Blast from the past. The Sack Of Baghdad In 1258 – One Of The Bloodiest Days In Human History

via War History Online.

When we think of the darkest, most bloody days of human history, our minds inevitably turn to the horrors of modern warfare. We think of battles like The Somme in WW1, or Stalingrad or Leningrad in WW2, or murderous regimes like Pol Pot’s or Hitler’s.

As bloody and brutal as these events were, they were often spread over periods of weeks, months, or years. Their huge death tolls accumulated over time.

However, when talking about the biggest loss of life through violence in a single day, the 13th of February 1258 surely ranks as one of the bloodiest days in human history. This was the day on which Hulagu Khan’s Mongol army entered Baghdad after a 12-day siege.

The city had approximately one million residents, and the army massacred many of them. It was a horrendous act that, in one fell swoop, brought an end to the Islamic Golden Age.

Story here.