The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

American Wars

The United States has been involved in numerous wars throughout its history. Additionally, there have been ongoing military engagements since World War II that were not officially wars but were fought as wars.

Major Wars Involving the United States

The United States has participated in several significant wars throughout its history. Below is a list of the major conflicts:

War	Years	Description
American Revolutionary War	1775-1783	The 13 colonies' war for independence from Great Britain. The American Revolutionary War was not only a fight for independence but also a civil war involving various factions, including Loyalists and Patriots. It set the stage for the establishment of a new nation and influenced future democratic movements worldwide.
War of 1812	1812-1815	A conflict with Great Britain over trade restrictions and the impressment of American sailors. The war ended inconclusively with the Treaty of Ghent, which restored territorial boundaries to their prewar status.
Mexican-American War	1846-1848	A war driven by territorial expansion resulted in a U.S. victory and Mexico ceding over 500,000 square miles of territory, including present-day California, Texas, and New Mexico. The war began after the U.S. annexed Texas amid a dispute over the border.
American Civil War	1861-1865	The Civil War was a war between the Northern states (Union) and the Southern states (Confederacy) over Union and slavery. It fundamentally reshaped the United States, preserving the Union and ending slavery, which had been a divisive issue since the nation's founding.
Spanish–American War	1898	A war primarily driven by the U.S. support for Cuba's struggle for independence from Spanish rule, which resulted in the U.S. acquiring sovereignty over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines and establishing a protectorate over Cuba.
World War I	1917-1918	America entered the global conflict on the side of the Allied Powers (the French Republic, the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Empire of Japan) against the Central Powers (the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria).
World War II	1941-1945	America's involvement in the global conflict against the Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan) was part of the Allied Powers' (the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and China) efforts. It was the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in an estimated 60 to 75 million deaths worldwide.

Additional Military Engagements

In addition to these major wars, the U.S. has been involved in over 199 non-colonial military conflicts. Some notable examples include:

Korean War	1950-1953	A war involving North Korea, which invaded South Korea, with China and the Soviet Union supporting North Korea and South Korea backed by United Nations forces led by the United States.
Vietnam War	1964-1975	A war between North Vietnam, supported by communist allies, and South Vietnam, backed by the United States and other anti-communist nations.
Gulf War	1990-1991	A war that was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, led by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The conflict saw a coalition of forces, primarily from the United States and its allies, respond to liberate Kuwait.
War in Afghanistan	2001-2021	A significant conflict followed the September 11 attacks. The United States, along with NATO forces, invaded Afghanistan to remove the Taliban regime, dismantle al-Qaeda, and then pacify Afghanistan.
Iraq War	2003-2011	A significant conflict involving a coalition led by the United States, aimed at overthrowing Saddam Hussein's regime and pacifying Iraq.

Current Military Engagements

As of now, the United States is involved in several ongoing military operations, including:

• War on Terror: Operations in Somalia and Yemen
• War on Cartels: Operation Southern Spear
• Iran War: Operation Epic Fury by the United States government, and Operation Roaring Lion by the Israeli government.
• Indirect involvementin the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Gaza War.

This overview highlights the extensive military history of the United States, reflecting its role in both domestic and international conflicts.

Casualties by War

The following table summarizes the combat forces and estimated casualties for major American wars, highlighting the total number of deaths and wounded for each conflict.

War	Years	Combat Forces	Total Deaths	Wounds Not Mortal
American Revolutionary War	1775-1783	Overall 230,000 48,000 peak	4,435	6,188
War of 1812	1812-1815	40,800	2,260	4,505
Mexican-American War	1846-1848	78,178	13,283	4,152
American Civil War	1861–1865	Union - Over 2 million Confederacy - 750,000 to over 1 million	620,000 - 850,000	419,000+
Spanish–American War	1898	72,339	2,225	1,662
World War I	1917–1918	Over 1,000,000	116,516	204,402
World War II	1941–1945	Approximately 16,000,000	405,399	670,846
Korean War	1950–1953	Overall 1,789,000 Peak 300,000	36,574	103,284
Vietnam War	1955–1975	Overall 3.1 million Peak of 543,000	58,209	153,303
Gulf War	1990–1991	697,000	383	467
Iraq War	2003–2011	250,000	4,431	32,223
War in Afghanistan	2001–2021	Peak at 100,000+ Overall 1.9 to 3 million	2,461	20,770

Financial Costs of American Wars

The actual costs of a war are difficult to calculate, but the best estimates (in today’s dollars) for American wars are:

American Revolutionary War	Around $400 million
War of 1812	Approximately $1.5 billion
Mexican-American War	Approximately $75 billion
American Civil War	For the Federal government, approximately $80 billion, while the Confederacy incurred costs of about $20 billion.
Spanish–American War	Approximately $14 billion
World War I	Approximately $440 billion
World War II	Over $4.1 trillion
Korean War	Approximately $390 billion
Vietnam War	Approximately $738 billion
Gulf War	Approximately $100 billion
Iraq War	Approximately $1.1 trillion
War in Afghanistan	Around $2.3 trillion
Iranian Conflict	As of mid-June 2026, approximately $113.3 billion

These figures reflect the actual costs of the wars and do not account for auxiliary costs. Auxiliary costs of war are the indirect expenses associated with military conflicts, including economic impacts such as interest on war debt, inflation, higher fuel prices, and long-term care for veterans. These costs often extend beyond immediate military spending, affecting civilian life and the economy for years after the conflict ends.

Impacts of War

War always has an impact on a society that engages in it. Whether it is deaths, wounds, disease, destruction, or financial strain, war changes society and sometimes destroys it. This is not the impact this section addresses. Instead, I will briefly examine the societal impacts on America before, during, and after the war.

America has a history of reluctance to engage in war and of rapid withdrawal after the war has been fought. Indeed, before the American wars began, much of our population opposed entering the war. It has been estimated that in the American Revolutionary War, approximately 20% were Loyalists, around 45% or more were Patriots, and less than 35% were Neutral/Undecided. Various percentages can be seen in other American wars prior to our entry into the war. The American Civil War was an extreme example, with estimates that one-third were for it, one-third were against it, and one-third were neutral/undecided. In World War I and World War II, so much of the population opposed entering the war that Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt engaged in covert propaganda campaigns and deceptions to sway the American public to support entering the war.

During many of these wars, support for or against them waxed and waned, depending on the circumstances of the war effort. In modern American history since World War II, support for these wars often waned as casualties and financial obligations increased. In addition, it often appeared that as the war's objectives changed and the probability of success diminished, support for the war also decreased.

After these American wars were fought, the American public rushed to put the war behind them and resume their normal lives. So much so that they left some of the issues that brought about the war unresolved. Many times, these unresolved issues caused future problems for America. The Reconstruction period after the American Civil War left the problems of racism and equality unresolved for over a century after the war was over. These unresolved problems are especially true for the Additional and Current Military Engagements of the second half of the 20th century until today.

Conclusion

What can be said of war? The best quotes about war come from the great American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman, who was one of the primary generals responsible for the North’s victory in the Civil War and is noted for saying “War is Hell”:

"You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it, and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure peace."
 - William Tecumseh Sherman

“War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.”
 - William Tecumseh Sherman

"It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell."
 - William Tecumseh Sherman

“Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.”
 - William Tecumseh Sherman

“If the people raise a great howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity seeking.”
 - William Tecumseh Sherman

We should all remember these quotes about war, before, during, and after a war. If we do not, we will lose sight of the true impacts of war.