David Farrar has a very sobering reminder of the size of war casualties in Lest we forget:
- 1914 – 1918 WWI – 17 million killed
- 1917 – 1921 Russian Civil War – 6.7 million killed
- 1927 – 1949 Chinese Civil War – 8 million killed
- 1936 – 1939 Spanish Civil War – 700k killed
- 1939 – 1945 WWII – 60 million killed
- 1950 – 1953 Korean War – 1.3 million killed
- 1954 – 1962 Algerian War – 700k killed
- 1955 – 1975 Vietnam War – 1.5 million killed
- 1966 – 1970 Nigerian Civil War – 1.7 million killed
- 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War 300k killed
- 1980 – 1988 Iran-Iraq War – 600k killed
- 1983 – 2005 Second Sudanese Civil War – 1.4 million killed
- 1998 – 2003 Second Congo War – 3.6 million killed
- 1979 – 2000 Afghanistan War – 2.6 million killed
- 2001 – 2013 War on Terror – 600k killed
WWI saw 42% of New Zealand men (of fighting age) serving in the NZ Forces. 103,000 served, 17,000 died and 41,000 were wounded.
Both my grandfathers served in WW1, although one was as a British soldier (and was seriously injured). Two great-uncles were killed in action.
Quiet at The Standard so far on Anzac Day.
Lest we forget.
There is a list of Anzac Day services here, and a list of peace vigils here.
An appropriate day to contemplate “the meaning of honour”.
The Daily Blog: TDB will livestream alternative ANZAC Day commemorations 11am Tuesday
Auckland Peace Action are hosting an alternative ANZAC Day service 11am from the Band Rotunda at the Auckland Domain.
That was well down their dog’s breakfast home page.
Whale Oil has started off just about exclusively ANZAC orientated:
- Face of the Day
- ANZAC Day – General Debate
- ANZAC Day – The band played Waltzing Matilda
- ANZAC Day – Lest we forget
Cameron Slater: This is my ANZAC Day tribute posting. ANZAC Day means a great deal for me and my family. I suppose it is because we have a connection to the original ANZACS in 1915 and Gallipoli and to a veteran of a war much fresher in our minds, Viet Nam.
Brown
/ 25th April 2017The WW2 number will include some / most Soviet casualties, many of which will be home grown. It would be nice to have mentioned the pre and post war Soviet re-education, the Chinese re-education and the Cambodian re-education I guess its different when the left do it and war was only declared on the locals.
At the end of the day even small losses in a conflict are cold comfort to the people killed.
Blazer
/ 25th April 2017funny how they all have a definitive name except the last one….’the War on Terror’….multiple enemies ,friends that became enemies,enemies that are invented…..and potential enemies.
Nelly Smickers
/ 25th April 2017Wayne’s mum just texted from the Retirement Village how much the old-boys there really really love this particular version……she said they’re *all* on the piss now XD
LEST WE FORGET.