 went missing and subsequently were not found, 8,000 died from gas attacks, 131,000 died from wounds, and 67,000 died from diseases.
All died as a result of hostilities
In total, in Italy in 1914 there were 7,767,000 men of military age
Of these, 373,000 were killed in action, missing and subsequently not found (this number includes 4,627 deaths from gas attacks, 47,000 deaths from wounds, 79,000 deaths from disease and 6,000 deaths in accidents), died in captivity (according to official statistics) 90,000.
Of these, in only one battle of Caporetto, 335,000 Italians were taken prisoner by the German-Austrian troops.
Of these, 10,000 died from hostilities, 70,000 from hunger and disease.
In total, in Greece in 1914 there were 1,235,000 men of military age
Of these, 6,365 were killed in battle, 3,255 went missing and subsequently were not found, 2,000 died of wounds, 15,000 died of disease.
Of these, 5,000 died from hostilities, 10,000 from hunger and disease.
Of these, 2,056,000 soldiers were transported to Europe
In total, there were 25,541,000 men of military age in the USA in 1914
Of these, 37,000 were killed in battle, 37,000 went missing and subsequently were not found, 14,000 died of wounds, 1,462 died from gas attacks, 58,000 died of disease, 4,421 accidents, 272 suicides, 154 murders, died in captivity 400
Of these, 128 people died during the crash of the Lusitania liner.
In total, there were 1,924,000 men of military age in Belgium in 1914
Of these, 28,958 were killed in battle or died of wounds, 28,587 died of disease, went missing and were subsequently not found, 1,002 died in captivity
In total, in Romania in 1914 there were 1,900,000 men of military age
Of these, 116,300 died of wounds, 30,000 died of disease, 70,500 died in captivity, and 3,000 were accidents.
Of these, 120,000 died from hostilities, 150,000 from hunger and disease.
In total, in Serbia in 1914 there were 1,115,000 men of military age
Of these, 45,000 were killed in battle, died of wounds, went missing and subsequently were not found, 72,553 died in captivity (according to official statistics).
Of these, 110,000 died from hostilities, 230,000 from hunger and disease.
In total, in Portugal in 1914 there were 1,315,000 men of military age
Of these, 5,000 were killed in battle, went missing and subsequently were not found, 1,000 died of wounds, 1,000 died of diseases.
Altogether there were 82,600,000 men of draft age in British India in 1914
Of these, 24,000 were killed in battle, went missing and subsequently were not found, 3,000 died of wounds, 3,500 died in captivity
All died from starvation and disease
In total, there were 2,320,000 men of military age in Canada in 1914
Of these, 39,739 were killed in battle, 801 went missing and subsequently were not found, 325 died from gas attacks, 13,340 died of wounds, 3,919 died of disease, 397 died in captivity, 809 accidents and suicides.
In total, there were 1,370,000 men of military age in Australia in 1914
Of these, 41,000 were killed in battle, went missing and subsequently were not found, 12,000 died of wounds, and 1,029 were accidents.
There were 320,000 men of military age in New Zealand in 1914
Of these, 10,000 were killed in battle, went missing and subsequently were not found, 4,000 died of wounds, 60 died in captivity
In total, in the Union of South Africa in 1914 there were 1,700,000 men of military age
Of these, 4,000 were killed in battle, went missing and subsequently were not found, 1,000 died of wounds, 100 died in captivity
In total, there were about 114,025,000 men of military age in China
They were mostly not soldiers, but volunteer workers.
Mostly died from disease.
Chinese civilians sunk by German submarines.
In total, in Montenegro in 1914 there were 110,000 men of military age
2,000 died in captivity
Of these, 10,000 died from hostilities, 10,000 from hunger and disease.
In total, in the African colonies of France in 1914 there were 13,200,000 men of military age
In total, there were 16,316,000 men of military age in the German Empire in 1914
Of these, 1,373,000 were killed in battle, 100,000 were missing and subsequently not found, 3,000 died from gas attacks, 320,000 died of wounds, 166,000 died of disease, 55,899 died in captivity, 13,410 accidents, suicides 5,106, murders 294.
Of these, 5,000 died from hostilities, 130,000 from hunger and disease.
Of these, Austrians - 2,250,000, Hungarians - 2,070,000, Czechs and Slovaks - 1,530,000, Yugoslavs - 990,000, Poles - 720,000, Ukrainians - 720,000, Romanians - 630,000, Italians - 90,000
In total, there were 12,176,000 men of military age in Austria-Hungary in 1914
Of these, 478,000 died in captivity (according to official statistics), 300,000 died from diseases and wounds (according to official statistics).
Of these, Austrians - 410,000, Hungarians - 810,000, Romanians - 450,000, Czechs and Slovaks - 380,000, Yugoslavs - 400,000
Of these, Austrians - 280,000, Hungarians - 670,000, Czechs and Slovaks - 350,000, Yugoslavs - 170,000, other peoples - 20,000
Of these, 120,000 died from hostilities, 300,000 from hunger and disease.
In total, in Bulgaria in 1914 there were 1,100,000 men of military age
Of these, 48,917 were killed in battle, 13,198 died of wounds, 24,497 died of diseases, 888 accidents, 8,000 died in captivity
Of these, 5,000 died from hostilities, 100,000 from hunger and disease.
In total, there were 5,425,000 men of military age in the Ottoman Empire
Of these, 236,707 were killed in battle, 68,378 died of wounds, 466,759 died of diseases, and 16,000 died in captivity.
Of these, 100,000 died from hostilities, 500,000 from hunger and disease. Also, 1,000,000 died during the Armenian genocide, 500,000 Aisors (Assyrians) genocide, 500,000 Kurds, 100,000 Greeks, 100,000 other peoples

Literature

Golovin N.N.. Paris, 1939.
Keegan D. World War I Moscow, 576 pp. 2004 ISBN 5-17-012437-6
Mernikov A. G., Spektor A. A. World history of wars. - Minsk., 2005.
Urlanis B. Ts. Wars and the population of Europe. - Moscow., 1960.
Erlikhman V.V. Population loss in the 20th century. - M .: Russian panorama, 2004. - 176 p. - (The whole world). - 1500 copies. - ISBN 5-93165-107-1.
World War in numbers. - M .: Voengiz, 1934. - S. 22.
Utkin A.I. Forgotten tragedy. Russia in the First World War. - Smolensk, 2000. - p. 27
Thomas Mitchell. Casualties and Medical Statistics of the Great War. - London. - Battery Press, 1997. - 382p. - ISBN 0-898-39263-2.

Links

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Prerequisites

Effects

An excerpt characterizing the losses in the First World War

A tall, beautiful lady with a huge plait and very bare, white, full shoulders and neck, on which there was a double string of large pearls, entered the neighboring benoir, and sat down for a long time, rustling her thick silk dress.
Natasha involuntarily peered into this neck, shoulders, pearls, hairstyle and admired the beauty of the shoulders and pearls. While Natasha was already peering at her for the second time, the lady looked around and, meeting her eyes with Count Ilya Andreich, nodded her head and smiled at him. It was Countess Bezukhova, Pierre's wife. Ilya Andreich, who knew everyone in the world, leaned over and spoke to her.
“Long time ago, Countess?” he spoke. - I'll come, I'll come, I'll kiss your hand. But I came here on business and brought my girls with me. They say Semyonova plays incomparably,” said Ilya Andreevich. - Count Pyotr Kirillovich never forgot us. He is here?
“Yes, he wanted to come in,” Helen said and looked at Natasha carefully.
Count Ilya Andreich again sat down in his place.
- Is it good? he whispered to Natasha.
- Miracle! - said Natasha, - you can fall in love! At this time, the last chords of the overture sounded and the bandmaster's stick rattled. In the parterre, belated men went to their places and the curtain rose.
As soon as the curtain rose, everything fell silent in the boxes and stalls, and all the men, old and young, in uniforms and tailcoats, all the women in precious stones on their naked bodies, with greedy curiosity directed all their attention to the stage. Natasha also began to look.

On the stage there were even boards in the middle, painted pictures depicting trees stood on the sides, and a canvas on boards was stretched behind. In the middle of the stage were girls in red corsages and white skirts. One, very fat, in a white silk dress, was sitting especially on a low stool, to which green cardboard was pasted at the back. They all sang something. When they finished their song, the girl in white went up to the prompter's booth, and a man in tight-fitting silk pantaloons on thick legs, with a feather and a dagger, came up to her and began to sing and spread his arms.
The man in tight trousers sang alone, then she sang. Then they both fell silent, the music began to play, and the man began to run his fingers over the hand of the girl in the white dress, obviously waiting for the beat again to begin his part with her. They sang together, and everyone in the theater began to clap and shout, and the man and woman on the stage, who portrayed lovers, began to bow, smiling and spreading their arms.
After the village, and in the serious mood in which Natasha was, all this was wild and surprising to her. She could not follow the progress of the opera, could not even hear the music: she saw only painted cardboard and strangely dressed men and women moving, talking and singing strangely in the bright light; she knew what all this was supposed to represent, but it was all so pretentiously false and unnatural that she felt ashamed of the actors, then laughed at them. She looked around her, at the faces of the spectators, looking for in them the same sense of mockery and bewilderment that was in her; but all the faces were attentive to what was happening on the stage and expressed feigned, as it seemed to Natasha, admiration. "It must be so necessary!" thought Natasha. She alternately looked either at these rows of pomaded heads in the stalls, or at the naked women in the boxes, especially at her neighbor Helen, who, completely undressed, with a quiet and calm smile, without taking her eyes off the stage, feeling the bright light spilled throughout the hall and the warm, crowd-warmed air. Natasha, little by little, began to come into a state of intoxication she had not experienced for a long time. She did not remember what she was and where she was and what was happening before her. She looked and thought, and the strangest thoughts suddenly, without connection, flashed through her head. Now she had the idea of jumping up on the ramp and singing the aria that the actress sang, then she wanted to hook the old man who was sitting not far from her with a fan, then to lean over to Helen and tickle her.
At one of the minutes, when everything was quiet on the stage, waiting for the beginning of the aria, the front door of the parterre creaked, on the side where the Rostovs' box was, and the steps of a belated man sounded. "Here he is Kuragin!" whispered Shinshin. Countess Bezukhova, smiling, turned to the incoming person. Natasha looked in the direction of Countess Bezukhova's eyes and saw an unusually handsome adjutant, with a self-confident and at the same time courteous look, approaching their box. It was Anatole Kuragin, whom she had long seen and noticed at the St. Petersburg ball. He was now in the uniform of an aide-de-camp, with one epaulette and an exelbane. He walked with a restrained, valiant gait, which would have been ridiculous if he were not so good-looking and if there were not such an expression of good-natured contentment and merriment on his beautiful face. Despite the fact that the action was going on, he, slowly, slightly rattling his spurs and saber, smoothly and high carrying his perfumed beautiful head, walked along the carpet of the corridor. Glancing at Natasha, he went up to his sister, put his gloved hand on the edge of her box, shook her head and leaned over to ask something, pointing to Natasha.
Mais charmante! [Very nice!] - he said, obviously about Natasha, as she not only heard, but understood from the movement of his lips. Then he went into the first row and sat down beside Dolokhov, friendly and casually elbowing that Dolokhov, whom others treated so ingratiatingly. He winked merrily, smiled at him and put his foot on the ramp.
How similar brother and sister are! the count said. And how good both are!
Shinshin in an undertone began to tell the count some story of Kuragin's intrigue in Moscow, to which Natasha listened precisely because he said charmante about her.
The first act ended, everyone in the stalls got up, got mixed up and began to walk and go out.
Boris came to the Rostovs' box, very simply accepted congratulations and, raising his eyebrows, with an absent-minded smile, conveyed to Natasha and Sonya the request of his bride to be at her wedding, and left. Natasha, with a cheerful and coquettish smile, talked to him and congratulated on his marriage the same Boris with whom she had been in love before. In the state of intoxication in which she was, everything seemed simple and natural.
Naked Helen sat beside her and smiled the same way at everyone; and Natasha smiled at Boris in exactly the same way.
Helen's box was filled and surrounded on the parterre side by the most distinguished and intelligent men, who, it seemed, vying with each other wanted to show everyone that they knew her.
Kuragin stood all this intermission with Dolokhov in front of the ramp, looking at the Rostov box. Natasha knew that he was talking about her, and it gave her pleasure. She even turned so that he could see her profile, in her opinion, in the most advantageous position. Before the start of the second act, the figure of Pierre appeared in the stalls, whom the Rostovs had not seen since their arrival. His face was sad, and he had grown even fatter since Natasha had last seen him. He, not noticing anyone, went to the front rows. Anatole went up to him and began to say something to him, looking and pointing to the Rostov box. Pierre, seeing Natasha, perked up and hurriedly, along the rows, went to their bed. Going up to them, he leaned on his elbows and, smiling, talked for a long time with Natasha. During her conversation with Pierre, Natasha heard a male voice in the box of Countess Bezukhova and for some reason found out that it was Kuragin. She looked back and met his eyes. He looked almost smiling straight into her eyes with such an admiring, affectionate look that it seemed strange to be so close to him, to look at him like that, to be so sure that he liked you, and not to be familiar with him.
In the second act there were paintings depicting monuments and there was a hole in the canvas depicting the moon, and the lampshades on the ramp were raised, and trumpets and double basses began to play bass, and many people in black robes came out to the right and left. People began to wave their hands, and in their hands they had something like daggers; then some other people came running and began to drag away that girl who was formerly in white, but now in a blue dress. They didn’t drag her away right away, but sang with her for a long time, and then they dragged her away, and behind the scenes they hit something metal three times, and everyone knelt down and sang a prayer. Several times all these actions were interrupted by the enthusiastic cries of the audience.
During this act, every time Natasha looked into the stalls, she saw Anatole Kuragin, throwing his arm over the back of the chair and looking at her. She was pleased to see that he was so captivated by her, and it did not occur to her that there was something bad in this.
When the second act was over, Countess Bezukhova got up, turned to the Rostovs' box (her chest was completely bare), beckoned the old count to her with a gloved finger, and not paying attention to those who entered her box, she began talking to him kindly smiling.
“Yes, introduce me to your lovely daughters,” she said, “the whole city is shouting about them, but I don’t know them.
Natasha got up and sat down to the magnificent countess. Natasha was so pleased with the praise of this brilliant beauty that she blushed with pleasure.
“Now I also want to become a Muscovite,” Helen said. - And how shameless you are to bury such pearls in the village!
Countess Bezukhaya, in fairness, had a reputation as a charming woman. She could say what she did not think, and especially flatter, quite simply and naturally.
- No, dear count, you let me take care of your daughters. At least I won't be here for long. And you too. I will try to amuse yours. I heard a lot about you in St. Petersburg, and I wanted to get to know you, ”she said to Natasha with her uniformly beautiful smile. - I heard about you from my page - Drubetskoy. Did you hear he's getting married? And from a friend of my husband - Bolkonsky, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, - she said with special emphasis, hinting that she knew his relationship with Natasha. - She asked, in order to get to know each other better, to allow one of the young ladies to sit the rest of the performance in her box, and Natasha went over to her.
In the third act, a palace was presented on the stage, in which many candles burned and paintings depicting knights with beards were hung. In the middle were probably the king and queen. The king waved his right hand, and, apparently shy, sang something badly, and sat down on the crimson throne. The girl, who was first in white, then in blue, was now dressed in one shirt with loose hair and stood near the throne. She sang about something sadly, turning to the queen; but the king waved his hand sternly, and men with bare legs and women with bare legs came out from the sides, and they all began to dance together. Then the violins began to play very thinly and cheerfully, one of the girls with bare thick legs and thin arms, separating from the others, went backstage, straightened her corsage, went to the middle and began to jump and soon beat one foot against the other. Everyone in the stalls clapped their hands and shouted bravo. Then one man stood in a corner. In the orchestra, cymbals and trumpets began to play louder, and this one man with bare legs began to jump very high and mince his legs. (This man was Duport, who received 60 thousand a year for this art.) Everyone in the stalls, in the boxes and the raike began to clap and shout with all their might, and the man stopped and began to smile and bow in all directions. Then others danced, with bare legs, men and women, then again one of the kings shouted something to the music, and everyone began to sing. But suddenly a storm broke out, chromatic scales and chords of a diminished seventh were heard in the orchestra, and everyone ran and dragged again one of those present backstage, and the curtain fell. Again a terrible noise and crackling arose between the spectators, and everyone, with enthusiastic faces, began to shout: Duport! Duport! Duport! Natasha no longer found this strange. She looked around with pleasure, smiling happily.
- N "est ce pas qu" il est admirable - Duport? [Isn't it true that Duport is delightful?] - said Helen, turning to her.
- Oh, oui, [Oh, yes,] - Natasha answered.

During the intermission, there was a smell of cold in Helen's box, the door opened and, bending down and trying not to catch anyone, Anatole entered.
“Let me introduce my brother to you,” Helen said, uneasily shifting her eyes from Natasha to Anatole. Natasha turned her pretty head over her bare shoulder to the handsome man and smiled. Anatole, who was as good up close as he was from a distance, sat down next to her and said that he had long wanted to have this pleasure, ever since the Naryshkin ball, at which he had had the pleasure, which he had not forgotten, to see her. Kuragin with women was much smarter and simpler than in male society. He spoke boldly and simply, and Natasha was strangely and pleasantly struck by the fact that not only was there nothing so terrible in this man, about whom so much was said, but that, on the contrary, he had the most naive, cheerful and good-natured smile.
Kuragin asked about the impression of the performance and told her about how Semyonova, playing in the last performance, fell.
“Do you know, Countess,” he said, suddenly addressing her as if he were an old acquaintance, “we are having a carousel in costumes; you should participate in it: it will be very fun. Everyone gathers at the Karagins. Please come, right, eh? he said.
Saying this, he did not take his smiling eyes off his face, from his neck, from Natasha's bare hands. Natasha undoubtedly knew that he admired her. It was pleasant for her, but for some reason it became cramped and hard for her from his presence. When she did not look at him, she felt that he was looking at her shoulders, and she involuntarily intercepted his gaze so that he would better look at her eyes. But, looking into his eyes, she felt with fear that between him and her there was not at all that barrier of shame that she always felt between herself and other men. She herself, not knowing how, after five minutes felt terribly close to this man. When she turned away, she was afraid that he would take her bare hand from behind, kiss her on the neck. They talked about the simplest things and she felt that they were close, like she had never been with a man. Natasha looked back at Helen and at her father, as if asking them what it meant; but Helen was busy talking to some general and did not return her glance, and her father's glance told her nothing, only that he always said: "fun, well, I'm glad."
In one of the minutes of awkward silence, during which Anatole calmly and stubbornly looked at her with his bulging eyes, Natasha, in order to break this silence, asked him how he liked Moscow. Natasha asked and blushed. It constantly seemed to her that she was doing something indecent when talking to him. Anatole smiled, as if encouraging her.
– At first I didn’t like it much, because what makes a city pleasant is ce sont les jolies femmes, [pretty women,] isn’t it? Well, now I like it very much,” he said, looking at her significantly. “Are you going to the carousel, Countess?” Go," he said, and reaching out to her bouquet, lowering his voice, he said, "Vous serez la plus jolie." Venez, chere comtesse, et comme gage donnez moi cette fleur. [You will be the prettiest. Go, dear countess, and give me this flower as a pledge.]
Natasha did not understand what he said, just like he himself, but she felt that there was indecent intent in his incomprehensible words. She didn't know what to say and turned away as if she hadn't heard what he said. But as soon as she turned away, she thought that he was behind her so close to her.
“What is he now? Is he confused? Angry? Need to fix this?" she asked herself. She couldn't help but look back. She looked him straight in the eyes, and his intimacy and confidence, and the good-natured tenderness of his smile won her over. She smiled exactly as he did, looking straight into his eyes. And again she felt with horror that there was no barrier between him and her.
The curtain went up again. Anatole left the box, calm and cheerful. Natasha returned to her father in the box, already completely subordinate to the world in which she was. Everything that happened before her already seemed quite natural to her; but for that, all her former thoughts about her fiancé, about Princess Mary, about village life never once entered her head, as if everything had been long, long past.
In the fourth act there was some kind of devil who sang, waving his hand until the boards were pulled out under him, and he sank down there. Natasha only saw this from the fourth act: something worried and tormented her, and the cause of this excitement was Kuragin, whom she involuntarily followed with her eyes. As they left the theatre, Anatole approached them, called their carriage, and helped them up. As he lifted Natasha up, he shook her hand above the elbow. Natasha, excited and red, looked back at him. He, shining with his eyes and gently smiling, looked at her.

Only when she arrived home, Natasha could clearly think about everything that had happened to her, and suddenly remembering Prince Andrei, she was horrified, and in front of everyone for tea, for which everyone sat down after the theater, she gasped loudly and flushed ran out of the room. - "My God! I died! she said to herself. How could I let this happen?" she thought. For a long time she sat covering her flushed face with her hands, trying to give herself a clear account of what had happened to her, and could neither understand what had happened to her, nor what she felt. Everything seemed to her dark, indistinct and frightening. There, in this huge, illuminated hall, where Duport jumped on wet boards to the music with bare legs in a jacket with sequins, both girls and old men, and Helen, naked with a calm and proud smile, shouted bravo in delight - there, under the shadow of this Helen , there it was all clear and simple; but now alone, with herself, it was incomprehensible. - "What it is? What is this fear that I felt for him? What is this pangs of conscience that I feel now? she thought.
To one old countess, Natasha would be able to tell everything that she thought in bed at night. Sonya, she knew, with her stern and solid look, either would not have understood anything, or would have been horrified by her confession. Natasha, alone with herself, tried to resolve what tormented her.
“Did I die for the love of Prince Andrei or not? she asked herself, and answered herself with a reassuring smile: What kind of fool am I that I ask this? What happened to me? Nothing. I didn't do anything, I didn't cause it. No one will know, and I will never see him again, she told herself. It became clear that nothing had happened, that there was nothing to repent of, that Prince Andrei could love me like this. But what kind? Oh my God, my God! why isn't he here?" Natasha calmed down for a moment, but then again some instinct told her that although all this was true and although there was nothing, instinct told her that all her former purity of love for Prince Andrei had died. And she again in her imagination repeated her entire conversation with Kuragin and imagined the face, gestures and gentle smile of this handsome and courageous man, while he shook her hand.

Anatole Kuragin lived in Moscow because his father sent him away from St. Petersburg, where he lived on more than twenty thousand a year in money and the same amount of debt that creditors demanded from his father.
The father announced to his son that he was paying half of his debts for the last time; but only so that he would go to Moscow to take up the post of adjutant to the commander-in-chief, which he secured for him, and would finally try to make a good match there. He pointed out to him Princess Mary and Julie Karagina.
Anatole agreed and went to Moscow, where he stayed with Pierre. Pierre received Anatole reluctantly at first, but then got used to him, sometimes went with him to his revels and, under the pretext of a loan, gave him money.
Anatole, as Shinshin rightly said about him, since he arrived in Moscow, drove all Moscow ladies crazy, especially by the fact that he neglected them and obviously preferred gypsies and French actresses to them, with the head of which - mademoiselle Georges, as they said, he was in close contact. He did not miss a single revelry at Danilov and other merry fellows of Moscow, he drank all night long, drinking everyone, and visited all the evenings and balls of high society. They told about several intrigues of him with Moscow ladies, and at balls he courted some. But with girls, especially with rich brides, who were for the most part all bad, he did not get close, especially since Anatole, which no one knew except his closest friends, was married two years ago. Two years ago, while his regiment was stationed in Poland, a poor Polish landowner forced Anatole to marry his daughter.
Anatole very soon abandoned his wife, and for the money that he agreed to send to his father-in-law, he reprimanded himself for the right to be known as a bachelor.
Anatole was always pleased with his position, himself and others. He was instinctively convinced with his whole being that it was impossible for him to live otherwise than as he lived, and that he had never done anything wrong in his life. He was unable to consider how his actions might resonate with others, nor what might come out of such or such an act of his. He was convinced that just as a duck was created in such a way that it must always live in water, so he was created by God in such a way that he must live on thirty thousand income and always occupy the highest position in society. He so firmly believed in this that, looking at him, others were convinced of this and did not deny him either the highest position in the world, or the money that he obviously borrowed without return from the counter and cross.
He was not a player, at least he never wanted to win. He was not conceited. He didn't care what anyone thought of him. Still less could he be guilty of ambition. He teased his father several times, spoiling his career, and laughed at all the accolades. He was not stingy and did not refuse anyone who asked him. The only thing he loved was fun and women, and since, according to his concepts, there was nothing ignoble in these tastes, and he could not consider what came out for other people from satisfying his tastes, then in his soul he considered himself an irreproachable person, sincerely despised scoundrels and bad people, and with a clear conscience carried his head high.

Briefly about the losses in the First World War, one can only say that they were colossal. Human, economic, cultural. At the same time, not only the losing countries suffered losses, but also the states that were considered winners.

Germany

The greatest losses, in short, in the First World War, undoubtedly suffered Germany. More than 56% of the number of those mobilized, and this is almost 7.5 million people, were killed, wounded, or went missing during the war years. Considerable losses were also among the civilian population, associated primarily with hunger.
The country's economy has also suffered greatly. Thus, the volume of industrial production decreased by more than half compared to pre-war. The state lost ¾ of the annual production of iron ore, a quarter - coal, more than 30% - steel. The country's financial system also suffered.
According to the Treaty of Versailles, in which Germany was declared the main instigator of the war, and therefore had to bear the main responsibility for it, the former Kaiser's empire also suffered significant territorial, military and financial losses.

Austria-Hungary

As for human losses, about 9 million people aged 15 to 49 were mobilized to the front. And more than 50% of them were killed, wounded or captured.
Actually, Austria-Hungary ceased to exist as a result of the war, and its territory was divided between the countries that formed instead of it and neighboring states.
The losses of Austria, which occupied a dominant role in the former empire, include the territories of the Czech Republic (became part of Czechoslovakia), Slovenia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and another part of the lands that were ceded to the newly created Yugoslavia. In addition, the South Tyrolean territories went to Italy, and Galicia and Lodomeria to Poland.

Ottoman Empire

Equally deplorable were the results of the First World War for the Ottoman Empire. After the end of the conflict, she disappeared from the world political map, and its territories were divided between the new states and the victorious countries.
And, of course, hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded, millions of crippled lives.

Russia

The outcome of the First World War for Russia was unique. She lost to a country that itself was defeated.
The human losses of Russia in the First World War, in short, were estimated at more than 11 million people, which amounted to about 65% of the number called up for the front (it should be noted that these figures vary significantly according to various sources).
The country's economy was also seriously affected. The fall in industrial production, the cessation of large factories and, as a result, the growth of unemployment, the food problem and inflation - all this was the result of a military conflict that the empire entered in the sunset of its existence.
At the same time, unlike its former allies, the Russian side received absolutely no compensation for its losses, as it left the war before Germany capitulated. And as a result of the separate Brest peace treaty signed between Germany and the Bolsheviks, she also lost several of her territories, on which, after the surrender of the Central Powers, independent states were formed.

United Kingdom

The British Empire suffered the biggest economic losses, over US$24 billion. In addition, its external debt at the end of the war exceeded 850 million in national currency. At the same time, the volume of British foreign trade decreased by almost half compared with pre-war.
A significant part of the navy and almost half of the trade was also lost.
However, the human losses were even more tangible. In land and naval battles the country lost about 3 million people. True, most of them survived, but were seriously injured and crippled. At the same time, the bodies of more than half a million British soldiers were never found (sunken and missing during the battles).

France

The French territory, which had been heavily fought since the first days of the war, also suffered huge losses. Lands where nothing grew, ruined cities, small settlements and enterprises. In total, more than 900 houses and 10,000 businesses were destroyed. The total damage was estimated at 200 billion francs. Reduced not only the volume of industrial production, but also agricultural. Exports also decreased several times. At the same time, an external debt was formed in the amount of about 7 billion US dollars.
During the fierce battles, France lost, according to various estimates, from 3 to 5 million of its citizens killed, wounded and captured.

During the First World War, the confrontation unfolded between military-political bloc"Atlanta", which included Great Britain, France and the Russian Empire (later a republic), and allies (more than twenty states acted on the side of "Atlanta") on one side and the powers of the Quadruple Union (Second Reich, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and the Third Bulgarian kingdom) on the other. Neutrality was maintained by European Albania, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and several other countries.

Brief summary

The results of the conflict were disappointing for everyone. The consequences of World War 1 are (briefly) as follows:

Human losses: "Atlanta" - 5.6 million out of 45 million mobilized, civilian - 7.9 million; opponents - 4.4 million out of 25.9 million soldiers, civilians - 3.4 million.
The main territorial consequences of World War I are the redistribution of borders and the cessation of the existence of four powerful empires.
Political results - the establishment of the United States as a world leader, the transition to a new legal system.
Economic consequences - decline National economy, the loss of national wealth. Against the background of the conflict, only two countries managed to improve their economic situation.

The loss of life of the Quadruple Union

Austria-Hungary, after the declaration of war, mobilized 74% of the male population from 15 to 49 years old. For every thousand soldiers, on average, about 122 were killed by Atlanta and died from other causes on the battlefields. Human losses in terms of the entire population of the empire amounted to 18 people per thousand citizens.

In Germany, the number of those mobilized amounted to 81% of the entire male population from 15 to 49 years old. Most of the losses were among young people born in 1892-1895, thousands of Germans returned from the war disabled. For a thousand soldiers, the losses of the Second Reich were approximately 154 people, and if in terms of the entire population - 31 people per 1,000 citizens of the empire. In 1916, female mortality in Germany increased by 11% from the pre-war level, and by 1917 - by 30%. The main causes of death were diseases caused by chronic malnutrition.

Of the 685 thousand soldiers of Bulgaria, 88 thousand died. The Ottoman Empire mobilized almost three million men (out of a population of 21.3 million), one in four of them died. In total, the powers of the Quadruple Union sent almost 26 million males to the war, every sixth (almost four and a half million men) died on the battlefields.

Losses of "Atlanta" and allies

British casualties - more than seven hundred thousand soldiers out of almost five million; France - 1.3 million out of 6.8; Italy - 462 thousand out of almost six million; USA - 116 thousand out of 4.7 million; Russian Empire- 1.6 million people out of 15.3 million mobilized.

Damage to the global economy

The consequence of World War 1 was a reduction in sown areas by more than 22%, grain harvest - by 37% of the pre-war years. In France alone, for example, almost eight thousand railway lines, almost five thousand bridges, twenty thousand factories and more than three hundred thousand residential buildings were destroyed during the hostilities.

Metal smelting was reduced by 43% from the pre-war level, and other industries also suffered significantly. The public debt of Germany has grown 63 times, the UK - almost nine times. In 1921, three years after the establishment of peace, twenty thousand German marks were given for one pound sterling.

Territorial losses

The results and consequences of World War I are also expressed in a large-scale redistribution of the boundaries of the Old World. The Second Reich lost more than 13% of its territories, the Ottoman Empire (more precisely, not an empire, but Turkey) - 68%. Austria-Hungary ceased to exist altogether. Subsequently, Hungary settled down on 13% of the territory of the empire, Austria - on 12%. The remaining territories became part of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Romania. Only 7% were “pinched off” from Bulgaria.

Russia, which was part of Atlanta, lost 15% of its territory. Some of them passed to Poland, some went to Latvia, Finland and Romania. Part of these lands in 1939-1940. brought back the Soviet Union.

Political results

As a result of the First World War, new states appeared on the map, and the United States became leaders. Europe, as the center of the colonial world, no longer existed, since four powerful empires disappeared: German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman. It was after the First World War that a new legal system was laid in the world, class, ethnic and interstate contradictions aggravated, social processes that arose at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries turned out to be frozen.

Economic consequences

The economic consequences of World War I were a heavy burden for both the winners and the losers. Direct military losses amounted to more than two hundred billion US dollars, which was twelve times the gold reserves of European states. A third of the national wealth of the Old World was destroyed.

Only the United States and Japan increased their income during the years of conflict. Japan has established a monopoly on trade in southeast Asia, and the US has established itself as a leader in the international arena. The national wealth of the States for 1914-1918 increased by 40% of the pre-war level, the volume of trade with other countries doubled, and the value of export products tripled.

The social consequences of World War I are hunger, crime, fatherlessness, increased rates of alcohol consumption and frequent illness.