Summary
Mass war was all about military might, while the citizens usually were left undisturbed. This also meant that when there was a victory, there was a deal made and that was it. There was no downfall of a government, no taking over of a country. Total war, on the other hand, was completely different. The whole country was dragged into it and all of a sudden it wasn't just about military, but also about economy and allies. Allies were important because they supplied each other with resources the other didn't have. If you make a useless ally, they could potentially end up hurting you rather than helping, like how Italy slowed Germany down when Germany was trying to invade Russia. Total war also meant total victory. There were countries taken, governments overthrown, and all the civilians were heavily affected.
