Technological developments in military weaponry and in civilian society may have an effect as profound as that created by the introduction of nuclear and strategic weapons a generation ago. Conventional war is likely to remain, but the type of war now waged a modern conventional war must plan to achieve its military objectives rapidly before it is constrained by military costs, domestic opposition, or world opinion. Nations who find modern conventional war unattractive, therefore, may try to use terrorist groups as a means of surrogate warfare through subsidy or creation of its own terrorist band. Our present time, like the period from 1775 to the mid-19th century, has been marked by the dissolution of several empires and the creation of many new states. In addition, society's vulnerability and new weapons technology development may give small extremist bands increasingly potent force. Governments may become more repressive and political power more diffuse as it is divided among other who have the power to disrupt and destroy. The concept of nationhood may itself be changed as the United Nations admit the representatives of armed entities which are not nations. Finally, low-level violence may increase and become more troublesome while conventional wars become fewer and shorter, and the overall number of casualties may decline.