What people and objects did total war involve?

Answer 1

All of them. That's what made it 'total war.' By definition, in a total war, all of a nation's resources are and people are appropriated and directed toward the war effort to conquer the enemy. This is contrasted to the concept of 'limited war,' in which war is undertaken on a smaller scale, for the purpose of attaining specific, limited goals. The Vietnam War and Persian Gulf War are two excellent examples of limited wars. These were characterized by limited direct impact on the lives of general populace. Granted, the social and political impact of the Vietnam War on American society was quite massive; However, by and large the populace was not remotely as impacted as in a total war, despite significant loss of life. The commitment to the war effort fell short of the definition of total war. In fact, the lack of commitment to win is an enduring criticism leveled at Vietnam-era leaders. Rather, the goals of the conflict were smaller in scope and more arbitrary; Likewise, in the Gulf War, the total annihilation of Iraqi forces was not the goal. Rather, the purposes were to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait, prevent further incursions as far as Saudi Arabia, protecting vital oil access, etc. The quantity of resources committed were correspondingly small, in the most objective terms. Total war stands in sharp contrast with these limited goals. Every resources is committed or made available to the war effort, and there is no arbitrary limit set to the goals of war. The World Wars are examples of this total effort. WWI and WWII give us classic examples of total war. The entire economy and lifestyle of the nation was converted to assist the war effort. Scrap metal drives were conceived to conserve metals for military hardware. Rationing of consumer goods became the norm, to divert resources to the war. Posters and radio advertised Propaganda that kept the populace focused on programs to help the war effort. War Bond drives helped to fund the war with direct contributions from taxpayers. Air raid drills steeled the minds of children to fear and hate their enemy. 'Victory Gardens' sprang up as a supplement to rationed foods. Popular foods deemed 'disloyal' were renamed, thus 'Brussels' sprouts became 'Victory Sprouts.' Feature films with the stars of the day were concocted to promote and glorify the war effort. Massive shortages were the norm, as the populace got in line behind the war. In short, the entire economy and every resource was repurposed for the war. The War was on everyone's mind.

Meanwhile, in the actual war, there were no limits or lines drawn -- Germany was fought on every front, with every means, and was to be defeated at any cost -- massive cities were carpet-bombed and levelled. It was a total war.

The key distinction is that total war mobilizes virtually every member of a society and every resource available for use in the war effort, and is not circumscribed by arbitrary goals.