Asked by: Kesha Rungo
Asked in category: news and politics, war and conflicts
Last Updated: 19th Aug 2024

Why were the casualties so high in World War 1?

Major battles on all fronts suffered the greatest number of casualties in absolute numbers. This is mainly due to the explosive artillery shells technology used for warfare. Between 5 and 10% of prisoners of war died in the conflict.



What was the primary reason for so many casualties during World War I?

The high casualties resulted from the advancement of technology and weapons systems, such as planes tanks, machine guns, grenades, chemical weapon, submarines, and others. Combining with old tactics like trench warfare, frontal attack, and attrition.

You might also wonder, which country has suffered the greatest number of casualties in WW1? World War I Casualties

Country Total mobilization forces Killed or died 1
Allies Powers
Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000
British Empire 8, 904,467 908,371
France 2 8,410,000 1,357,800

You may also wonder, "What killed the most soldiers during WW1?"

Missing, injured, and killed. World War I saw more casualties than any other wars. Some 8,500,000 soldiers were killed from wounds or disease. Artillery was followed by small arms and then poison gas, which caused the most casualties and wounds.

How many soldiers were killed by disease during WW1?

2 million people died of diseases, 6 million were missing and presumed dead. The war in World War I saw about three quarters of the deaths of soldiers in battle. This is in contrast to the 19th-century conflicts, where the majority of deaths were caused by disease.