War Statistics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 39, 28 September 1905, Page 27

War Statistics

The conclusion of the peace negotiations between Russia and Japan has directed attention to the wars that have taken place during the- last one hundred years, and tho number of men engaged in the principal battles :—

At Austterlitz, December 2, 1805, 00,000 Frenchmen opposed 80,000 Russians and Austrians. The French, who were victorious, lost 7000 men, 4heir opponents 20,000.

At Eylau, February 8, 1807, 70,000 Frenchmen opposed 80,000 Russians ; the first lost 15,000 ; t<he second 25,000.

At Wagram, July 6, 1809, 150,000 Frenchmen opposed and dtlfeatted 120,000 Austrian's ; the first Jost 16,000 ; tine second 24,000 men.

At the battle of the Moskva river, September 7, 1812, 140,000 Frenchmen gained a victory over 140,000 Russians; losses, 30,000 men to the French", 60,000 to the Russians.

At Leipsic, October 15-19, 1813, 180,000 Frenchmen were defeated by 310,000 Prussians, Russians, Germans, and Swedes ; losses to the French army. 40,000'; to the Allies, 54,000.

In the American Civil War the Federals lost 360,000 men ; the Confederates 300,000. At the close of the war there were about 1,000,000 men enlisted on each side.

At the battle of Sadowa, fought near Koniggratz, July 3, 1866., 220,000 Prussians, with 7.80 cannons, against 200,000 Austrian's with 700 canons ; loss'to the first 10,000. men , to the second, 40,000 menThe battle of Gra-velotte and St, Privat, sometimes called the battle of Rezonville, August 18, 1870, 120,000 Frenchmen with 450 cannons,, against 200,000 Germans with 720 cannons ; the first, who were defeated, lost 12,000 men ; the second lost 20,000. A\ Sedan, September 1, 1870, 84,000 Frenchmen,. 1 with 430 cannons opposed and -were defeated by 250,000 Germans, with 550 cannons ; loss to the first named 14,000 men ; to titoe second 13,000. This battle led to tho fall of t>he French Empire and the establishment of the Republic.

At Liao Yang it was estimated that the Russians had 220.000 men, .against 250,000 of the Japanese.. In the late war 46,100 Japanese were killed in battle, 10,970 diefd of wounds, and 13,300 of sickness, making a total of 70,450.

The most bloody war of the last century was that of the battle of the Moskva ; while the greatest forces of opposing men were massed at Leipsig. A French military writer contributes to ' La Revue * a study of the losses in men and money in the great wars of history, in order to come to some estimate of the probable destruction of life and property in the recent war.

The Crimean War, he says, cost Russia £140,000.000, or £5,000,000 per month ; it cost the French about an equal sum, and the English somewhat less. England spent in the Boer W>ar £240,000,000, or £?,600,000 per month- in the war with China 'Japan spent £17,000,000 'or £2,000,000 per month ; and the Chinese, in addition to the cost of conducting the war, paid an indemnity of nearly £30,000,000^ '