A discussion of whether modern war differs from older war rejects a clean break in the treatment of civilians. Civilians have long been targeted in warfare. What changes is how they are targeted and how deliberately that targeting waxes and wanes from one conflict to another. Military modernization did not invent harm to civilians, although its scale and form can change substantially.
Notable Point · 3:01:20-3:01:44
Civilian targeting predates modern warfare
A discussion of old and modern war argues that civilians have long been targeted, while the method and deliberate intensity vary across conflicts.