text: what is 'total war', and why was it a 20th century phenomenon? could you please put the reference after answering, books perhaps, journals, or even websites? thanks a lot. total war is a 20th century term to describe a war in which countries or nations use all of their resources to destroy another organized country or nation's ability to engage in war. the practice of total war has been in use for centuries, but it was only in the middle to late nineteenth century that total war was recognized as a separate class of warfare.