Clever animation shows the shocking human cost of World War II

Natasha Bertrand

Jun 6, 2015, 23:18 IST

US Army

A large group of American assault troops of the 3d Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st U.S. Infantry Division, rest on Omaha Beach, in Normandy, France. 8 Jun 1944.

Today marks the 71st anniversary of the allied invasion of Normany during World War II - also known as D-Day - that led to the liberation of France from Nazi control and contributed to the Allied victory.

An estimated 60-80 million people died before the war officially ended in 1945. A new data visualization created by Neil Halloran and posted on i09 attempts to makes this vast sum comprehensible, conceptualizing the fatalities using charts and graphics that convey the toll of war.

The 15-minute video is divided into three sections: an analysis of soldier fatalities by nation, civilian deaths (which includes the Holocaust), and, finally, a visualization of World War II deaths within the context of past and future conflicts.

Here is the full video:

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