War and technology

The performance of Israel’s Iron Dome intercepting flying rocket bombs during the recent conflicts between Israel and Hamas was impressive. There is a rumor that the Iron Dome will be replaced by a laser defense system. Weapons seen in sci-fi movies will soon become available.

The war changes history and society. What changes the war is the weapon. If occupying a place requires a massive number of human lives and resources, a country will look for compromises and co-existence, rather than occupation. If new weapons are developed to address the issue, the country will choose war over compromises. There were many cases like this in history.

There is a list of weapons always mentioned for having changed the war and history – bows, gunpowder, guns and cannons, airplanes, submarines, and nuclear bombs. Often missing from the list is the catapult. It is also called the onager or trebuchet. Its name changes depending on its mechanical structure. Meanwhile, in China, it was humans who pulled the rope.

　

Catapults were used not only to attack a castle but also to defend it and for in-person battles. In particular, the device to attack a castle plays an important role. There were many other weapons but before the device, it was difficult to attack a castle, which delayed the occupation and establishment of some countries.

　

The device also affected the development of mechanical equipment. The basic principle of the device was the lever. In the western world where there was a lack of human resources, a mechanical lever was developed using saw-toothed wheels and winches, which led to the development of clockwork and the modern machine industry and precision industry. Some believe that clockwork and machines are the decisive driving factors of changes in the modern history of the eastern and western worlds.

Wars promote the development of technology. This does not mean that wars are useful or positive. It simply means that humans have the unchanging nature of starting to do things when it is only urgent even after going through thousands of years of wars and disasters.