Was World War One a Total War?

The first 200 words of this essay...

Was it a "Total War"? Define and conclusion

A Total War can be defined as a conflict that encompasses a total mobilization of resources such as human, industrial, agricultural, military with an aim to have such an output that the enemy won't be able to overcome. Perhaps the largest difference between a Total War and a normal war is that there is no difference between those who are fighting and the civilians; they are all seen as an enemy.

From this point of view, World War One could definitely be considered a Total War because it was a complete contrast to the limited wars of the 18th Century which were small, trying to avoid battles, not touching the society and continuing the trading systems.

Firstly, WW1 had an all encompassing character which although it began with the Germans and Austrians fighting against Russia, Britain and France. Within a few months all other European powers such as Turkey, Italy, Rumania and USA ended up joining the war. What at first could have been only a small conflict in the Balkans region, due to the alliance system it became a total war because it suddenly involved everyone