What is the most terrible war in the world. The largest civil wars

Throughout its history, humanity has been at war. After all, with the help of a weapon it is so easy to take something from a neighbor. However, he also rushes to defend himself. Armed conflicts take lives. In attempts to radically change the world or seize vast territories, people are ready to kill millions of their own kind.

One Swiss researcher, Jean-Jacques Babel, came to the conclusion that in the entire known history of mankind, over the past 5,500 years, we have lived in the world for only 292 years. And there were different wars - some local and bloodless, while others were global, which carried away a significant part of the planet's population. Our story will be about the bloodiest wars in history.

Thanks to the genius of Napoleon, the history of France took a sharp turn. Until recently, the country, drained of blood by the revolution, barely fought off the attacks of the interventionists. But suddenly the French army itself began to actively participate in the redistribution of European political map. The wars that Napoleon waged from 1799 to 1815 were called Napoleonic. The commander cherished plans for large-scale conquests even before he became First Consul. And having received power, he began to realize his dream. The Napoleonic Wars included the Hanoverian Campaign, the War of the Third Coalition with the participation of Russia, Austria and France in 1805, the War of the Fourth Coalition, where Prussia took the place of Austria in 1806-1807. This period ended with the Peace of Tilsit. But in 1809 the war of the Fifth Coalition with Austria took place, in 1812 - Patriotic War. After it, the War of the Sixth Coalition also took place. European countries who opposed Bonaparte. And the war that shook the continent with the period of the “Hundred Days” and Waterloo ended. A series of wars for the redistribution of influence in Europe cost the lives of 3.5 million people. However, some historians consider this figure to be underestimated by half.

The 1917 revolution in Russia turned into a devastating Civil War. Some fought for new power and imaginary freedoms, others tried to return the previous regime, and others simply strove to seize territory or gain sovereignty. Everything was mixed up in this bloody mess - brother went against brother, father fought with son. As a result, the Civil War in Russia claimed the lives of at least 5.5 million people, although there is even talk of 9 million. For the entire population of the planet, losses amounted to only about half a percent. It may seem like a little, but for our country the confrontation between the Reds and the Whites turned out to have dire consequences. It is no coincidence that General Denikin canceled all awards in his army. How can we celebrate people who kill their own fellow citizens? And the Civil War did not end in 1920 with the evacuation of the last White Guards from Crimea. The Bolsheviks suppressed the last pockets of resistance in Primorye until 1923, and the Basmachi Central Asia gave no rest new government until the early 1940s.

These events began in 1862 in Northwest China. National minorities, who were tired of the oppression of the Chinese and Manchu feudal lords, opposed the Qing Empire. But English-speaking historians see the reasons for the uprising in religious contradictions, and in class and racial contradictions, which were also caused by economic reasons. Muslim Chinese had previously opposed the imperial regime, but in 1862 a favorable situation arose - the army was engaged in suppressing other uprisings. So in May 1862, a rebellion broke out in the provinces of Shanxi and Gansu. The rebels did not have a unified government; the clergy, who declared war on the infidels, tried to direct the movement in the right direction. Mosques became the center of the rebellion; warehouses and hospitals were set up there. Explosion religious fanaticism led to a bloody massacre. Over time, the authorities collected powerful army and brutally suppressed the uprising. In total, according to various estimates, from 8 to 12 million people died in that war. And the remaining Dungans fled so far that they reached Russian Empire. Today, the descendants of the Chinese rebels still live in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan.

Historians believe that it was during the Tang Dynasty that China reached its maximum greatness, surpassing other world countries in development. And the civil war that broke out in this era became no less grandiose. Historians call those events the Ai Lushan Rebellion. Emperor Xuanzong, together with his beloved concubine Yang-Guifei, especially singled out the Turk Ai Lushan who served them. Advisors singled him out, considering him harmless compared to other Chinese dignitaries. The mercenary concentrated enormous power and army in his hands, controlling 3 of the 10 border provinces of the empire. In 755, Ai Lushan rebelled and marched on the capital, under the pretext of overthrowing the courtiers who were hated by his soldiers. Many imperial officials went over to the side of the nomad army and were promised immunity. Soon Ai Lushan stopped hiding his true goals and declared himself emperor and founder of a new dynasty. During the crisis, the emperor abdicated the throne, and his heirs called on foreigners for help. In 757, the sleeping rebel leader was killed by his own eunuch, but Ai Lushan’s death was hidden for a long time. The rebellion was finally suppressed only in February 763. The number of victims turned out to be unimaginable for that time - at least 13 million people. According to official data, the number of taxpayers decreased by 36 million people. In this case, this reduced the entire human population by 15 percent. In this case, this conflict generally became the largest in history until the Second World War.

In his novel The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald, through the mouth of a character, called those events “the belated migration of the Teutonic tribes.” The First World War was called as many different names as possible: a great, European war against war. But it went down in history thanks to the name invented by the Times columnist Colonel Charles Repington, and even then after 1939. And the basics global conflict began to be laid back in late XIX century. Germany began to claim leading roles and acquired colonies. In the Middle East, the interests of all the leading countries collided, trying to grab pieces of the collapsing Ottoman Empire. Multinational Austria-Hungary was also a hot boiler. The signal for the start of the war was the shooting in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, when the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand was killed. The truce came only on November 11, 1918. During that war, as many as four empires disappeared: German, Austria-Hungary, Russian and Ottoman. But the worst thing is the number of victims. About 10 million soldiers alone died, and another 12 million civilian victims lost their lives. Some sources also mention a figure of 65 million people. It also includes victims of the most massive influenza epidemic in history, the Spanish Flu.

Vereshchagin’s painting “The Apotheosis of War” eloquently testifies to those events. Initially, it was called “The Triumph of Tamerlane.” The fact is that the great conqueror loved to build pyramids from human skulls. This suggested massacres. The great conqueror was extremely cruel, suppressing any disobedience without mercy. During the 45 years of his campaigns, Timur or Tamerlane created an empire that rested on the blood of 15, or even 20 million people. At that time, 3.5 percent of the entire planet’s population became victims of Timur’s aggressive policies. At the same time, the Great Lame did not have any directed vectors for conquest. He visited Iran and Transcaucasia, the Golden Horde and the Ottoman Empire. The name of the conqueror is translated from Turkic as “iron”. Probably, his fortress allowed him to create his own history and great empire. By the end of his life, Tamerlane's state extended from Transcaucasia to Punjab in India. The commander intended to conquer China, but died at the beginning of the campaign.

Once again, China amazes with the number of lives it has taken. internal war. However, given the population of the country, this should not be surprising. And this uprising took place again during the existence of the Qing Empire. The country was then torn apart by the opium wars, the Xinhai revolution, the Yihetuan movement, and the Dungan uprising and the Taiping uprising were added to them. It turned out to be quite bloody. According to conservative estimates, about 20 million people became its victims. The most daring figures generally speak of one hundred million, or 8 percent of the entire population of the Earth at that time. The uprising began in 1850; it was essentially a peasant war. Then the disenfranchised Chinese peasants rose up to fight the Manchu Qing dynasty. Initially, the rebels set the best goals: to overthrow foreign rulers, drive away foreign colonialists and create a kingdom of equality and freedom, Taiping heavenly kingdom. The word “Taiping” itself translates as “Great Calm”. And the uprising was led by Hong Xiuquan, who declared that he was neither more nor less, younger brother Jesus Christ himself. But it was not possible to live mercifully and resolve issues with kindness. The Taiping Kingdom with a population of 30 million people really appeared in South China. Its residents were nicknamed “hairy bandits” by other Chinese for their refusal to wear braids, which were forced on the residents by the Manchus. After the Taipings began to occupy big cities, the authorities gave them a decisive rebuff, and other countries also intervened in the struggle for power, and uprisings broke out in other parts of China. The uprising was completely suppressed only in 1864, not without help from the French and British.

Once again, mass bloodshed in Chinese history is associated with the Qing Dynasty. This time we'll talk about the time of her coming to power in the country. In 1616, the foundation of a future empire appeared on the territory of Manchuria, created by the local Aisin Gyoro clan. From northeast China new power spread its influence over the entire country, as well as Mongolia and part of Central Asia. The previous Ming Empire fell under the blows of the Great Pure State, Da Qing-Guo. But large-scale conquests cost the lives of 25 million people, one in twenty inhabitants of the planet at that time. But the empire existed for almost 300 years, being destroyed Xinhai Revolution 1911-1912 and the abdication of the six-year-old Emperor Pu Yi. Surprisingly, he managed to return to power, heading the puppet country of Manchukuo, created in Manchuria by the Japanese occupiers and which existed until 1945.

The conquests of Genghis Khan and his successors created a state called by modern historians the Mongol Empire. The territory of this country was the largest in world history. The Mongols ruled the lands from the Sea of ​​Japan to the Danube, from Novgorod to South-East Asia. That country spread over an impressive 24 million square kilometers, which exceeded even the area Soviet Union. But such global conquests were impossible without a huge number of victims of soldiers and civilians. It is believed that the Mongol conquests cost humanity at least 30 million human lives. There are also cautious estimates of 60 million victims. Still, it is worth saying that this war lasted for a long time. The countdown can be taken from the beginning of the 13th century, when Khan Temujin united the hitherto warring nomadic tribes and created a united state. He took the name of Genghis Khan. And the era essentially ended in 1480 with the standing on the Ugra. Then Moscow State Grand Duke Ivan III was completely freed from the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Over two hundred years of great conquests, from 7.5 to 17 percent of all people living on the planet died from them.

This war set a record among all in terms of the number of victims and its destructiveness. According to the most conservative estimates, about 40 million people died, although according to some estimates, losses amounted to up to 72 million people. The material damage has nothing to compare with; it ranged from one and a half to two trillion dollars. And this war can truly be considered a World War. After all, 62 countries out of 73 that existed at that time participated in it in one form or another. 80 percent of the world's population was involved in World War II. Fighting were carried out not only on land and at sea, but also actively in the sky, on three continents and in the waters of four oceans. Second World War became the only conflict in which nuclear weapons were used.

WAR, armed struggle between large groups/communities of people (states, tribes, parties); governed by laws and customs - a set of principles and norms of international law that establish the responsibilities of the warring parties (ensuring the protection of the civilian population, regulating the treatment of prisoners of war, prohibiting the use of particularly inhumane weapons).

Wars in human history.

War is an invariable companion of human history. Up to 95% of all societies known to us resorted to it to resolve external or internal conflicts. According to scientists, over the past fifty-six centuries, approx. 14,500 wars in which more than 3.5 billion people died.

According to an extremely widespread belief in antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times (J.-J. Rousseau), primitive times were the only peaceful period of history, and primitive man (an uncivilized savage) was a creature devoid of any belligerence or aggressiveness. However, the latest archaeological research on prehistoric sites in Europe, North America And North Africa indicate that armed clashes (obviously between individuals) took place back in the Neanderthal era. An ethnographic study of modern hunter-gatherer tribes shows that in most cases, attacks on neighbors, violent seizure of property and women are the harsh reality of their lives (Zulus, Dahomeans, North American Indians, Eskimos, tribes of New Guinea).

The first types of weapons (clubs, spears) were used primitive man as early as 35 thousand BC, but the earliest cases of group combat date back only to 12 thousand BC. - only from now on can we talk about war.

The birth of war in the primitive era was associated with the emergence of new types of weapons (bow, sling), which for the first time made it possible to fight at a distance; from now on physical strength those who fought were no longer of exceptional importance, big role dexterity and dexterity began to play. The beginnings of a battle technique (flanking) emerged. The war was highly ritualized (numerous taboos and prohibitions), which limited its duration and losses.

A significant factor in the evolution of warfare was the domestication of animals: the use of horses gave nomads an advantage over sedentary tribes. The need for protection from their surprise raids led to the development of fortification; first known fact- fortress walls of Jericho (ca. 8 thousand BC). The number of participants in the wars gradually increased. However, there is no consensus among scientists about the size of prehistoric “armies”: figures vary from a dozen to several hundred warriors.

The emergence of states contributed to progress military organization. The growth of agricultural productivity allowed the elite of ancient societies to accumulate funds in their hands, which made it possible to increase the size of armies and improve their fighting qualities; much more time was devoted to training soldiers; the first professional military units. If the armies of the Sumerian city-states were small peasant militias, then the later ancient Eastern monarchies (China, Egypt of the New Kingdom) already had relatively large and fairly disciplined military forces.

The main component of the ancient eastern and ancient army was the infantry: initially acting on the battlefield as a chaotic crowd, it later turned into an extremely organized combat unit (Macedonian phalanx, Roman legion). At different periods, other “arms of arms” also gained importance, such as war chariots, which played a significant role in the conquests of the Assyrians. The importance of military fleets also increased, especially among the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians; The first naval battle known to us took place ca. 1210 BC between the Hittites and the Cypriots. The function of cavalry was usually reduced to auxiliary or reconnaissance. Progress was also observed in the field of weapons - new materials are used, new types of weapons are invented. Bronze ensured the victories of the Egyptian army of the New Kingdom era, and iron contributed to the creation of the first ancient Eastern empire - the New Assyrian state. In addition to the bow, arrows and spear, the sword, axe, dagger, and dart gradually came into use. Siege weapons appeared, the development and use of which reached a peak in the Hellenistic period (catapults, battering rams, siege towers). Wars have acquired significant proportions, drawing into their orbit big number states (wars of the Diadochi, etc.). The largest armed conflicts of antiquity were the wars of the New Assyrian kingdom (second half of the 8th-7th centuries), the Greco-Persian wars (500-449 BC), the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), the conquests of Alexander the Great (334-323 BC) and the Punic Wars (264-146 BC).

In the Middle Ages, infantry lost its primacy to cavalry, which was facilitated by the invention of stirrups (8th century). A heavily armed knight became the central figure on the battlefield. The scale of the war compared to ancient times decreased: it turned into an expensive and elitist occupation, into the prerogative of the ruling class and acquired a professional character (the future knight underwent long training). Small detachments (from several dozen to several hundred knights with squires) took part in the battles; only at the end of the classical Middle Ages (14-15 centuries), with the emergence of centralized states, the number of armies increased; The importance of infantry increased again (it was the archers who ensured the success of the British in the Hundred Years War). Military operations at sea were of a secondary nature. But the role of castles has increased unusually; the siege became the main element of the war. The largest-scale wars of this period were the Reconquista (718-1492), the Crusades and the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453).

The turning point in military history began to spread from the mid-15th century. in Europe gunpowder and firearms(arquebuses, cannons) (); the first time they were used was the Battle of Agincourt (1415). From now on, the level of military equipment and, accordingly, the military industry became an absolute determinant of the outcome of the war. In the late Middle Ages (16th - first half of the 17th century), the technological advantage of Europeans allowed them to expand beyond their continent (colonial conquests) and at the same time put an end to the invasions of nomadic tribes from the East. The importance of naval warfare increased sharply. Disciplined regular infantry replaced the knightly cavalry (see the role of the Spanish infantry in the wars of the 16th century). The largest armed conflicts of the 16th-17th centuries. there were the Italian Wars (1494-1559) and the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).

In the centuries that followed, the nature of war underwent rapid and fundamental changes. Progressed unusually quickly military equipment(from the musket of the 17th century to nuclear submarines and supersonic fighters of the early 21st century). New types of weapons (missile systems, etc.) have strengthened the remote nature of military confrontation. The war became more and more widespread: the institution of conscription and the one that replaced it in the 19th century. the institution of universal conscription made armies truly national (more than 70 million people took part in the 1st World War, over 110 million in the 2nd), on the other hand, the whole society (women and women) was already involved in the war child labour at military enterprises in the USSR and the USA during the 2nd World War). Reached an unprecedented scale human losses: if in the 17th century. they amounted to 3.3 million in the 18th century. - 5.4 million, in the 19th - early 20th centuries. - 5.7 million, then in the 1st World War - more than 9 million, and in the 2nd World War - over 50 million. The wars were accompanied by the grandiose destruction of material wealth and cultural values.