The grim math of war
With Tuesday’s fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Current looks at American involvement in previous wars. -- Swati Pandey
Revolutionary War
Duration: Eight years
Deaths: 4,435*
**
War of 1812
Duration: Three years
Deaths: 2,260*
**
Mexican-American War
Duration: Two years
Deaths: 13,283
**
Civil War
Duration: Four years
Deaths: 524,332**
**
Spanish-American War
Duration: Less than one year***
Deaths: 2,446
**
World War I
Duration: One year
Deaths: 116,516
**
World War II
Duration: Four years****
Deaths: 405,399
**
Korean War
Duration: Three years
Deaths: 36,574
**
Vietnam War
Duration: Nine years
Deaths: 58,209*****
**
Persian Gulf War
Duration: Less than one year
Deaths: 382
**
Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)
Duration: Five years, ongoing
Deaths: 369 (as of March 10)
**
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Duration: Four years, ongoing
Deaths: 3,197 (as of March 16)
**
Source: Department of Defense
*Data for non-battle deaths are unavailable.
**This includes the official Defense Department figure for Union deaths; an unofficial Confederate death toll from the Provost Marshal General report, 1863-1866; and the estimated number of Confederate deaths in Union prisons.
***After hostilities ended, the U.S. oversaw the process of Cuban independence for about 3 1/2 years.
****The death toll includes those incurred from Dec 1, 1941, to Japan’s acceptance of Allied peace terms on Aug. 14, 1945, plus the additional battle deaths incurred before President Truman declared the war ended on Dec. 31, 1946.
*****In addition to deaths that occurred during the war, from 1964 to 1973, the toll includes additional deaths incurred from 1955 to 1975.