Even though it dragged on for nine long years, fewer than 4,500 American troops lost their lives in battle during the Revolutionary War.

Of course, this number is a bit misleading, since our new country only had a small regular Army and Navy. Some estimates claim that as many as 30,000 American civilians lost their lives defending their families and property. The country’s population was about 3.5 million during this time.

As time went on, wars became gradually bloodier. This was due to several factors, including the increase in the size of the forces and the advancement of weaponry. Here are some sobering figures for the number of battle deaths in America’s other major armed conflicts:

• Civil War: 190,000+ dead (North & South)


• World War I: 50,000+ dead


• World War II: 290,000+ dead


• Korean War: 33,000+ dead


• Vietnam War: 47,000+ dead