Total War: Definition and Debate

World War I is called the first “total war.” The idea of total war involves four things. The first is mobilization. This is the gathering of troops and supplies. The second is that both soldiers and civilians are involved. The third is that countries do not compromise. The fourth is that governments take more control.

Mobilization and the blurring of roles between soldier and citizen

The mobilization for World War I happened on a larger scale than ever before. Millions of men became soldiers. Women also helped out. Many became nurses. Others worked in factories to make war supplies. Civilians helped out in other ways. Many planted “war gardens” to grow their own food.

Private industries focused on the war effort. Factories began producing weapons. New technology was created. These included tanks and gas masks.

Not all soldiers chose to join the army. Many were enlisted in a draft. A draft is when the government calls on you to fight. All the major fighting countries used drafts to build armies. Historian Kimberly A. Redding says:

Around 65 million men went to fight between 1914 and 1918 8.5 million soldiers died.
Around 17 million were wounded. Of these, at least 9.5 million were permanently disabled.

War also made illness more devastating. A flu outbreak happened in 1917-1918. Movement of workers and troops contributed to the spread of disease. As a result, 3-5% of the world’s population died.

Complete destruction of the enemy

The Hague Conventions set rules for war. They were created in 1899 and 1907. Many rules were broken in the war. For example, the Hague Conventions outlawed poison gas. But both sides used gas. Another rule stated that a country has to give a warning before starting a war. Germany broke this rule when it invaded Belgium.

The war reached a new level of violence. Countries wanted to destroy their enemies in new ways. They would not reach a deal to end the war. These were shocking actions for Europe.

World War I raised questions about technology. New technology made it easier to kill.

The Germans sank the British ship RMS Lusitania. The ship carried civilian passengers. It also was bringing weapons to the Allies. This sinking symbolized the new terrible nature of war.

As historians J.R. and William McNeill explain:

Better medicine helped military doctors. Armies were kept healthy for longer. This let fighting continue in the trenches. Heavy weaponry and poison gas made life in the trenches terrible. The machine gun also made climbing out deadly.

Total control of society

The war greatly affected the environment. The land was left with bomb craters. There were toxic gases in the air. The most damage was done by industrialization. European countries brought in materials from many parts of the world. Trees were cut down. Metals were mined. Environments far from Europe were affected.

Governments became more involved in people’s lives. They censored the press. They passed laws against minority groups. The government decided how much food people received.

The war created tension in many places. Russia and the Ottoman Empire had revolutions.

World War I showed how the world had changed. Four areas saw major growth from the 1800s. The first was industrialization and new technologies. The second was imperialism, or colonization. Imperialism is when one country takes over another country. Lastly, it showed changes to international relationships and conflicts.