Why World War 2 Was So Much Deadlier Than WWI

When we compare wars, it's easy to see why World War 2 was such a destructive and devastating event in history that has no equal. Find out what made WW2 so deadly in today's epic new video.

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[JennTN]

I graduated in 1995. If we had something like this channel back then, I might actually like history and know more than the major bullet points taught by the US education system.

[clickbaitcabaret]

WWI: A war between colonial powers & aging empires.
WWII: War against civilians on an unprecedented scale.

[ives]

"War does not determine who is right, only who is left." - Bertrand Russell

[brandonm]

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones". -Albert Einstein

[alexcrazyart]

A relatively forgotten genocide that was going on shortly before WWII (1932-1933) was the Holodomor. It's 3.9 million deaths are often overshadowed by the 5 or 6 million deaths of the Holocaust. The Holodomor was a man-made famine in soviet Ukraine by Russian dictator Joseph Stalin. The rights and movements of Ukrainian farmers were greatly restricted and fertile lands were overtaken by the russian army, and farmers were forced to give up nearly all their crops to Russia. This famine was so bad, many people resorted to cannibalism.

[darthakaya]

I respect how you had a segment for German war crimes on the Eastern Front. That part of the war is usually ignored or toned down when talked about by most people in favor of Japanese war crimes. Mentioning how German forces in the East behaved entirely differently towards Soviet POWs than Western ones usually gets negative reception from people. So it's refreshing how you brought it up.

[BrickRoom]

I remember a quote from Carl Sagan that puts all of the wars we wage in perspective when thinking in terms of the vastness and age of the cosmos. and it makes one realize how futile wars are....“Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the 'Momentary' masters of a 'Fraction' of a 'Dot' ” ― Carl Sagan

[joshrosenbalm]

Russia might be doing some questionable stuff but they don't even hold a candle to the atrocities of world war II Japan. You guys make me question your bias more and more with each video.

[nanjithenovgrofph]

Although WWII was more deadly than WWI, WWI soldiers who fought for their countries should still not be forgotten.

[BRIDKIE]

The Axis invading Africa was not only for oil. Italy wanted a big colonial empire and Germany wanted to control the Suez canal, which was incredibly important for the British.

[annnichols]

Back when I was a military librarian for the US Army, I recall reading an article [in "Military Review"?] about the tragic cultural misunderstanding that led to the Japanese being so brutal to their Western prisoners of war. Apparently, the Japanese were deeply offended that Western POWs behaved as if they were still honorable men, even though they had committed the dishonorable act of surrendering instead of honorable suicide. I wish someone had been able to make those Japanese soldiers understand that, in Western thought, the honorable and dishonorable actions were the reverse.

[FirstLast-disr]

1:18 "this World War"?! Japan was involved in WW1 as well and took over Germany's colonies in the Pacific.

[AdamTravelsTheWorld]

ww2 is so full of millions of stories and I want to know them all. Dark times in World History but still very interesting.

[tripleh]

Because during World War One armies were more focused on fighting other armies
There were atrocities were civilians or city were targets of bombardaments but they were not the norm

During world war 2 the bombardment of civilian cities were large and indiscriminate an all the fronts and done by all the part involved
Not to mention the deaths of civilian caught in the middle of fights or the tragedies of the Jews in the lagers
Or the high involvement of partisans and civilian in the guerrilla war against occupation
Ww1 was a world war because it involved nearly every major power of the old world and even extraeuropean like USA and japan
Ww2 was a world war because it involved most of the global nations and because it was a total war without any kind of respect for civilians

[Legacy.]

That skull in the thumbnail looked sick .

[haikalmiftah]

I heard somewhere about how deadly WW2 was especialy in Eastern Front: from all of Soviet man that born during 1920's, only 20% of them manage to stay alive in 1946.

[creepermyeeper]

Deadlier, but better conditions for soldiers. The trenches in wwi were much worse for soldiers. Rats, mud, disease, mosquitoes, etc. this took a toll on the mental health of soldiers, making it arguably worse to fight in.

[ryanspinoza]

It's important to note that at 1:25, US also had Philippines under its colonial rule (pretty much most of SEA was colonized) which was at the time posed a very direct threat to Japan as US was already sanctioning them while funding and arming guerilla fighters and rebels. It was the only colonial power in that region that had any real threat to Japan as it had naval and air bases in it. So Japan's perspective at the time was US could attack them anytime and it will ruin their plan to completely take over Indo-China, so they decided that if they wanted to expand they will need to remove European/US colonialists in that region "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere", which inevitably lead to them attacking Pearl Harbor to slow down US reaction before they start their full-scale invasion of southeast asia.

[nathanwilson]

Nothing compares to the conditions of WW1’s battlefields, years of war in the same place, unlike the more mobile combat seen in WW2

[benisaten]

Cheers from Niagara 🇨🇦. May they all be remembered forever.