War and the Engineers : : The Primacy of Politics over Technology / / Keir A. Lieber.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Cornell University Press Backlist 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Lieber, Keir A.,
• Place / Publishing House: Ithaca, NY : : Cornell University Press, , [2018]; ©2008
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Language: English
• Series: Cornell Studies in Security Affairs
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (256 p.)
• Other title: Frontmatter --; Contents --; Acknowledgments --; Introduction: Offense, Defense, and the Prospects for Peace --; 1. The Offense-Defense Balance --; 2. The Railroad Revolution --; 3. The Small Arms and Artillery Revolution --; 4. The Armored Revolution --; 5. The Nuclear Revolution --; Conclusion: Technology and the Primacy of Politics --; Bibliography --; Notes --; Index
• Format: Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
• ISBN: 9781501724466; 9783110536157
• DOI: 10.7591/9781501724466
• Access: restricted access
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: Keir A. Lieber.

Do some technologies provoke war? Do others promote peace? Offense-defense theory contends that technological change is an important cause of conflict: leaders will be tempted to launch wars when they believe innovation favors attackers over defenders. Offense-defense theory is perhaps best known from the passionate and intricate debates about first-strike capability and deterrence stability during the cold war, but it has deeper historical roots, remains a staple in international relations theorizing, and drives modern arms control policymaking.In War and the Engineers, the first book systematically to test the logical and empirical validity of offense-defense theory, Keir A. Lieber examines the relationships among politics, technology, and the causes of war. Lieber's cases explore the military and political implications of the spread of railroads, the emergence of rifled small arms and artillery, the introduction of battle tanks, and the nuclear revolution. Lieber incorporates the new historiography of World War I, which draws on archival materials that only recently became available, to challenge many common beliefs about the conflict. The author's central conclusion is that technology is neither a cause of international conflict nor a panacea; instead, power politics remains paramount.