Unnatural Deaths

Abstract

Abstract World War II resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of civilians, unnatural deaths caused by bombing, deliberate terror, genocide, starvation, and imprisonment. The chapter examines the military impact on casualty rates before looking at the mass murders committed by security forces and the regular military. The most notorious was the genocide of the Jews, which is examined here alongside the pattern of atrocity in occupied areas of Europe and Asia. In addition to deliberate killing, there was widespread starvation, notably in Greece, China and India, and epidemic diseases caused by the conditions of war, particularly typhus. The chapter concludes by asking how this level of casualties was possible.

Topics & Concepts