Abstract
The concept of total war describes a war that has implications not only on the battlefield, but for the whole society of the belligerent country. The war is not only fought on the front anymore, but also within the State. It leads to the setup of a war economy: the people are rationed for the war effort, the women may work to replace the men in the factories. The State takes the charge of the economy during the war.
More generally, the State has to direct all its resources towards the war, and thus to achieve a total strategy. This is often made possible by the sacred union of all the political parties within the country. The military dimension overthrows every other preoccupation: Eric Ludendorff, in his book The Total War argues that the spirit of the people is stronger during the war, which triggers a submission of the society to the military.
