Glossary · Term
Total war
Total war is warfare in which states mobilise their entire population, economy and resources, and in which the distinction between combatants and civilians is eroded. The First World War was a defining example. The German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire profiles describe how the strains of total war exhausted their economies and societies, contributing directly to their collapse in 1918.
Mentioned in 4 profiles
See also
Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Total war. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/total-war
- MLA
- “Total war.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/total-war. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Total war.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/total-war.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Total war’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/total-war (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻