Introduction

In the period since World War II, the world has witnessed an unprecedented, rapid expansion of technology and scientific innovation. Technology and its implications for international security are global issues that affect the two blocs and all other nations. Although technology has had an enormous impact on social change throughout history, such as during the industrial revolution in Britain and elsewhere, the current wave of technological advancement has brought sweeping changes more quickly than ever before, and on a global scale. The force of technology and scientific advances has the potential to either undermine the arms control process or enhance its constraints. In the sphere of nuclear arms control, the volatility of technology complicates the arms control process. The ability to develop and apply high technology is a decisive factor in determining a nation's economic performance. The need for economic reform in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union stems in part from the technology gap between East and West.