Editing Total war (section)

==== North America ====
The [[Sullivan Expedition]] of 1779 was an example of total warfare. As Native American and [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] forces massacred American farmers, killed livestock and burned buildings in remote frontier areas, General [[George Washington]] sent General [[John Sullivan (general)|John Sullivan]] with 4,000 troops to seek "the total destruction and devastation of their settlements" in upstate New York. There was only one small battle as the expedition devastated "14 towns and most flourishing crops of corn."  The Native Americans escaped to Canada where the British fed them; they remained there after the war.<ref>See [https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-20-02-0661 "From George Washington to Major General John Sullivan, 31 May 1779" National Archives]</ref><ref>Fischer, Joseph R. (1997) ''A Well-Executed Failure: The Sullivan Campaign against the Iroquois, July–September 1779'' Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press {{isbn|978-1-57003-137-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Understanding U.S. Military Conflicts through Primary Sources |date=2016 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=149}}</ref>

[[Sherman's March to the Sea]] in the [[American Civil War]]—from 15 November 1864, through 21 December 1864—is sometimes considered to be an example of total war, for which Sherman used the term '''''hard war'''''. Some historians challenge this designation, as Sherman's campaign assaulted primarily military targets and Sherman ordered his men to spare civilian homes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Caudill |first1=Edward |last2=Ashdown |first2=Paul |title=Sherman's March in Myth and Memory |year= 2009 |publisher=Rowman and Littlefield Publishers |isbn=978-1442201279 |pages=75–79}}</ref>