How did total war affect the home fronts of the major combatants?

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“Never Forget!”This 1915 French poster with a passionate headline dramatizes Germany’s brutal invasion of Belgium in 1914. The “rape of Belgium” featured prominently — and effectively — in anti-German propaganda. (© Mary Evans Picture Library/The Image Works)> PICTURING THE PASTANALYZING THE IMAGE: How is neutral Belgium personified? What do you think the artist’s purpose was?CONNECTIONS: How did governments use propaganda and other means to unite people for the war effort?

TTHE WAR’S IMPACT ON CIVILIANS was no less massive than on the men crouched in trenches. Total war mobilized entire populations, led to increased state power, and promoted social equality. It also led to dissent and a growing antiwar movement.