In one of the first episodes of Blueprint for Armageddon (WW1) Hardcore Histories host Dan Carlin described how nation states used to go to war and often only had a few battles. Once one sides main fighting army was knocked out, the other would surrender with appropriate terms etc.

Industrialisation marked the end of this.

I now wonder will drone swarms end the total war footing states put their citizens on. "My drone swarms have disabled all your drone swarms. Here are my terms for "peace". Otherwise I'll fly my drones into your population centres." Chilling thought, but it may end the current endless wars.

Of course with no human toll, or relatively little, would governments just debase their currencies even more to keep producing drones, even when hopeless, devastating their people anyway.