The discussion defines total war through the maximum strength a society can mobilize without destroying the support system that keeps that strength in the field. The two sides need not mobilize to the same degree: one can wage total war while its opponent pursues limited aims. Mechanization changes the calculation because tractors and other machinery reduce the skilled agricultural labor needed to feed armies. Earlier states had to leave more people in food production, while commercial powers could also mobilize finance and trade to sustain allied armies. Comparing percentages without accounting for technology, food surplus, taxation, and credit therefore mistakes different economic methods for different levels of commitment.
Chapter · 3:22:14-3:24:53
Total-war mobilization changes with the economy
A state can mobilize fully for its period without assigning the same share of people to armies as an industrial twentieth-century power.