The Age of Total War, 1860–1945

Jeremy Black

What is total war? Definitions abound, but one thing is certain—the concept of total war has come to be seen as a defining concept of the modern age. In The Age of Total War, celebrated historian Jeremy Black explores the rise and demise of an era of total war, which he defines in terms of the intensity of the struggle, the range (geographical and/or chronological) of conflict, the nature of the goals, and the extent to which civil society was involved. He contends that this era (roughly 1860–1945) was markedly different from the warfare that characterized earlier periods, and that it is very different from the situation that has evolved since, with its emphasis on asymmetrical conflict and limited warfare.
Acknowledging that various definitions are problematic and often contradictory, Black argues that 1860 to 1945 was an era in which the prospect of war and the consequences of it were crucially important for human history. He focuses primarily on conflict between Western powers, including Japanese participation in the Russo-Japanese War. Trends and developments subsequent to 1945 have combined, Black asserts, to make a return to total war unlikely.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 216 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼

978-1-4422-0700-4 • Paperback • September 2010 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4616-4409-5 • eBook • September 2010 • $36.00 • (£30.00)

Subjects: History / Military / General, History / Military / World War I, History / Military / World War II

Courses: History; Military History

The Age of Total War, 1860–1945

Paperback

eBook

Summary

What is total war? Definitions abound, but one thing is certain—the concept of total war has come to be seen as a defining concept of the modern age. In The Age of Total War, celebrated historian Jeremy Black explores the rise and demise of an era of total war, which he defines in terms of the intensity of the struggle, the range (geographical and/or chronological) of conflict, the nature of the goals, and the extent to which civil society was involved. He contends that this era (roughly 1860–1945) was markedly different from the warfare that characterized earlier periods, and that it is very different from the situation that has evolved since, with its emphasis on asymmetrical conflict and limited warfare.
Acknowledging that various definitions are problematic and often contradictory, Black argues that 1860 to 1945 was an era in which the prospect of war and the consequences of it were crucially important for human history. He focuses primarily on conflict between Western powers, including Japanese participation in the Russo-Japanese War. Trends and developments subsequent to 1945 have combined, Black asserts, to make a return to total war unlikely.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 216 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼

978-1-4422-0700-4 • Paperback • September 2010 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4616-4409-5 • eBook • September 2010 • $36.00 • (£30.00)

Subjects: History / Military / General, History / Military / World War I, History / Military / World War II

Courses: History; Military History

Author

Jeremy Black, author of more than forty books on military history and international affairs, is professor of history at Exeter University in the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations
Preface
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Overawing the World, 1860–1914
Chapter 3: Developments within the West, 1860–71
Chapter 4: Uneasy Peace and Small Wars, 1872–1913
Chapter 5: World War I, 1914–18
Chapter 6: Between the World Wars, 1919–38
Chapter 7: World War II, 1939–45
Chapter 8: Postscript
Notes
Selected Further Reading
Index

Reviews

In The Age of Total War, Black builds on his impressive record of scholarship and provides an effective and useful study of the course and conduct of war during the second half of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries that offers insightful consideration of total war as a central theme in the military history of the period. . . . Black's effective synthesis of scholarship and thought-provoking analysis make this a work of much value to students of this period in world military history. . . . [I]t will work well for instructors seeking to stimulate thought and discussion in graduate-level courses and a supplemental text for undergraduate courses.
— Journal of Military History

[Black's] discussions of World War I and II positively shine.
— Air and Space Power Journal

It is useful for experts to challenge the consensus in their field and in The Age of Total War Jeremy Black does not disappoint. He not only questions convention, but offers a useful for doing so. Dr. Black’s work is not so much a history as a paean to the historiography and military dogma regarding what we commonly call Total War. . . . The Age of Total War has utility as a text for framing the importance of questioning terms and widely-held beliefs in graduate-level history courses. . . .As a brief summary of major conflicts from 1860-1945 this work succeeds. . . .Black’s work is strongest when he questions conventional wisdom regarding how we see war. . . .By focusing on the unique circumstances (societal, technological, industrial) of the period ranging from 1860-1945, Black helps us understand how and why this period’s conflicts were fought in a particular way and why their consequences were important to the world we live in today.
— The Bridge

The Age of Total War, 1860–1945

Jeremy Black

The Age of Total War, 1860–1945

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