The general sentiment was a wish to avoid such a conflict materialising again. The discourse on ‘Total War’ then dominated interwar politics. Rather than the imagined short war, the continent was engulfed in a perpetual struggle of will, with an unprecedented level of casualties, changing the face of warfare henceforth. World War I proved to be the moment that motivated historians to re-evaluate warfare. The legacy of this extremity was once again evident in World War II, as the merciless nature of World War I would forever cast a shadow over modern warfare. Equally, the unprecedented developments in technology grew out of this climate. The totality of their aims during this war was manifested in the extreme mobilisation of both the people and the economy. With the Imperial era at its peak, such competition between nations had been steadily growing and could largely be blamed for the breakdown of the alliance system in 1914. Soldiers in the trenches, prepared for a gas attack This demonstrated how the tentacles of warfare were becoming more and more intrusive, sustained by advancements in technology. Such tactics were particularly evident between Britain and Germany.Īdditionally, it was submarine warfare that hastened the entry of the US into the war. It also served to exhaust the war economies of the belligerents. In this way, it represented an evolution in warfare, as a means to target civilians indirectly. Their use in this period was generally for blockades and other naval activity. Their utility was at its most eminent during World War I. Their renowned prowess in the sciences opened avenues of attack, such as chemical warfare.Īnother tangible example of technological developments was that of the submarine. In the case of the Germans, one result of their total mobilisation could be seen in innovations in this arena. These broadening horizons in warfare were also supplemented by a development in technology throughout the century. Women working in a gun factory in the UK during the First World War It was during the First World War that nations realised the extent of control that was now required in warfare. It is defined as the ‘battle of materials’ and it exemplifies the widening horizons of modern warfare. The German term ‘materialschlacht’, which was coined at this time, attests to this.
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