Week3Journal

KendrickWang

TheIndustrialMilitaryRevolutionisnottobeconfusedwiththeIndustrialRevolution,
whichisthoughttohaveendedbythe1840s.However,itdoesinvolvetheapplicationofthe
IndustrialRevolutiontothemilitary,turningitintoawarfightingmachine.Inkeepingwiththe
established,multifaceteddefinitionofanRMA,therewereseveralfactors,notallofthem
technological,thatcontributedtotheMilitaryIndustrialRevolution.Themostprominent
changescamenotfromtechnologydevelopedforwar,butformoney.TheearlierIndustrial
RevolutionhadlaidthegroundworkfortheIndustrialMilitaryRevolutionquiteliterally,through
theestablishmentofmodernindustry.Practicessuchasmass,rapidproductionofgoodswas
becomingcommonplace,allowingsoldiersoftheIndustrialMilitaryRevolutiontobeuniformly
equipped:shouldamanlosehishat,boot,orbayonetonthebattlefield,itwouldntbehardto
replaceitwiththeexactsameitem.
Beyondtheproductionofwarmaterielonamassivescale,otherinnovationsofthe
IndustrialRevolutionplayedakeyroleintheIndustrialMilitaryRevolution.Uponthe
introductionofviablesteamlocomotivetransportintheearly1800s,afewmilitaryleaderswere
quicktorealizeitseffectonwarfare.AnoftcitedexampleisthatofAbrahamLincoln,who,
alongsideleaderssuchasGrant,Sherman,andBurnside,wouldemploytheUnionssuperior
railinfrastructuretorushtroopsandmentothebattlefield.Despitetheireffectiveuse,there
wassomecontroversyovergovernmentseizureofrailways.ThemightofUnionindustry,
pumpedthroughtheveinsoftherailwaysandsupportedbyapotentnavyblockade,ultimately
helpedleadtoaNorthernvictory.
However,havingtheabilitytorushtroopstofarflungbattlefieldsdoesnotequalatotal
victory.Generalsandleadersmustbeabletocontrolthemovementsoftheirmenonthefield
evenNapoleonhadbeenabletocontrolanarmyonlyasfarashecouldseewithatelescope1 .
InventorsinEurope,aswellasthelikesofSamuelMorseintheUnitedStates,provideda
solutiontothatproblemintheircreationofthetelegraph.Messagessentoncopperwires
traveledfarfasterthananyhorsemanevercould,allowingforpracticallyinstant
communicationsbetweenofficersinthefieldandgeneralsatcommand.FieldMarshalHelmuth
vonMoltke,thenchiefofstaffforthePrussianarmy,recognizedtheimportanceofthetelegraph
tomilitaryendeavours,andwasabletomobilizeahugenumberoftroopswithindays.Thelack
ofatelegraph,attheBattleofKniggrtzattheendoftheAustroPrussianwar,increasedthe
timeitwouldtakeforthePrussianSecondarmytocometotheaidoftheFirstarmy,leadingto
atensefewhoursforthePrussianhighcommand.
CombinedwithsuchweaponryasprototypeboltactionNeedleGuns,andother
repeatingriflesoftheday,theIndustrialMilitaryRevolutionwouldforeverchangethewaythat
warswerefought.Thecreationofnationalwarmachines,madefasterandmoreresponsive
throughrailwaysandtelegraphs,ledtoeverhigherdeathcountsandbloodierbattles.Aswar
becameingrainedintotheeconomyofanation,theIndustrialMilitaryRevolutionbecamean
RMA,inthatitaffectedsociopoliticalaffairsaswellasmilitaryones.Now,moneycouldbe
1

Boot,Page126.

madefromsupplyingthebulletsandgunsforastandingarmy,aswellasuniforms,food,and
anythingelseneededtomaintainthemightofahugeforce.Aswellasaugmentingthe
economy,thesoldiersofthePrussianarmybecamemoreeducated,thankstoademandfor
higherthinkingonthepartofofficers.DuetothelopsidedvictoriesoftheAustroPrussianwar,
helpedinnosmallpartbyrepeatingrifles,manyEuropeanstatescametobelievethatwarwas
nowaswift,easything.Thus,theyweremoreinclinedtowar,asitbenefittedthemwithno
apparentdownsidesintheireyes.Unfortunately,thiswasnotthecase,astobefoundoutlater
duringWorldWarI.

AnewparadigmcameaboutalongsidetheIndustrialMilitaryRevolution,thatofthe
conceptofTotalWar.TotalWar,inessence,istheapplicationofeverypartofsocietyto
warfare,socially,politically,andeconomically.BeforetheadventofTotalWar,amotherand
familyathomemayonlybeaffectedbywarfarethroughthedeathofalovedone.Afterwards,a
mothercouldworkinafactoryproducinggunsandbombsforwar,orbuywarbonds.TotalWar
gavethepriorityofanationtowarfareoverthatofitscitizens,usingthemasaresourceto
powerthewarmachine.
This,ofcourse,alsomadethematarget.AfamousexampleofTotalWarisGeneral
ShermansMarchtotheSeainhisSavannahCampaignduringtheCivilWar.Beyondthe
usualcaptureandconquestofenemytroops,Shermanwouldattackindustrialtargetstodisrupt
Confederatetransportationnetworksandeconomy.WhatmadeShermanfamous,orrather,
infamous,ishisusageofscorchedearthpolicies:literallyburningthefarmfieldsoftheSouth,
tearinguprailroads,anddestroyinganyresourcethatwasusefultotheenemy.Thistactic,
whileeffective,wasbrutalandpunishing,makingShermanahighlyresentedfigureinthe
South.TotalWardiminishedthedifferentiationbetweensoldiersandcivilians,seeingthemas
bothcontributingtothewareffort.Later,almostthewholeofEuropewouldmobilizetofight
WorldWarI,endingincatastrophicamountsofslaughter.
Thereweretwoschoolsofthought,discussedinthelecture,whichdominatedTotalWar.
ThefirstwastheAmericanModel,oftheCivilWar,andtheGermanModel,ofthemanysmall
warsfoughtforGermanunificationduringthelate19thcentury.TheAmericanCivilWar,which
wastheadventofthefirstpairingsoftheIndustrialRevolutionandtheIndustrialMilitary
Revolution,unfortunatelyledtohugelossoflife.Manymen,firingfarmoreaccuratelythan
before,ledtoseveralbitterlycontestedbattles,andthelossofallhopeforaswiftwar.The
GermanModel,ontheotherhand,wasexactlythat:rapidmovementoftroopsacrossvast
distances,andsweepingflankingmaneuvers.Prussiasmilitaryhadledthewayintermsof
subsidizingrailways,andequippingtheirtroopswithrepeatingrifles.Theapplicationofthe
IndustrialMilitaryRevolution,combinedwiththegeneralincoherenceoftheAustrianarmy,led
toafastconclusionfortheGermanwarsofunificationtheAustroPrussianwartookonlytwo
monthstocomplete.Unfortunately,theGermanModelledtothebeliefthattheAmericanCivil
WarwasbrutalandlongbecauseofAmericanincompetency,thusreinforcingtheconceptof
swift,easywars.ThismisguidednessisexactlywhatledtoTotalWarcatchingEurope
offguardduringWorldWarI,withoutdatedtacticsnotmatchingadvancedmilitarymight.
Frontalassaultsagainstdefensiveweaponssuchasmachinegunsandartilleryledtoneedless
lossoflifeitwouldonlybetheadventofairpowerandtanksthatwouldbreakthestalemate.

TotalWarsimpacthasreachedevenintotodaysmilitarydoctrineretreatingIraqiforces
setalightKuwaitioilwellsduringtheGulfWarin1991.Despitelackingarevolutionarounda
specificsetoftechnologicaladvancements,TotalWarcertainlymanagedtoaffectboththe
natureofwarfare,andthenatureofsociopoliticalaffairsthus,itcanbeconsideredanRMA.
Whenanationwenttowar,everypersoninthatnationwouldalsobeatwar.Thehomefront
wouldbecomeanimportantfactorinwar.CombinedwiththeIndustrialMilitaryRevolution,
TotalWarwouldcreateanichesetofcompanieswhollydevotedtosupplyingtheirgovernments
withtheweaponsofwar.ThisistheMilitaryIndustrialComplexwarnedaboutbyPresident
Eisenhowerashisfarewelladdress,directedatthelikesofsuchcompaniesasLockheedMartin
andIBM.Nonetheless,equippinganationsarmybecameanimportantpartoftheeconomy,
anditchingtousetheirnowtechnologicallyadvancedarmies,thenationsoftheworldwouldgo
towar,resultinginunprecedentedlossofhumanlife.