FREE ESSAY ON TOTAL WAR

TOTAL WAR

Total War
The Concept of total Warfare developed in the early nineteenth century due to the
economic development and political ideology.
Factors that constitute total war
1) The percentage of the population that identifies itself with the war of its nation.
i.e the citizens feeling about the conflict, a just war.
2) The percentage of the population and resources that participate in the conflict, in
terms of industrial, agricultural and military terms.
3) The percentage of people affected by the conflict, in economic, social and military
terms.
4) Common objective pursued by the conflict.
Prior to the development of the modern state system, conflict was limited
The war of total populations.
In the age of total warfare, mass identify themselves fully with the nation's conflict
Morally- the righteousness of the conflict in the interest of the nation
Empirical - The character of conflict since the Napoleonic period.
In the period of limited war, a state or a sovereign has the right to declare war in
terms of ethics and law, against those who did not have the moral and legal right to take
up arms. Yet one must keep in mind that all just war in the period of limited warfare was
ambiguous and was discarded in the nineteenth century as leaders realized conflict to be
a instrument of national/ dynastic policy. Conflict was often limited to outmaneuvering
the enemy.
Prior to the Napoleonic war it was common for a sovereign to use foreign troop's and
mercenaries in conflict. e.g British use of German troops in the American war of
independence. Even in the Napoleonic wars it was common to see foreign troops to used in
conflict. In this period desertion was common not only among individual solders but of
entire fighting formations.
The French were the fist use conscription in 1793. To safeguard the newly created The
First Republic, universal military service was used as a vehicle of nationalism. This was
to be a character of modern war.
French in the revolutionary war's
Prussian and Italian wars of liberation and unifications 
War by total populations.
Conflict in the twentieth century differed from that of the nineteenth century. National
liberation and unification to national universalism, the increase in the percentage of
the population participation in conflict was enlarged due to the economic changers of the
previous decades. Not only did able bodied man had to participate in conflict
women,children and the old now had to be used for the purpose of warfare. Agricultural,
industrial and auxiliary services that required the total participation of the
population. The economic chargers that the industrial revolution had bought about
increase in size of military force and mechanization of warfare.
16th to the 18th century; ten's of thousand of strong military forces, less than 1% of
the population of a given state.
Napoleonic wars; several hundred thousand under arms.
First World War;14% of population more that one million men under arms.
Second World War; 10% of population with several million men under arms, with Germany,
Russia and the US having over ten million men under arms.
The increase in the number of combatant have resulted in the total civilian population
having to supply weapons, transportation, communication, clothing and nourishment for the
fighting population. 12 civilians need to keep 1 personal combat ready ( in material
terms). Thus conflict has today become war of total population.
War Against Total Population 
The fact that in modern conflict the whole population play's a active role has resulted
in a increased number of death's in the civilian population.
French civilian casualties in conflict 1630-1919.
1630 -1789 Between 0.01% to 0.58% of population.
1789-1815 Between 1.19% to 1.54% of the population.
!914-1918 15% of the French population.
the reason for the increased death in civilian population is in partial due to the use of
new weaponry; Artillery, Machine Guns, Tanks, Bombers, Biological agents. The other is
the use of new weaponry against industrial and civilian targets. Which since the
Napoleonic time period has become vital for the continuation of conflict. 
The mechanization of Warfare.
Conflict since fourteenth century had two main characters
1) The use of a single weapon for multiple target.
2) The increase in distance from which actual fighting took place.
These two characters of conflict took place due to the use of gunpowder and artillery.
These two characters further developed in the late nineteenth century with the revolution
in the technology of war. 
The Mechanization of Weapons.
The accuracy, range and the rate of fire for weaponry has been constantly improving.
During the First World War a plane could fly and attack at a distance of about one
hundred miles. At the end of the Second World War it had increased to 1,500 mile to the
preset day of 6,000 miles.
Hand held cannons 
Early muskets
Rifle
Machine Gun
Assault rifle
Sub-machine gun
Infantry weapon system 
The Soviet Union and the United States have the ability to strike any where in the
world.
The Mechanization of Transportation and Communication. 
The development of railroads, steam boats, automobile, aircrafts, telegraphs and
telephone have made in possiable for faster troop movement, logistic supplies and better
command and control.