An International Perspective
The American Civil War resulted in an unprecendented loss of life on both sides. The Union lost 4.7% of their forces, the Confederacy more than 9%
This chart represents soldiers killed on the battlefield or dead from injuries sustained in battle.
One way to consider the impact of a conflict on the society surrounding it is to consider the way people are talking about it. This chart records the usage of the words "soldier" and "wounded" in American writings from 1800 to 2000. These words experience two notable spikes--one during the War of 1812 and another larger spike during the years of the Civil War. The World Wars, by contrast, only show comparatively minor increases.
(Note: These images are much easier to read if you enlarge them by clicking the image, and then clicking it again)
In British writings, the years of the first World War, and to a lesser degree the second World War, indicate increases almost equaling those of the Civil War years in America.
Contrasting these two charts helps one to visualize how the wars that gripped most of Europe for decades were distant concerns for Americans, compared with the American Civil War, which dominated the attention of all American citizens.