In 2020, China had the largest armed forces in the world by active duty military personnel, with about 2.18 active soldiers. India, the United States, North Korea, and Russia rounded out the top five largest armies respectively, each with over one million active military personnel.
1st Class Dillard Johnson — makes a meal of one of dictator Saddam Hussein's armored Mercedes-Benzes during the Iraq war. With 2,746 confirmed kills, Sgt. 1st Class Dillard Johnson is the deadliest American soldier on record — and maybe the most humble.
Take a look at 11 of the most feared Special Commando Forces from around the world.
- MARCOS, India.
- Special Services Group (SSG), Pakistan.
- National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), France.
- Special Forces, USA.
- Sayeret Matkal, Israel.
- Joint Force Task 2 (JTF2), Canada.
- British Special Air Service (SAS)
- Navy Seals, USA.
The British, first in the guise of the East India Conpany, fought many states in order to take control of India. The war against the city state of Gorkha in 1814–16 was considered to be amongst the fiercest. Gurkhas, a collection of tribes, built a reputation within the British Indian Army as loyal and fierce fighters.
Ghurkas have joined the elite ranks of the SAS. More than a dozen of the feared Nepalese fighters – part of the British Army for 200 years – are on secret operations with the Who Dares Wins regiment.
Historically, the terms "Gurkha" and "Gorkhali" were synonymous with "Nepali", which originates from the hill principality Gorkha Kingdom, from which the Kingdom of Nepal expanded under Prithivi Narayan Shah. The name may be traced to the medieval Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath who has a historic shrine in Gorkha.
They are known for their braveryIn World War II they fought the Germans in Italy and the Japanese in Burma. Twenty-six Victoria Crosses, the ultimate award for gallantry in the British and Commonwealth forces, have been awarded to members of Gurkha regiments.
WW1 Famous People
- Franz Ferdinand.
- Sophie Cholek Von Chotvoka. Franz Ferdinand was born on the 18th December 1883.
- Walter Tull. Walter Daniel John Tull, who was born on the 28th April 1888, had 2 brothers and 2 sisters.
- Kaiser Wilhelm 2. Kaiser formed a powerful alliance with Austria Hungary.
- WW1 Battle Field.
The war pitted the Central Powers—mainly Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey—against the Allies—mainly France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and, from 1917, the United States. It ended with the defeat of the Central Powers.
Stamps to honour 10 famous people born in 1914
- Sir Alec Guinness (1914 - 2000)
- Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953)
- Joe Mercer (1914 - 1990)
- Joan Littlewood (1914 - 2002)
- Roy Plomley (1914 - 1985)
- Max Perutz (1914 - 2002)
- Noor Inayat Khan (1914 - 1944)
- Barbara Ward (1914 - 1981)
50 of America's Greatest War Heroes
- Alvin York. > Rank: Corporal. > Military branch: Army.
- Audie L. Murphy. > Rank: Second lieutenant.
- Daniel J. Daly. > Rank: Gunnery sergeant.
- David McCampbell. > Rank: Commander. > Military branch: Navy.
- Desmond Doss. > Rank: Corporal.
- Douglas MacArthur. > Rank: General.
- Edward V. Rickenbacker.
- Eugene B. Fluckey.
On June 28, 1914, in an event that is widely regarded as sparking the outbreak of World War I, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, was shot to death with his wife by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
Pages in category "United States Army generals of World War I"
- Frederick Vaughan Abbott.
- Frank Herman Albright.
- Robert Alexander (United States Army officer)
- Benjamin Alvord Jr.
- Edward Anderson (American general, born 1864)
- Avery D. Andrews.
- Lincoln Clark Andrews.
- Samuel Tilden Ansell.
When was Sergeant York born?
Top 10 Greatest Warrior Groups in History
- Knights (3rd Century AD–15th Century AD)
- Kamikaze Pilots (October 1944–15 August 1945)
- Gurkhas (1815 AD–Present)
- Ninjas (12th Century AD–1868 AD)
- The Spartans (6th Century BC–4th Century BC)
- British SAS (1 July 1941–Present)
- Maori Warriors (1280 AD–1872 AD)
- Mongol Warriors (1206 AD–1687 AD)
Casualties of World War I
| Country | Total mobilized forces | Killed or died 1 |
|---|
| Allied Powers: |
| Russia | 12,000,000 | 1,700,000 |
| British Empire | 8, 904,467 | 908,371 |
| France 2 | 8,410,000 | 1,357,800 |
Standard German propaganda, and American pop culture, cast an extremely negative view of American soldiers on the attack, tempered with a very real admiration for “the well-known American humanity.”
According to a study done by the U.S. military, American infantry were 80 - 100% as combat-effective as their German counterparts. Another study performed by the U.S. military suggests that may have been an overestimate; and that American infantry were no more effective than British infantry.
A look at the top 10 WWII Infantry Rifles of WWII, both Allied and Axis.
- Sturmgewehr 44. German soldier firing a StG 44.
- MG34. German soldiers with an MG 34 in France.
- M1918 BAR. Polish partisan with an M1918 BAR.
- Bren Infantry LMG.
- Thompson Submachine Gun.
- The Sten Gun.
- PPSh-41.
- Colt 1911.
The USSR was the most powerful land based military of WW2 for really two simple reasons. They had a very large capacity to wage war (industrial output, manpower) second only to the USA in this regard, but their potential was more realized.
The MG-42 Machine Gun. A close look at Hitler's Buzz Saw, a fearsome weapon for the German army. American soldiers had a nickname for everything, even the enemy weapons on the battlefield that killed them. GIs christened some of the most terrifying weapons in the German arsenal with some pretty harmless-sounding names.
LARGEST ARMED FORCES
- SOVIET UNION (21,000,000) ENTERED WAR: 1939.
- GERMANY (17,900,000) ENTERED WAR: 1939.
- UNITED STATES (16,354,000) ENTERED WAR: 1941.
- CHINA (14,000,000) ENTERED WAR: 1937.
- JAPAN (9,100,000) ENTERED WAR: 1937.
- ITALY (9,000,000) ENTERED WAR: 1940.
- GREAT BRITAIN (5,896,000) ENTERED WAR: 1939.
- FRANCE (3,500,000) ENTERED WAR: 1939.
In military terms, the Germans had a superior doctrine of combined arms warfare. They also had a superior air force that was tailored to supporting ground operations, and their tank forces were better organized and had a better tactics.
Albert Mayer (24 April 1892 – 2 August
1914) was the first German soldier to die in World War I.
Albert Mayer (soldier)
| Albert Otto Walter Mayer |
|---|
| Died | August 2, 1914 (aged 22) Joncherey, France |
| Buried | German Military Cemetery, Alsace, France |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
Lewis “Chesty” Puller. Marine Corps legend Lt. Gen. Lewis “Chesty” Puller holds a record-tying 5 Navy Crossesas well as an Army Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, and two Legions of Merit.
Mencken claimed the nickname could be traced to Continental Army soldiers who kept the piping on their uniforms white through the application of clay. When the troops got rained on the clay on their uniforms turned into “doughy blobs,” supposedly leading to the doughboy moniker.
