Technology And International Transformation: The Railroad, The Atom Bomb, And The Politics Of Technological Change (suny Series In Global Politics)

During an era in which the pace of technological change is unrelenting, understanding how international politics both shapes and is shaped by technology is crucial. Drawing on international relations theory, historical sociology, and the history of technology, Geoffrey L. Herrera offers an ambitious, theoretically sophisticated, and historically rich examination of the interrelation between technology and international politics. He explores the development of the railroad in the nineteenth century and the atomic bomb in the twentieth century to show that technologies do not stand apart from, but are intimately related to, even defined by, international politics. Thinking about technology and international politics -- International systems theory, technology and transformation -- The international system and international system change -- Two views of technology and politics -- Technological change and the international system -- Early industrialization and the industrialization of war -- Overview -- The creation of a complex socio-technical system: the railroad -- The railroad, interaction capacity, and system change -- Conclusion -- The atomic bomb and the scientific state -- Introduction -- Germany -- American ground -- Diffusion -- Transformation -- Conclusion Thinking About Technology And International Politics -- International Systems Theory, Technology, And Transformation -- Early Industrialization And The Industrialization Of War -- The Atomic Bomb And The Scientific State -- Conclusion. Geoffrey L. Herrera. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 207-252) And Index.