''Total War'' Theory

By Crusader1307

The concept of what is known as The ''Total War'' Theory, is not a new term to Military ideology. Similar ideas and actions were well known as far back as The European Middle Ages. In theory, Warfare was regulated to Military goals and objectives only. It was soon determined that the most effective way to defeat an Enemy was to attack it's ''Civilian Base''. An Enemies Society supports (produces) much was what is needed in Warfare. And while it was quite common for Armies before the 20^th Century AD to ''forage'' or ''live off The Land'' as an integral part of Warfare, it's ''population'' was all important. In several instances, Leaders of Armies began to ''take The War'' to an Enemies civilian population base. Besieging Towns and Cities, destroying infrastructure and of course – food resources, were found to both shorten and force capitulation of an Enemy. Still the process was not widely accepted or used by Military Commanders.

The associated term ''Total War'' is credited to German Army General Erich Ludendorff in 1935. While a major Commander and Adviser to Germany's former National Leader Kaiser Wilhelm I and later to President Paul Hindenburg, Ludendorff's experiences in World War I (1914-1918) – taught Him many lessons. With the rapid advances of weaponry and the need to adapt to them, the overall change to Warfare rose. Ludendorff felt, that with all Armies having advanced weapons and material, no War could be ''traditionally'' won. One side or the other needed to revert to the total destruction of an Enemies ''ability to make and sustain War''. This, ''Total War'' would become the ultimate Military ''gambit''.

While no Conflict begins as such, the disadvantages of The Theory is that the complete destruction of an Enemies infrastructure (while it removes it's political beliefs and the ''root'' of diplomatic failures prior to War) – also causes the need to rebuild such by a ''victorious'' occupying Enemy. The natural tendencies of a ''vanquished'' Enemy population can have the effect of hatred and the possibility of creating an even stronger resolve to resist such. The advent of the so-called ''Nuclear Age'', in which weapons of this nature often create the ability to advance ''Total War'' objectives, are now applied to such Warfare.