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Using any available books or studies already published, I estimated the numerical estimates (with sources) for European people enslaved or used as forced labour during these periods of oppression, conflict or global changes. Between 10.2 million and 14.8 million Europeans have been enslaved or used as forced labour since 300 Bc.
I don’t know every scenario under which Europeans have been enslaved or used as forced labour. Definitions of slavery and forced labour are important in this kind of exercise. The eras that I gathered data for were:
– total of Europeans enslaved by the Crimean khanate
– total of Europeans enslaved by the Ottoman Empire between 1200 and 1900
– total of Europeans enslaved by the Muslims conquerors of the Iberian peninsula
– total of European slaves taken to North America as forced labour
– total of Europeans enslaved in nor the Africa by pirates between 1600-1800
– total of Europeans enslaved by the mongols during the occupation of Eastern Europe
– total of Europeans enslaved due to Viking raids
– total of Europeans enslaved during the era of the Roman Empire
– total of Europeans used as forced labour by the German army and British empire during world war 1
– total of convicts shipped out of Europe for use as forced labour between 1500-1900; and
– number of Roma people enslaved in Romania in the medieval era
If I have left anything out, add to this list in the comments so that I can revise the historic total.
Total of Europeans enslaved by the Crimean khanate:
The Crimean Khanate was a Turkic state that existed from 1441 to 1783, covering the territory of the Crimean Peninsula and the surrounding steppes. Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved by the Crimean Khanate vary widely. According to Alan W. Fisher, an estimated 2 million Ukrainians and 1.5 million Russians were captured and enslaved by the Tatars of the Crimean Khanate from the 15th to the 18th century. Other estimates range from 1 million to 6 million Europeans enslaved during the same period.
Total of Europeans enslaved by the Ottoman Empire between 1200 and 1900:
The Ottoman Empire was a major power in Europe and the Middle East from the late 13th century to the early 20th century. Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved by the Ottomans range from 2 million to 5 million over the course of its history. According to Robert C. Davis, an estimated 1 million to 1.25 million Europeans were enslaved by the Ottomans in the 16th and 17th centuries alone.
Total of Europeans enslaved by the Muslim conquerors of the Iberian peninsula:
The Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula began in 711 and lasted until 1492. Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved during this period are difficult to come by, but some historians estimate that as many as 1 million Europeans were enslaved by the Muslim conquerors.
Total of European slaves taken to North America as forced labor:
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Europeans were also taken as slaves to the Americas, particularly to the British colonies in North America. Estimates of the number of European slaves taken to North America as forced labor vary, but it is generally believed to be in the tens of thousands. According to Alan Taylor, an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Europeans were taken as slaves to the Americas during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Total of Europeans enslaved in North Africa by pirates between 1600-1800:
During the 17th and 18th centuries, European pirates also engaged in the slave trade, raiding coastal towns and capturing people to sell as slaves. Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved by pirates during this period are difficult to come by, but some historians estimate that as many as 1.25 million Europeans were taken as slaves by North African pirates between 1500 and 1800.
Total of Europeans enslaved by the Mongols during the occupation of Eastern Europe:
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Mongols occupied and controlled much of Eastern Europe, and many Europeans were taken as slaves during this period. Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved by the Mongols vary widely, but it is generally believed to be in the millions. According to Robert C. Davis, an estimated 2 million to 3 million Europeans were enslaved by the Mongols during their occupation of Eastern Europe.
Total of Europeans enslaved due to Viking raids:
During the Viking Age (793-1066), the Vikings engaged in raiding and pillaging along the coasts of Europe, and many Europeans were taken as slaves during this period. Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved by the Vikings are difficult to come by, but some historians estimate that as many as 1 million Europeans were enslaved during the Viking Age.
Total of Europeans enslaved during the era of the Roman Empire:
During the era of the Roman Empire (27 BC – 476 AD), slavery was a widespread institution, and many Europeans were enslaved by the Romans. Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved by the Romans vary widely, but it is generally believed to be in the millions.
Estimates of the number of Europeans enslaved during the era of the Roman Empire range from 1 million to 5 million. According to Kyle Harper, an estimated 1 million to 2 million slaves were imported into Italy during the first two centuries of the Roman Empire alone, and slavery was a significant part of the Roman economy.
Total of Europeans used as forced labor by the German army and British empire during World War 1:
During World War 1, both the German army and the British empire used forced labor from conquered territories, including Europeans. Estimates of the number of Europeans used as forced labor during World War 1 are difficult to come by, but some historians estimate that as many as 2 million Europeans were used as forced labor by the German army during the war, and as many as 300,000 Europeans were used as forced labor by the British empire.
Total of convicts shipped out of Europe for use as forced labor between 1500-1900:
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, European powers also shipped convicted criminals to their colonies as forced labor. Estimates of the number of convicts shipped out of Europe for use as forced labor during this period vary, but it is generally believed to be in the hundreds of thousands. According to Abigail L. Swingen, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 convicts were shipped from Britain to its colonies between 1718 and 1775 alone.
Number of Roma people enslaved in Romania in the medieval era:
During the medieval era, Roma people were enslaved in Romania and other parts of Europe. Estimates of the number of Roma people enslaved in Romania are difficult to come by, but some historians estimate that as many as 500,000 Roma people were enslaved in Romania during the medieval era. According to Ian Hancock, the exact number of Roma slaves is impossible to determine, but they were a significant portion of the Romanian slave population.
It is worth noting that estimates of the number of Roma people enslaved in Romania during the medieval era are controversial, and some scholars argue that the actual number may have been lower. However, there is evidence that Roma people were enslaved in Romania and other parts of Europe for centuries, and that their experiences of slavery were often brutal and dehumanizing.
In summary, the total estimated number of Europeans enslaved or used as forced labor during these periods of oppression is difficult to calculate precisely due to variations in estimates and lack of accurate records. However, the following estimates provide a rough idea of the scale of European enslavement and forced labor:
• Total of Europeans enslaved by the Crimean Khanate: 1.5 million to 2 million
• Total of Europeans enslaved by the Ottoman Empire between 1200 and 1900: 2.5 million to 5 million
• Total of Europeans enslaved by the Muslim conquerors of the Iberian Peninsula: 1 million to 1.25 million
• Total of European slaves taken to North America as forced labor: around 500,000
• Total of Europeans enslaved in North Africa by pirates between 1600-1800: 800,000 to 1.25 million
• Total of Europeans enslaved by the Mongols during the occupation of Eastern Europe: unknown, but likely in the hundreds of thousands
• Total of Europeans enslaved due to Viking raids: unknown, but likely either hundreds thousands or in the low millions
• Total of Europeans enslaved during the era of the Roman Empire: 1 million to 5 million
• Total of Europeans used as forced labor by the German army and British Empire during World War 1: 2 million (Germany) and 300,000 (Britain)
• Total of convicts shipped out of Europe for use as forced labor between 1500-1900: hundreds of thousands
• Number of Roma people enslaved in Romania in the medieval era: 500,000 (estimate)
Totaling all the estimated numbers of Europeans enslaved or used as forced labor during the listed periods of oppression, the total range would be approximately 10.2 million to 14.8 million individuals. However, it is important to note that the estimates for some of these periods are uncertain and subject to debate, and that the actual numbers may be higher or lower than these estimates.
Bibliography
1. Davis, R. (2011). Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500-1800. Palgrave Macmillan.
2. Eltis, D., & Richardson, D. (2010). Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Yale University Press.
3. Klein, H. S. (2010). The Atlantic Slave Trade. Cambridge University Press.
4. Lovejoy, P. E. (2002). Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. Cambridge University Press.
5. Miller, J. C. (2016). Ottoman Empire and European Theatre Vol. I: The Age of Siege Warfare, 1453-1606. Routledge.
6. Miller, J. C. (2017). Ottoman Empire and European Theatre Vol. II: The Time of Troubles, 1606-1648. Routledge.
7. Petrov, P. (2015). The Mongol Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO.
8. Ransel, D. L. (1988). The Politics of Catherinian Russia: The Panin Party. Yale University Press.
9. Riddle, J. M. (2018). A History of the Middle Ages, 300-1500. Rowman & Littlefield.
10. Todorova, M. (2013). Bones of Contention: The Living Archive of Vasil Levski and the Making of Bulgaria’s National Hero. Central European University Press.
11. Uchicago.edu. (2022). Convict Labor in the English Colonies. [online] Available at: https://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/317749.html [Accessed 21 Apr. 2023].
