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
“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…