Soviet Union suffered the most: at least 28 mil-
lion military and civilian people died – a stagger-
ing figure. Germany’s dead numbered between
4.5 and 5 million. Proportionately to their pop-
ulation, the Jews suffered the most; only a minor-
ity of those in Europe at the outbreak of the
war survived to its end. For Britain, France and
Italy, however, the Second World War casu-
alties did not repeat the bloodbath of the First
World War. British military and civilian deaths
totalled 450,000, to which must be added those
of the empire: 120,000. The French figures are
approximately 450,000 dead; the Italians lost
410,000 dead. Yugoslav, Hungarian, Polish and
Romanian losses were heavy. In central Europe,
the Poles suffered far more even than their neigh-
bours. American deaths on the European and
Pacific fronts numbered 290,000. No one knows
how many million Chinese died in the war; the
figure may well be in excess of 10 million; about
2 million Japanese are estimated to have lost their
lives in the war. The physical destruction has
largely been made good in the years since the war.
But the loss of lives will continue to be mourned
as long as the generations that experienced the
war are still alive. The ordeal of the Second World
War also serves as a lasting warning to future gen-
erations of what national aggression, evil leaders
and the intolerance of peoples can lead to.
1
THE ORDEAL OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR 275
Lucky those who were killed outright. A new disease
‘radiation sickness’ meant a lingering painful death.
© National Archives, Washington
