Hange of effects of warfare on combatants due to new technological Essay

Hange of effects of warfare on combatants due to new technological advancements since Second Industrial revolution - Essay Example These changes are multidimensional and complicated. Most of the ideas and opinions have been propounded by the means of an example-based approach. Dependable sources for reference purpose have bee carefully selected and utilized. Research Question How have the effects of warfare on combatants changed as a result of new technologies of warfare since the Second Industrial Revolution (c. 1850)? Thesis Statement The changes in the effects of warfare on the combatants due to the utilization of post Second Industrial Revolution weapons technology have made them more impersonal, lethal, cruel, and confident. Armed Conflict Becomes More Impersonal and Lethal The effect: Since the Second Industrial Revolution warfare has become increasingly dependent on technology. This dependence has caused armed conflict to become progressively more impersonal and lethal. Discussion: The modification in the nature of armed conflicts is due to the fact that the combatants are becoming more impervious and als o they are lethally very much enabled. In the ancient and medieval ages, combatants used to fight each other in battlefields that generally did not cover the civilian areas. One-to-one battles were not unknown between the warriors and that used to be a matter of glory. Weapons like swords and spears could kill only one combatant at a time. But mass killing by using incendiary bombing, as had been seen in Germany and Japan, testify the fact that the new technologies have made the combatants extremely lethal (Grossman, 1995). Before the Second Industrial Revolution, a warrior has a glorious appeal. He/ she could be a crusader, a protector, or a savior. This appealing warlike personality cult motivated the youth during the post Second Industrial Revolution wars as well. The World War I is a good example of this. But with the advent of new technologies, the appeal of valor culminated at dangerous impersonal missions (Dennis, 2001). According to Smith (1983), â€Å"The introduction of t he gun will serve in the future to make war more rational and less the product of purely personal enmity.† In ancient warfare, we find personalities like Hector and Achilles who fought for personal glory. However, generals like Trotsky led the masses for almost completely impersonal movements. Rapid fire and faster and widespread communication actually impersonalized warfare (American Political Science Association, 1983). As for lethality once again, World War I provides a good example. Infamous chemical warfare during this period had made the ground reality similar to â€Å"Dying like so many rats in a trap† (Cook, 2002: 47). Such situation never came up in the wars of the ancient civilizations. Increased Cruelty The Effect: Second Industrial Revolution has begot such war techniques that cannot be limited among the combatants only. In modern warfare, the degree of civilian casualty is very high and this fact testifies for the increased cruelty of the combatants. Discus sion: Atrocities committed by the ancient and medieval combatants were less terrific and had lower psychological effect. In technology-based modern warfare, things are different; especially, psychological effects are too profound. Siege warfare is an important sub-discipline in this regard. During the siege of the cities in the pre 1850 environment, less prominent terror techniques were generally used. Examples of medieval siege warfare like the Siege of Calais (France) by British forces show that human values prevailed to at least some extent in the war. Although siege of Peking by the