In the context of General William Tecumseh Sherman’s strategy during the Civil War, "total war" referred to his approach of destroying not just Confederate armies but also the economic and psychological capacity of the South to continue fighting.

This included targeting infrastructure, supply lines, and civilian property, exemplified in his infamous "March to the Sea," where he and his troops marched from Atlanta to Savannah, causing widespread destruction. Sherman's strategy aimed to break the Southern populace's will and hasten the war's end.