A common phrase you often hear when people try to explain the impressive technological leaps made in the 20th century is "war is the father of all things", mean

A common phrase you often hear when people try to explain the impressive technological leaps made in the 20th century is "war is the father of all things", meaning of course that WWII was a major catalyst for technological advancement. I always wondered if it shouldn't be phrased as "John von Neumann is the father of all things."