| redcoat | 14 Apr 2015 5:25 a.m. PST |
Hi all, There seems to be enormous discrepancies in the estimated death tolls, both military and civilian, for both sides of this ghastly conflict. Many websites still seem to offer estimates of up to 1m Iranian deaths and up to 500,000 Iraqi deaths. Charles Kurzman, Professor of Sociology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who specializes in Middle East and Islamic studies, offers dramatically smaller estimates, based on census data: "It may even have been lower than the government figures of 250,000 Iraqi fatalities and 155,000 Iranian fatalities." Source:
link Any thoughts?
Cheers,
Redcoat |
| paulgenna | 14 Apr 2015 7:44 a.m. PST |
Hard to believe when both sides counted bodies. I would lean towards faulty census figures before and after. Iran has said they had a large population of males missing in the age group fighting during the Iran-Iraq war. If the numbers had been much lower, as suggested by Kurzman, then Iran would not have needed to stop the human body waves. |
martin goddard  | 14 Apr 2015 8:35 a.m. PST |
The figures are subject to heavy political pressure. I would not trust any stats coming from Iran. Lucky they only want to develop nuclear for peaceful aims. martin |
 Legion 4   | 14 Apr 2015 8:43 a.m. PST |
Yes in many cases you can't trust any stats coming from either of those belligerents, IMO … as well many others in region. I would not trust any stats coming from Iran. Lucky they only want to develop nuclear for peaceful aims. Yes, everybody knows that ! LOL !  |
| troopwo | 14 Apr 2015 8:53 a.m. PST |
Did they base it on how many plastic toy keys the Revolutionary Guard got back? |
| GarrisonMiniatures | 14 Apr 2015 9:14 a.m. PST |
It's true. None of the nuclear powers ever intend or intended to use their nukes – they're just for show and prestige. |
| Weasel | 14 Apr 2015 9:16 a.m. PST |
From historical question to present-day politics in 3 posts. Slow day? |
| Waco Joe | 14 Apr 2015 9:53 a.m. PST |
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| Mako11 | 14 Apr 2015 11:18 a.m. PST |
Given their human wave tactics, I suspect the Iranian casualties should be higher than those of the Iraqis. I suspect you can adapt the Japanese Banzai charge rules, or Korean era human wave attack rules to your Iran-Iraq conflict, if desired. The air-war between the two was certainly interesting, and they had a number of pretty big land battles too. Using children to clear minefields is certainly a new tactic, and apparently fairly effective, though costly. |
| troopwo | 14 Apr 2015 11:37 a.m. PST |
Given that Iran purged the army of leaders, I suspect they may well have had the higher figures. |
| Khusrau | 15 Apr 2015 7:35 a.m. PST |
Nice to see that the propaganda works. |
| Aristonicus | 17 Apr 2015 7:02 a.m. PST |
The most conservative estimates at the time were 105,000 Iraqi dead and 262,000 Iranian Dead (Delip Hiro, The Longest War, 1990) The official Iranian figures released on 19.9.1988 were as follows: Regular Army 35,170
Pasdaran: 79,644
Paramilitary: 8,406
Total: 123,220 Missing in Action: 60,711 Civilian Deaths: 11,000
Civilian Wounded: 34,000 Chemical Weapon casualties: 100,000
Chemical KIA 25,000 (probably vastly exagerrated) for an article going into much greater detail: dupuyinstitute.org/pdf/v2n4.pdf |
explores another variant in the European Buildings range.
