Technological escalation

Technological escalation describes the fact that whenever two parties are in competition, each side tends to employ continuing technological improvements to defeat the other. Technology is defined here as a creative invention, be it an object or a method of using an object. This is a natural result of mankind's use of our brains, and the nature of science and technology that understanding and innovations build on each other. Escalation is usually a negative term, meaning to make bigger in a bad way. However, if two companies ar ...

Including:

• Technological escalation - Technological escalation in war
• Technological escalation - Objects and methods
• Technological escalation - Paradigms or worldviews
• Technological escalation - History of technological escalation as indicator of success
• Technological escalation - Motives
• Technological escalation - Effects

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Technological escalation has been one of the most often-cited factors for the dominance of one civilization over another: those with flint, all else being equal, will defeat those with softer or duller stone spear heads, those with the bow defeat those with only the sling, those with the gun defeat those with the bow. This view was dominant during the Enlightenment where science and technology began to be seen as the only way to approach natural law, subordinating views of mastery by social, moral, spiritual or other means. It ...

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Technological escalation, Technological escalation - Technological escalation in war, Technological escalation - Objects and methods, Technological escalation - Paradigms or worldviews, Technological escalation - History of technological escalation as indicator of success, Technological escalation - Motives, Technological escalation - Effects

Read more here: » Technological escalation: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation - History of technological escalation as indicator of success

A weapon is a tool which can be used during combat to kill or incapacitate, to destroy property, or to otherwise render resources non-functional or unavailable. It may be used to attack and defend, and consequently also to threaten. The use of weapons has been recorded since the advent of cave painting, and the process has been formulated resulting in both martial arts and strategic doctrines. Metaphorically, anything used to damage (even psychologically) can be referred to as a weapon. A weapon can be as simple as a club or as ...

Including:

• Weapon - History
• Weapon - Ancient Weapons
• Weapon - Combustion-powered weapons
• Weapon - Nuclear Weapons
• Weapon - Information Warfare
• Weapon - Types of weapons
• Weapon - Weapons by era

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The weapon is any tool or object that is used to increase the range and power of a human hand. From the earliest traces of mankind up to our modern civilization, weapons have been a facet of human development. Weapons development has accelerated along with other areas of technology in more modern times. In ancient times, from the dawn of humanity through the Classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, weapons were primarily extensions of an individual's strength, essentially making up for the human body's lack of natural weapons such as claws. These weapons allowed the bearer to be substantially more lethal than a si ...

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Weapon, Weapon - History, Weapon - Ancient Weapons, Weapon - Combustion-powered weapons, Weapon - Nuclear Weapons, Weapon - Information Warfare, Weapon - Types of weapons, Weapon - Weapons by era

Read more here: » Weapon: Encyclopedia II - Weapon - History

There are essentially three facets to classifying weapon types: who uses it, how it works, and what it targets. Who uses it essentially determines how it can be employed: Personal weapons are designed to be used by an individual person. Crew served weapons are larger than personal weapons, requiring more than one crew member to operate correctly. Fortification weapons are designed to be mounted in a permanent installation, or used primarily within a fortification. Mountain weapons are designed f ...

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Weapon, Weapon - History, Weapon - Ancient Weapons, Weapon - Combustion-powered weapons, Weapon - Nuclear Weapons, Weapon - Information Warfare, Weapon - Types of weapons, Weapon - Weapons by era

Read more here: » Weapon: Encyclopedia II - Weapon - Types of weapons

After World War I many innovations in metals and chemicals had created withering firepower that made defenses effective. In France the lesson was translated into the Maginot Line which was supposed to hold a line at the border with Germany. France had also more, and many better, tanks than Germany as of the outbreak of their hostilities in 1940. As in World War I, the French generals expected that armour would mostly serve to help infantry break the static trench lines and storm machine gun nests. They thus spread the armour among their infa ...

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Technological escalation during World War II, Technological escalation during World War II - Between the wars, Technological escalation during World War II - The beginnings, Technological escalation during World War II - Command and control, Technological escalation during World War II - War of attrition, Technological escalation during World War II - Air warfare, Technological escalation during World War II - Beaches, Technological escalation during World War II - Tanks, Technological escalation during World War II - Mobility, Technological escalation during World War II - Urban warfare, Technological escalation during World War II - Sources

Read more here: » Technological escalation during World War II: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation during World War II - Between the wars

The Air Force played a significant role in World War II especially during the island hopping campaign of the United States. Fighters and bombers were launched from aircraft carriers from the sea and from island airstrips on certain islands like Guadalcanal and Midway. The tech of US fighters and bombers also increased significantly. Companies like Republic, North American, Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed, ...

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Technological escalation during World War II, Technological escalation during World War II - Between the wars, Technological escalation during World War II - The beginnings, Technological escalation during World War II - Command and control, Technological escalation during World War II - War of attrition, Technological escalation during World War II - Air warfare, Technological escalation during World War II - Beaches, Technological escalation during World War II - Tanks, Technological escalation during World War II - Mobility, Technological escalation during World War II - Urban warfare, Technological escalation during World War II - Sources

Read more here: » Technological escalation during World War II: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation during World War II - Air warfare

Depending on one's frame of reference, one can reasonably assert that World War II began with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, or as late as the last declarations of war between the United States and Germany in December 1941. Quite a bit occurred during this time to escalate technological conflict, most notably the upgrading and deployment of aircraft carriers by the U.S. and Japan in the Pacific, and invention of carrier-type aircraft such as the Mitsubishi Zero, largely considered the best plane of its time. ...

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Technological escalation during World War II, Technological escalation during World War II - Between the wars, Technological escalation during World War II - The beginnings, Technological escalation during World War II - Command and control, Technological escalation during World War II - War of attrition, Technological escalation during World War II - Air warfare, Technological escalation during World War II - Beaches, Technological escalation during World War II - Tanks, Technological escalation during World War II - Mobility, Technological escalation during World War II - Urban warfare, Technological escalation during World War II - Sources

Read more here: » Technological escalation during World War II: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation during World War II - The beginnings

Technological escalation has occurred in many wars, and been key to victory in some of their battles — the longbows at the Battle of Agincourt, radar in the Battle of Britain, and, to some extent, nuclear weapons at the end of World War 2 — but has not been a factor in many other instances, such as Germany's World War 2 innovations of the V-1 flying bomb, V-2 rocket, Me-262 jet fighter, and Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket plane. Clearly other factors overshadowed these technological improvements. More recently, in the Vietnam War, the United ...

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Technological escalation, Technological escalation - Technological escalation in war, Technological escalation - Objects and methods, Technological escalation - Paradigms or worldviews, Technological escalation - History of technological escalation as indicator of success, Technological escalation - Motives, Technological escalation - Effects

Read more here: » Technological escalation: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation - Effects

Motives for technological escalation go far deeper than simple desire to triumph in the "necessary evil" of conflict between states. For one thing the massive military spending of the 20th century led to what many called "war profiteering" — supply of war materiel to nation-states for profit. Although some, like the Krupps of Germany, lost a great deal, others, like the Messerschmitts or Daimlers, did very well — the l ...

See also:

Technological escalation, Technological escalation - Technological escalation in war, Technological escalation - Objects and methods, Technological escalation - Paradigms or worldviews, Technological escalation - History of technological escalation as indicator of success, Technological escalation - Motives, Technological escalation - Effects

Read more here: » Technological escalation: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation - Motives

Human history is frequently divided into the ages where specific military technology was used. Hand-to-hand combat, clubs, axes, spears, spear throwers, stone spear heads, bow and arrow, crossbow, copper age, bronze age, the Greek phalanx, the Roman legion, iron age, steel age, gunpowder age, armor, horse cavalry, massed assault, conscription, professional soldiers, mercenaries, blitzkrieg, the tank, biological weapons, chemical weapons, and nuclear weapons. Note: the concept of an arms race merely refers to fervent pursuit of greater armaments, and has nothing to say about whether the ...

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Technological escalation, Technological escalation - Technological escalation in war, Technological escalation - Objects and methods, Technological escalation - Paradigms or worldviews, Technological escalation - History of technological escalation as indicator of success, Technological escalation - Motives, Technological escalation - Effects

Read more here: » Technological escalation: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation - Technological escalation in war

There is a philosophical difference of opinion on what constitutes the advancement of civilization, and technological progress lies at the heart of the discussion. One view holds that the most advanced civilization is the one that is the most peaceful, compassionate, tolerant (of non-evil acts), just, and worldly. The other view holds that the most advanced civilization is the one which has the most advanced technology; that civilization 'deserves' to ...

See also:

Technological escalation, Technological escalation - Technological escalation in war, Technological escalation - Objects and methods, Technological escalation - Paradigms or worldviews, Technological escalation - History of technological escalation as indicator of success, Technological escalation - Motives, Technological escalation - Effects

Read more here: » Technological escalation: Encyclopedia II - Technological escalation - Paradigms or worldviews