The essence of war is the state of conflict which is often prolonged and armed. Wars can occur between parties, paramilitary groups, societies, states, and nations. The idea of total war is when one or both sides use everything available to them. These include military forces, natural and human made resources, as well as civilians (Eddlem, 2014). In contrast, limited wars do not mobilize all resources and engage only their military, while civilian needs are not disregarded.
In the American Civil War, the concept of total war manifested in the actions of the generals against the other side. One of the examples was the Sherman’s March to the Sea – a campaign that occurred in Georgia in November and December 1864, and was led by a Union General Sherman (Boyer, 2004). Under his command, the troops burned down not only military targets but also civilian buildings and parts of local infrastructure. This was a severe violation of traditional rules which focused on using military forces rather than endangering civilian property.
After 1865, total war became a prominent part of military conflicts worldwide. Many civilian areas, including whole cities, have been under attack. Two of the most known examples are World War I and II, during which Germany mobilized all resources, including civilians, to occupy other territories. Some conflicts where civilians were affected are more recent, such as the Battle of Aleppo, a part of the Syrian Civil War (Bernard, 2016). The city was devastated, and many hospitals and schools were targeted by strikes.
References
Boyer, P. S. (Ed.). (2004). The Oxford companion to United States History. Oxford University Press.
Eddlem, T. R. (2014). America’s Civil War and the advent of total war. The New American, 34-38.
Bernard, V. (2016). War in cities: The spectre of total war. International Review of the Red Cross, 98(901), 1-11.