What do you understand by the term “Total war”?
What do you understand by the term "Total war"?
Total war is a term that till the 20th century had never been in use or practiced. Total War is the total engagement of a nation's economic, social, cultural, and political capital in the war. Till world war one wars had only occurred on the battlefields. Wars were only head to head collisions of bloodshed and casualties. Wars had till then never involved people at home. The last century of the millennium was to change that. 'Total war was the organization or mobilization of all sectors of society to support the war efforts. As a result of this mobilization of the civilian population, the term 'home front' came to be used to describe the domestic scene.' World war one involved both the war front, but also, for the first time, the home front.
All elements of this total war are connected. The First World War was fought using enormous amounts of materials including weaponry, ammunition and transport vehicles, but also millions of men. This in turn led to involvement on the civilian population on the home front. It was no longer possible to relay on supplies. Further mass production of equipment, weapons, ammunition, transport and food was necessary to continue the military struggle. A problem occurred when insufficient amounts of men where present to continue to work. Both in England and in Germany, men where in the fronts and couldn't work simultaneously. Hence, the growths in woman force.
Women played a major part in winning the First World War and many men who had previously opposed women having a vote quickly changed their opinions. Women had been years before fighting for equality and rights to vote and many women had taken extreme measures to try to gain it. Women helped in many aspects of war. They took over roles of men who had gone to war in the factories and in the fields. They also filled posts that women were expected to fill, such as voluntary nursing, military nursing, canteen staff and Salvation Army. Although women ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
Women played a major part in winning the First World War and many men who had previously opposed women having a vote quickly changed their opinions. Women had been years before fighting for equality and rights to vote and many women had taken extreme measures to try to gain it. Women helped in many aspects of war. They took over roles of men who had gone to war in the factories and in the fields. They also filled posts that women were expected to fill, such as voluntary nursing, military nursing, canteen staff and Salvation Army. Although women were not allowed to go to the front until 1918, the 'Women's Army Auxiliary Corps' was set up in February 1917, aimed to send women out to replace men in army bases, home and away. Till the beginning of the 20th century, a stereotype for women had been to stay at home and only fo accepted women work such as nursing. The introduction of women working in factories was revolutionary. However, with the rapidly growing need for more workers women were the only solution. Those who did work were from the middle classes and worked as nurses, primary teachers, and social work. The war broke down these barriers for women. The number of women working in factories rose by 145% between 1914 and 1916. Four years later, by 1918, this had risen to 333% compared with the beginning of the war. The women's role in the war was very significant but accompanied with much trouble while trying to help. Male trade unions were worried that if women took the jobs of men the men would not be able to get them back when they returned from the war. As a result of this many employers and the government agreed with the trade unions that all jobs should be returned to their previous occupants once the war came to an end. Work in the factories was not intended to alter the social structure, but was solely in terms of the war efforts. This clearly proves that women were in the war effort to help, as they had no chance of keeping their job after the war.
At this time newspapers and periodicals were a major source of information about the war effort. To keep spirits high at home, editors sometimes withheld information that might lower the moral of the country. This is an example where propaganda played a major role in the war effort. Propaganda is an unavoidable feature of the war. Governments used and abused their power of propaganda by setting hate in the people towards the enemy. Dr. J. Winter referred to World war one as the "First Propaganda War." It was common at the beginning of the war that Propaganda pictures published in Belgium Newspapers showing an evil strong Germany near a small, weak, poor Belgium. Governmental and inefficiency of War generals also greatly effected the war.
The Schliefen Plan was an organized plan the Germans had created nearly 10 years before the war. However, without much censoring the plan had been spread and published throughout Europe well before the war. The Kaiser regarded his forthcoming victory as a game. "Paris for lunch, dinner in St. Petersburg." However, because Europe was expecting this strategic move it had prepared and as the Germans stampeded Belgium, resistance was expecting the Germans. Professor, W. Mommsen of the Dusseldorf University, says Germany was frightened because its enemy was invisible, hidden by the home front. Germany declared "for every German soldier killed 10 civilians would die."
With the unbearable, unbreakable stalemate, the war effort shifted to find a way to break the stalemate. Belgium was not the only place to be physically harmed at the home front. England was also bombed for the first time from the air. Technology increased the amount of casualties each side could impose on the other. The machine gun was probably the most effective instrument of war. With the incompetence of the generals, soldiers would be sent out to charge the opposing side with the old fashioned tactic of shoulder to shoulder stampeding, and would be quickly eliminated by a single gun literally mowing down line after line of soldiers.
The technology of war created millions of man losses and countries were in serious problems realizing their extreme shortage. Once again, the term total war applies. France involved their colonies from Africa, and England their Australian colony. The European war now became a world war with countries from around the globe became involved. Asia, Africa, America, Australia all entered a European war because of different reasons. Hence the term Total World War.
The Period described was not the first time a world society had been exposed to mobilization for war, and it was not the first time governments had extended their power and limited rights of civilians. However, it was the first time engagement of a nation's economic, social, cultural, and political capital in the war was put to the test in such extents. Both Home and War fronts were obliged in order for this war to establish itself. All systems altered in order to serve for war interests: technology, transport, research, production, social structure, colonial influence, taxation, and government rule. Hence the term Total War.
