20th Century Conflict:

To what extent does “World War” / “Total War” limit a country’s choices for how to defend itself?

History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.

- Ronald Reagan

What is “World War?”

• All continents

(except Antarctica)

• Land, sea, air

• Total Mobilization – industry,

– science,

– society…

Doctrine of Total War

• 20th-21st centuries

• Nations use all of their resources to destroy another nation's ability to engage in war.

• Counter force / Counter value strategy

http://science.howstuffworks.com/war-tech.htm

Attributes of Total War

A. Complete mobilization of all resources:

Industrialization –factories convert to wartime production

• Make armaments & BECOME TARGETS

• Factory & workforce conversions- WWII

Mechanization – to maximize effects of warfare –many more casualties, easier, impersonal

1. Better Weapons, Communication & Transportation Technology

• Chemical Weapons –Poison gas

• Machine guns• Tanks• Anti-Tank weaponry• Barbed wire• Telegraph• Motorized vehicles• Bombs• Bazookas• Atomic Bombs• Land & Sea Mines• Biological Weapons

• Gas masks• Submarines• Airplanes• Zeppelins• Radios• Amphibious vehicles• Huge, fast battleships• Aircraft carriers• ICBM’s, ABM’s, SLBM’s…• DDT & other anti biologicals• GPS• Night goggles• Robot Drones

Yellow = technology available in WW I

TRADE

FINANCIAL

MEDICINE

FOOD

WATER

Attributes of Total War

2. TOTAL PARTICIPATION– Recruitment – Professional.

Nationals, Colonials, Immigrants.• Recruiters: Learn discipline, skills

• GI Bill, VA hospitals, VA mortgages

– Home-Front Efforts

Conserve & Invest!!!• WWI, WWII… What about Korea,

Vietnam, Eastern Europe,

Iraq & Afghanistan?

– Civilians as TARGETS! Air raids, naval blockades, bombing of cities… terrorism.

Total Participation = Total War

• Criticism of war = treason!– With us or against us: battling ideologies

• Mass Propaganda Mass HATRED & DEHUMANIZATION of enemy

• Women - replacement & additional workers in industry get vote after WWI

• Preparation of NEXT GENERATION

• Huge loss of life – WWI- Verdun: 595,000 dead; – Somme- 840,000 dead; – WWII- D-Day ground: 4,414 allies alone.

Comparing War Deaths

WAR Military Civilian Wounded Totals

Civil War 214,938 625,000 497,444+

North 140,414 364,511 281,881

South 74,524 312,000 unknown

WAR US & GB Russian Entente Central

WWI US205,690

GB1,226,597

3,749,000-4,950,000

12,809,280 8,419,533

World War II War Deaths

WAR US & GB RUSSIA China German Italian

JAPAN Total

WWII US418,500

GB450,900

23-24 Million

10-20 Million

German7-9Million

Italy454,600

2.62 – 3.12 M(includesHiroshima & Nagasaki)

60-80 Million

Modern Warfare

Total Deaths USSoldiers

Civilians

VIETNAM(American Phase)

1,700,000 58,220 195,000-430,000 S.Vietnamese

50,000-65,000 N. Vietnamese

Iraq 172,907 4,486 66,081

Afghanistan* **

3,288 Coalition2001-2013

2,2072001-2013

16,1792007-2013

Notes: *Total & US deaths are for 2001-2013; Civilian deaths are from 2007

** Total Coalition Deaths for Afghanistan replace total.

3. NO GLORY ANYMORE!

– No one is safe: Cities, Farms, homes, mothers, children…

– No time off - 24/7/30/365 in trenches

– Disease, misery, fear… It has become a War of Attrition: who will surrender first?

…The ideal of the heroic war is gone…

Iraq War

Vietnam War

Entente (Italy switched to Entente)

Allies at some time

Allies Before the Attack on Pearl HarborAllies AFTER Pearl HarborAxis PowersNeutral States

“Total War: The German and American Experiences, 1871 - 1914” – Roger Chickering

• "Total war is distinguished by its unprecedented intensity and extent.Theaters of operations span the globe; the scale of battle is practically limitless.”

• “Total war is fought heedless of the restraints of morality, custom, or international law, for the combatants are inspired by hatreds born of modern ideologies.”

• “Total war requires the mobilization not only of armed forces but also of whole populations. The most crucial determinant of total war is the widespread, indiscriminate, and deliberate inclusion of civilians as legitimate military targets."

• “Without total mobilization of its own, no population can defend itself against a total war waged by a society intent on victory.”

Nagasaki & Hiroshima

To What Extent can Total War be a “Just” War?

All combatants fight with ALL weapons

at their disposal…

Total War?

Chinese Rev.

Chinese Rev.