Modern war tables -
Table 2
POPULATION AND MILITARY FORCES 1860-1945

By Michael Collie
World War I 1914-18
Country Pop 1910(M) Milt. Forces(M) percent
France 39.5 8.4 21.2
Britain 45.4 8.9 19.6
Germany 64.9 11.0 17.0
Austr-Hung 49.1 7.8 15.9
Italy 34.7 5.6 16.1
Russia 160.7 12.0 7.5
USA 92.2 4.3 4.7
Civil War
Country Pop 1860(M) Milt. Forces(M) percent
USA 1861-65 31.4 2.6 8.3
UNION 22.3 1.6 7.2
CONFEDERATE* 5.5 1.0 18

* excludes slaves

Franco-Prussian 1870
Country Pop 1870(M) Milt. Forces(M) percent
France 36.9 0.6 1.5
Germany 40.8 1.2 3.0
World War II 1939-1945
Country Pop 1940(M) Milt. Forces(M) percent
France 39.0 6.2 15.4
Britain 46.0 6.2 13.5
Germany 80.0 12.5 15.6
Russia 191 20.0 10.4
Italy 44.5 4.5 10.1
Japan 72.0 7.4 10.3
USA 132.0 14.9 11.3

United States Civil War mobilization falls between twentieth-century total wars and the Franco-Prussian war. When the numbers are separated for union and confederate we find that the union raised a force of 1.6 from its total population of 22.3 million while the south recruited about 1.0 from its 5.5 million white population for 7.2 percent and 18 percent, respectively. We can say that forces raised in the south were comparable to twentieth-century wars while the union war effort clearly did not approach these levels. Further comparison with the Franco-Prussian war should point out that the entire war lasted but 9 months. For this length of time union and confederate numbers would be 576,000 and 351,000 and 2.6 and 6.4 percent, respectively. Again, we find these levels are far below twentieth-century wars.

Sources: Facts on file, European Historical Statistics; Encylopedia of Mlitay History; Numbers and Losses

Michael Collie 06/01/07

PART 7