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Executive Summary: Imagine a world where the full force of human ingenuity and resources are marshaled not for destruction, but for the cultivation of lasting peace. A world where societies are as deeply committed to preventing violence as they have been, at times, to perfecting it. This is the audacious vision of "Total Peace" that this book aims to explore - and to contrast with the grim realities of "total war" that have shaped so much of human history. The Emergence of Total War The concept of total war emerged in the crucible of the 20th century's global conflicts. It refers to warfare where the entire resources and population of nations are mobilized to utterly destroy the enemy, where the lines between soldier and civilian are erased, and immense violence is visited upon whole societies. The two World Wars were the epitome of total war, marked by unprecedented devastation, mass conscription, targeting of civilian populations, and pursuit of unconditional surrender. But the roots of total war reach back further. Scholars have identified elements of it in conflicts as ancient as the Peloponnesian War of the 5th century BC. The American Civil War introduced "modern" characteristics like mass mobilization of society and deliberate economic warfare. By World War I, military leaders were already conceiving of war as an all-encompassing contest requiring every resource of the state and society. WWII realized this dark vision on an even greater scale. The Toll of Total Warfare The age of total war brought unimaginable suffering. It also warped humanity's very conception of conflict. War was increasingly seen not as a limited contest between professional armies, but an existential struggle demanding every sacrifice. This mentality fueled the pursuit of ever-greater means of destruction, culminating in the terrifying totality of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Seeds of an Alternative Vision Yet even as total war reached its apex, seeds of an alternative were being planted. The world recoiled from the abyss of global annihilation and began building new institutions of cooperation. Concepts of positive peace, more than just the absence of fighting, took root. The notion that societies should mobilize as determinedly for peace as for war slowly gained ground. Envisioning "Total Peace" This is the idea that Total Peace aims to envision - a mirror image of total war, where the full spectrum of human capabilities are devoted to preventing and healing conflict. It is a whole-of-society commitment to not just ending war, but actively cultivating justice, understanding, and human flourishing. Publication Metadata: Series: Mediation for Life and Peace (Vol. 04) Edition: First Singapore Edition (2026) Word Count: 39734 Language: English (en) Primary Author: David Hoicka (ORCID: 0000-0001-9082-0720) Publisher: Singapore Mediation Solutions