How Did Total War Affect The Economy

Total war involved the “governments, economies and populations of participating nations”, and occurred during World War One. This war was the first to experience the concept. “Total war” was a term created by German general Paul von Ludendorff in the 1930s. Rather than just the military, many in the nation were called to help (Llewellyn et al.). Total war impacted the economy and industries such as agriculture and weaponry.

In Britain, total war primarily showed its effects a week after war was declared. The British parliament at Westminster passed the Defence of the Realm Act. This act allowed the government to “use censorship, the authority to imprison without trial and the power to court martial and execute civilians” (Llewellyn et al.). Through this act, several liberties were limited in the interest of preventing further damages from the war. These include censorship of the press, a situation in which most of the time, only government employed journalists were allowed to report. In addition, what was allowed to be printed in the newspaper, and what was sent through mail, telegraph, and telephone were censored. Leisure activities such as lighting bonfires and flying kites, and consuming alcohol were interdicted. After 1915, in which, at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, “the British Expeditionary Force struggled to accumulate enough shells for

Companies who made weapons were privately owned, but worked together to achieve a common goal set by the government. France produced the most weapons of the allies: “By 1918 French producers were making 1,000 artillery guns, 261,000 shells and six million bullets per month. At the outbreak of war there were 162 aircraft in France; by 1918 there were more than 11,800”. Though prospering in weapon production, France’s success took a toll on the citizens. The people of France experienced low wages, high taxes, and rising prices (Llewellyn et