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8.7: Technological Influence

  • Page ID
    291443
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    Technological advancements have profoundly influenced the conduct of war, making it more destructive and precise, while raising new ethical and strategic dilemmas.

    • Drones and Precision Warfare: Drone technology has revolutionized warfare by allowing states to conduct targeted strikes without risking the lives of their soldiers. The U.S. has extensively used drones in the Middle East and Africa to target terrorist leaders. While drones offer precision, they have also sparked ethical debates due to the unintended killing of civilians and the psychological toll on communities living under constant surveillance.
    • Cyber Warfare: Technology has introduced new forms of conflict, including cyber warfare, where states or non-state actors use hacking to disrupt the operations of their enemies. Cyberattacks have been used to disable critical infrastructure, as seen in the 2007 cyberattack on Estonia, widely attributed to Russian actors.
    • Nuclear Weapons: The development of nuclear weapons fundamentally altered the nature of war by introducing the possibility of mass destruction. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II remain the only instances of nuclear weapons being used in conflict, but the existence of these weapons continues to influence global politics through deterrence strategies.

    8.7: Technological Influence is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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