Evolution of 20th Century Warfare and Total War

How Warfare Changed in the 20th Century

World War I was a total war, meaning that it was a war which is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the accepted rules of war are disregarded.

This total war led to a variety of features which were new and different from previous centuries. These included:

• New and Deadly Weapons: All new and deadly weapons were being used; the introduction of the machine gun greatly shaped the nature of the war, as well as the use of biochemical weapons (poisonous gas).

• Trench Warfare: Due to machine guns and artillery—since defensive technology (stationary machine guns) was significantly more advanced than offensive technology (men on foot with slow rifles)—kilometers of holes in the ground had to be dug on both sides to protect themselves. This eventually led to a stalemate, which is when no position or action can be taken or progress made.

• War of Attrition: In World War I, a war of attrition also took place in 1916, where the strategy to win the war was by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel.

• Propaganda: Propaganda was used to encourage people to join the voluntary war effort, to warn people of the dangers of "careless talk," and to encourage people to save for the war effort and live more carefully without wasting food or materials; they also kept the morale and good humour of the population.

• Conscription and Social Change: A huge change in society also occurred when conscription was introduced, and men between 18 and 40 were forced to do military service. Their work at home (farms and factories) was left vacant; this meant women had to temporarily replace them voluntarily to the point where women (unmarried) were actually conscripted. This was a significant advance for women’s role in society.

• Rationing: Rationing during wars is a system which carefully distributes goods equally due to shortages.

• Aerial Warfare and the Blitz: In World War II, aircraft were used to bomb enemy cities, specifically in Britain. This bombing period was known as the Blitz, which resulted in 1,400,000 homeless Londoners and 43,000 deaths. Aircraft changed the nature of warfare, not only because they were a total war aspect, but also because they forced citizens to evacuate to safe havens.

• The Cold War: In the Cold War, due to the invention of nuclear weapons, the stakes were too high for direct conflict, resulting in decades of espionage, propaganda, and proxy wars.