Dataset for manuscript: Rethinking the Tyranny of Distance in Information Warfare: Strategic Depth and Power Projection

How do modern information warfare (IW) capabilities affect the spatial logic of conflict, particularly the role of geographic distance in power projection and strategic depth? Classical conflict theories emphasize the “tyranny of distance,” while recent studies reaffirm its importance in conventional warfare. Simultaneously, literature on IW suggests that digital operations are increasingly border insensitive. Existing research, however, lacks a unified framework explaining how these developments interact with foundational spatial theories. We develop a microeconomic framework that integrates Boulding’s loss-of-strength gradient with the strategic-depth tradition, allowing offense and defense to be analyzed jointly. Within this framework, IW alters the cost–benefit calculus of conflict by flattening the loss-of-strength gradient and repricing strategic depth. Using DCID dataset we show that IW weakens the constraining role of distance without eliminating it. Empirically, IW severity increases with geographic distance, informational proximity substitutes for physical proximity, and borders lose predictive power in digitally mediated conflict, suggesting that IW operates as below-threshold competition. By reshaping the spatial logic of conflict, IW creates informational “proximate parity”, increasing conflict persistence and reducing the deterrent value of distance. The findings explain the emergence of protracted, indecisive conflicts, clarifying how classical spatial theories must be adapted for the digital age.