Introduction and Significance
For Western Europe, the decades of social and economic upheaval also brought political transformations. Two important events that occurred from 1789 to 1945 mark the moments when Europe was at the brink of new world order (Frassetto, 2020). These events, i.e., the fall of the Bastille and the ending of World War II, mark moments of great transformations for art, politics, and society as they paved way for the emergence of modern society. The French Revolution started in 1789 and is regarded as an event that triggered the formation of the modern-era. It initiates with an economic crisis and a society that was overburdened and overtaxed by the monarchy. The chaos of the revolt was the beginning of a challenge for traditions and governmental systems. This was followed by the upturn of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and the series of wars that redefined Europe forever (Gallaher, 2007). In the latter half of the 18th-century, science and technology changed the world radically, hence began the time of the industrial revolution and mechanized society. There was a boom of urbanization and industrialization that reshaped the societal landscape. In the year 1917, Russia was plagued by two revolutions, one of which caused a civil war while the other resulted in the formation of a communist government. By this time, World War-I had ended, and imperial Germany had collapsed (Merriman, 2019). This was followed by a turbulent time for Germany which resulted in the rise of Nazism and ultimately, World War II. Under the command of Adolf Hitler, Germany faced huge political, social, and moral challenges. The devastation caused by Hitler during World War II perpetually scarred Europe and other parts of the world (Wilde, 2019). War is often unchanging in nature as it is always violent and inherently political. However, its character changes with time and reflects factors such as laws, ethics, and technology.
Thesis Question
This paper aims to answer the given thesis questions: How did the character of war change from 1789 to 1945 in terms of information technology and autonomy?
Annotated Bibliography
Lynch, J. (2020). Yet Another Article about Information Technology and the Character of War. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2020/09/yet-another-article-about-information-technology-and-the-character-of-war/
This article is written by Justin Lynch and it presents the dynamic character of war. He highlights the limited manoeuvres of war that were replaced by decisive battles undertaken by professional military men, driven by nationalism as in the historic events of the French Revolution and the wars by Bonaparte. The contrasting approach was taken by the Prussian army, as they displayed caution, while the French decisively absorbed casualties, not only invalidating the approach of Prussian leaders but also redefined victory. Lynch asserts that technology has a great impact on altering the character of war. Napoleonic warfare was an example of agricultural societies pitting their armed forces and resources against each other, while World War II was an example of destruction caused by industrial nations. The article highlights four aspects of information technology that impact war. These include “autonomy, software’s acceleration of adaption, infrastructure as a weapon system, and individualization of war and politics” (Lynch, 2020). Autonomy in warfare means that human command and control are minimized, and autonomous weapons are in place (Kallenborn, 2021). With the advancement of technology, war’s character changed from the use of primitive weapons, and the use of machine guns was popularized in World War I (Library of Congress, 2020). Throughout the history of warfare, it is observed that humans have strived to make weapons more autonomous using technology. This article by Justin Lynch also explores three other factors of information technology that may impact the future of warfare.
References
Frassetto, M. (2020). history of Europe—The age of revolution | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Europe/The-age-of-revolution
Gallaher, J. G. (2007). The Wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon, 1792-1815 (review). The Journal of Military History, 71(2), 525–526. https://doi.org/10.1353/jmh.2007.0115
Kallenborn, Z. (2021, November 22). Swords and Shields: Autonomy, AI, and the Offense-Defense Balance. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2021/11/22/swords-and-shields-autonomy-ai-and-the-offense-defense-balance/
Library of Congress. (2020). Military Technology in World War I | Articles & Essays | Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919 | Digital Collections | Library of Congress [Web page]. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-rotogravures/articles-and-essays/military-technology-in-world-war-i/
Lynch, J. (2020). Yet Another Article about Information Technology and the Character of War. War on the Rocks. https://warontherocks.com/2020/09/yet-another-article-about-information-technology-and-the-character-of-war/
Merriman, J. (2019). A History of Modern Europe: Fourth Edition 1 Volume. W.W. Norton & Company.
Wilde, R. (2019). 8 Major Events in European History. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/major-events-european-history-4140370
