1.6 The development of the idea and practice of total war

Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

• ideas that war would be won by the nation with the greatest 'virtue' and by the strength and unity of 'the people' - nation in arms
• the revolutionaries argued that the Patrie had the right to take all reosurces, end the distinction between civilian and soldier, enforce a military-style discipline on all citizens, punish profiteering, defeatism and political opposition, and conscript any citizen

Involvement of civilians in warfare

• civilians had always suffered from war, but there had always been a distinction between civilians…