Technology was put to use to make new tools of war. Mass production was accompanied by raising of mass armies loyal to modern nation states and mass production of weapons. The industrial revolution launched the second wave of historical change in the form and nature of warfare. Alvin and Heidi Toffler postulated that the way we make war reflects the way we make wealth. 2 Technology has always been exploited to make wealth as well as to make war. Each of these developments had revolutionary effects on the conduct of warfare. The development of iron clad ships in the 1860s, the machine gun in the 1890s, the manned aircraft and the tank in the 1920s-1930s, the aircraft carrier and radar in the 1930s-1940s, and nuclear weapons in the 1940s-1950s are some of the important signposts in the evolution of military technologies. Scientific and technological advances though slow and gradual in 18th and 19th centuries, were dramatic in the 20th century. Mankind has progressed successively from fighting with bows and arrows to rifles, guns, tanks, aircraft and missiles. Warfare, over the centuries, has progressed from primitive wars between tribal societies to warfare between societies based on agrarian economy and further, to warfare between industrialised societies. Future technologies which are being envisaged would also be discussed in brief. In this article, an attempt will be made to examine the dominant trends in technologies and their impact on the conduct of land warfare.
These technologies have not only touched myriad activities in the civil field but have also initiated a revolution in military affairs. The present age which is being referred to as post-modern age or knowledge age, is unfolding an unprecedented revolution in technologies. If we reflect on the history of the Indian subcontinent, we would observe that, since the days of invasion by Babur, foreigners have exploited their superior technology and at times, superior strategy and tactics to subjugate India. European nations, besides waging wars among themselves, used their superior technology to subjugate and colonise other nations. These have had effects both on the society and the nature of warfare. In the modern age, which is normally accepted to have begun after the French Revolution, systematic research in sciences has enabled development of new technology and innovations for both military and civilian use.
Technology has always been used to produce improved tools of warfare. For this reason, a vast amount of human creative effort has been poured into extending the range, increasing the fire power, and accelerating the speed of weapons and of armies. 1 ∺rmies that could reach further, hit harder, and get there faster usually won, while the range-restricted, less well-armed, and slower armies lost. Impact of Technology on Conduct of Warfare
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