The modern concept of total war can be traced to the writings of the 19th-century Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz, who denied that wars could be fought by laws. The most deadly conflicts have been fought on ideological grounds in revolutions and civil and religious wars. Simple territorial aggrandizement has not, for the most part, brought about total commitments to war.

Throughout history, limitations on the scope of warfare have been more economic and social than political. Total war, military conflict in which the contenders are willing to make any sacrifice in lives and other resources to obtain a complete victory, as distinguished from limited war.

Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.

This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.

#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.

Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.

Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.

Forth age total war