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U.S. Civil War Center -- Statistical Summary: America's Major Wars
==================================================================
I. The Military Participation Ratio
-----------------------------------
Conflict Population Enrolled Ratio
(millions) (thousands)
Revolutionary War 3.5 200.0 5.7%
War of 1812 7.6 286.0 3.8%
Mexican War 21.1 78.7 0.4%
Civil War: Union 26.2 2,803.3 10.7%
: Confederate 8.1 1,064.2 13.1%
: Combined 34.3 3,867.5 11.1%
Spanish-American War 74.6 306.8 0.4%
World War I 102.8 4,743.8 4.6%
World War II 133.5 16,353.7 12.2%
Korean War 151.7 5,764.1 3.8%
Vietnam War 204.9 8,744.0 4.3%
Gulf War 260.0 2,750.0 1.1%
The military participation ratio is the percentage of people under arms.
While the ratio for the Second World War seems surprisingly high compared
with those for the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, this is due to the
fact that the War for Independence took place before the Industrial
Revolution, and the Civil War occurred before its fullest impact, while the
nation's womanpower was not tapped in either earlier confict as well, for
either military or economic mobilization.
The figure "Enrolled" represents the number of personnel maintained in the
service. It is somewhat unreliable, since it includes multiple enlistments
in the case of wars prior to 1900, and is a gross figure, including all
personnel ever in the service during the conflict. In addition, figures for
post-1945 wars are polluted to some extent by the fact that a significant
portion of the forces under arms during these conflicts were not actually
directly engaged in the war, but were securing the nation's other global
commitments.
II. Casualties
--------------
<------------Casualties------------>
[-----Deaths---]
Conflict Enrolled Combat Other Wounded Total
Revolutionary War 200.0 4,435 * 6,188 10,623
War of 1812 286.0 2,260 * 4,505 6,765
Mexican War 78.7 1,733 11,550 4,152 17,435
Civil War: Union 2,803.3 110,070 249,458 275,175 634,703
Confederate 1,064.2 74,524 124,000 137,000 + 335,524
Combined 3,867.5 184,594 373,458 412,175 + 970,227
Spanish-American War 306.8 385 2,061 1,662 4,108
World War I 4,743.8 53,513 63,195 204,002 320,710
World War II 16,353.7 292,131 115,185 670,846 1,078,162
Korean War 5,764.1 33,651 * 103,284 136,935
Vietnam War 8,744.0 47,369 10,799 153,303 211,471
Gulf War 2,750.0 148 145 467 ^ 760
<-----Percentages-----> Duration
Conflict Ratio KIA Dead Casualty Months KIA/Month
Revolutionary War 2.4 2.2% 2.2% 5.3% 80 55
War of 1812 3.0 0.8% 0.8% 2.4% 30 75
Mexican War 1.3 2.2% 16.9% 22.2% 20 87
Civil War: Union 1.8 3.9% 12.8% 22.6% 48 2,293
Confederate 1.7 7.0% 18.7% 31.5% 48 1,553
Combined 1.7 4.8% 14.4% 25.1% 48 3,846
Spanish-American War 1.7 0.1% 0.8% 1.3% 4 96 &
World War I 2.7 1.1% 2.5% 6.8% 19 2,816
World War II 2.6 1.8% 2.5% 6.6% 44 6,639
Korean War 4.1 0.6% 0.6% 2.4% 37 909
Vietnam War 3.6 0.5% 0.7% 2.4% 90 526
Gulf War 2.6 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1 148
Notes:
* Non-battle deaths not known for these wars.
+ Confederate non-battle deaths and wounded estimated.
& Actually only six weeks of sustained combat.
^ There was only one month of combat.
Combat deaths refers to troops killed in action or dead of wounds. Other
includes deaths from disease, privation, and accidents, and includes losses
among prisoners of war. Wounded excludes those who died of their wounds,
who are included under Combat Deaths.
Ratio is the proportion of wounded in action to combat deaths. Note that
the wounded figures do not include cases of disease.
Under Percentages, KIA refers to the percent of those enrolled killed in
action, Dead to the percent dead from all causes, and Casualty to the
percent killed or injured. KIA/Month, killed in action per month, gives a
fair indication of the intensity of combat.
III. Financial Cost
-------------------
Conflict Cost in $ Billions Per Capita
Current 1990s (in $1990)
The Revolution (1775-1783) .10 1.2 $ 342.86
War of 1812 (1812-1815) .09 0.7 92.11
Mexican War (1846-1848) .07 1.1 52.13
Civil War (1861-1865): Union 3.20 27.3 1,041.98
: Confederate 2.00 17.1 2,111.11
: Combined 5.20 44.4 1,294.46
Spanish American War (1898) .40 6.3 84.45
World War I (1917-1918) 26.00 196.5 1,911.47
World War II (1941-1945) 288.00 2,091.3 15,655.17
Korea (1950-1953) 54.00 263.9 1,739.62
Vietnam (1964-1972) 111.00 346.7 1,692.04
Gulf War (1990-1991) 61.00 61.1 235.00
The table compares the cost of America's principal wars since 1775 on the
basis of then current and 1990s dollars. Current dollars are the actual
numbers spent at the time. Thus, a 1775-1783 dollar had the equivelent
purchasing power of $10.75 in 1990s terms. Actually this conversion is
only a very rough guide, but at least gives some idea of the relative costs
of the ten wars on an adjusted basis. However, it is not possible to take
into account drastic changes in social structure (most Americans were
farmers in 1775, and didn't use much money), and the increasing affluence
of American society over the two centuries covered by the table.
Note that the figures are for direct costs only, omitting pension costs,
which tended to triple the ultimate outlays. The table also omits the cost
of damage to the national infrastructure during those wars waged on
American soil. Confederate figures are estimated.
For the Gulf War it is worth noting that various members of the allied
coalition reimbursed the U.S. for 88-percent ($54 billion) of the amount
shown, so the actual cost to the taxpayer was only about $7 billion,
roughly the same as for the Spanish-American War, and on a per capita basis
only $26.92, arguably the least expensive war in the nation's history.
Last modified: 7/21/96
Scott Hoppe <webmaster@www.cwc.lsu.edu>