For several decades the treaty appeared to succeed. Large-scale wars became less frequent across Europe, political disputes increasingly occurred through speeches, negotiations, propaganda campaigns, and media battles and conflict migrated away from battlefields and toward communication networks. This transformation was gradual but unmistakable. Newspapers became weapons, radio broadcasts became artillery and television debates became arenas. Politicians learned that a well-crafted speech could achieve what armies once required years of fighting to accomplish.
The sword was indeed shrinking. It was becoming a word. But the word was evolving faster than anyone anticipated.