Total warfare is a type of warfare that involves the use of any resource to ensure victory and does not distinguish between soldiers and civilians. It has been practiced for centuries and evolved with the sophistication of weapons and technology. Examples include the Peloponnesian War and World War I and II. Nuclear weapons have brought about another change in the practice and frequency of total warfare.
Total warfare is a class of warfare formally defined by 19th-century scholars that has actually been practiced for centuries. This limitless class of warfare involves the use of any resource to ensure victory and does not recognize a distinction between soldiers and combatants, civilians and other non-combatants.
In addition to military targets, homes, hospitals, schools, religious centers, libraries and other cultural repositories may be bombed and crops burned in an attempt to demoralize the enemy state. With the advent and permeation of the Industrial Revolution and the consequent greater sophistication of weapons, technology and media, total war implies that the state itself is transformed into a machine at the complete disposal of the war effort.
The practice and elements of total warfare have evolved over time as the sophistication and availability of resources has changed and improved. The Peloponnesian War fought by Athens and Sparta from 431 to 404 BC is considered an early example of this type of warfare because it deviated from the previously favored ritualized form of fighting where the outcome was decided in one day by professional armies on a field of battle designated. In contrast, the Peloponnesian War took years to resolve, involved the mass killing and enslavement of civilian populations, and nearly bankrupted the region. A further historical example of all-out warfare is the 13th century warfare of Genghis Khan and his forces which invaded, destroyed and depopulated any city that did not capitulate.
World War I and World War II of the 20th century are often characterized as representative contemporary examples of total warfare due to the resources that participating nations were forced to invest. There was little distinction between military and civilian targets as entire cities were repeatedly bombed and entire populations massacred or imprisoned. Propaganda was a major element in these wars, soldiers were drafted, goods and food were rationed, and private and state factories were commandeered to make everything from tanks and planes to bombs. Additionally, women and children became important components of the war effort in many countries involved as they worked in factories, as nurses or ambulance drivers.
Nuclear weapons have brought about another change in the practice and frequency of total warfare. Since a nuclear arsenal can be developed and maintained, mobilized very quickly, and lead to the complete destruction of a region, all-out war can be completed with devastating bombardment. These nuclear arsenals, however, deter major attacks on countries that hold them.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
