Total War

Definition

Total war is a military conflict where nations mobilize all available resources in order to destroy another nation's ability to engage in war. The laws of war are disregarded as seen by widespread attacks on civilians and non-military infrastructure.

Related terms

Civilian Casualties: Refers to non-combatants who are injured or killed during conflicts. In total wars these numbers can be extremely high due to indiscriminate warfare tactics.

War Economy: An economy which is organized for producing weaponry and supplying soldiers for warfare while civilian production is reduced or halted completely.

Propaganda: Information used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. During total wars, propaganda is often used to mobilize the entire population towards the war effort.