What Is The Cause Of The Total War

I believed that the total war lead to the destruction of many nations political, economic, and civilian populations because anytime you at war it cost money and World War 1 caused so many financial loses, combined with the many lives that was taken on the battlefield and physical destruction. when the war began the countries, whom is involved organized they whole populations and economic resources to achieve victory. The civilian population came in factor because they were the ones fighting and losing they life in the war so they were critically involved in the war which lead to destruction of the civilian population. I feel that nationalism played a role in the start of the war because it was increasing the nationalism by promoting it through