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How advance technology affects warfare
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During the eighteenth century Europe increased its ability to win wars. Through advances in weaponry and fighting formations, they were able to dominant adversaries with an almost unfair edge. Technology and military strategy both played a significant part in placing European countries at the front of world powers, but it was the ability to integrate and leverage the governments’ economic resources, that separated them from most of the world, when it came to battlefield superiority.
A Well Oiled Machine
Europe’s economy saw a major boost in the eighteenth century, due to a focus on manufacturing of exportable goods. Mercantilism, a theory that encourages a society to export more than import, was promoted by economists. Military weaponry became a major product of this shift in focus. The private companies that supplied the government with these goods benefitted from the steady demand as the government saw improvements in quality and innovation, due to the competitive market.
The European governments, at this time, began to provision most of the military supplies and services; this brought more consistency and better organization. As the British Parliament gained sovereign power in England because of The Glorious Revolution of 16881, the government controlled even more of the military, and the cost to the states increased to sustain it. Surely faced with a government and military growing too large to be supported solely on its fixed tax revenue, Britain devises a new method of raising capital to finance military growth. The eighteenth century saw the beginning of governments borrowing against future tax revenues, a term we now call Sinking Funds. This gave Britain almost unlimited capital to steadily improve and grow th...
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...otected formation. This maneuver was only possible because of the mobility, discipline, and leadership derived from an efficient government and military relationship.
The Weak Link
Well dressed, well armed, and well positioned, European armies in the eighteenth century were more powerful and prepared to defeat the opponent. It wasn’t until the Americans in the late century; backed by the French, did Britain even see a major challenge outside of Europe. Even though they had the ability to fight across seas, they were not quite as effective with smaller armies on foreign soil, in the Americas. When this weakness was exploited it became the catalyst to turn the favor away from mighty Europe.
Works Cited
Morillo, Stephen, Jeremy Black and Paul Lococo. War In World History: Society, Technology, and War from Ancient Times to the Present, Volume 2, McGraw-Hill, 2008
Moreover, he concurs with Roberts principles that attain to a replacement of weapons, army sizes, tactics and the implication of warfare on society. However in Parker’s book, The Military Revolution he contributes three revised principles towards Roberts conclusion. First, Parker argues that the innovations of gunpowder weapons forced European states to innovate their fortifications, thereby changing warfare from being fought on land to sieges and being fought for decisive purposes. Second, he asserts that warfare in the early modern period prompted European states to monopolize on the supply effort to recruit soldiers and feed their new armies. Parker’s third principle indicated that naval power; size of fleets, design of ship's, gun weapons and tactics played a pivotal role in the military revolution that allowed Europeans to conquer “35” percent of the world during the early modern
In the second half of the eighteenth century, the British were faced with rebelling colonies. Finally realizing that they had to fight to keep their colonial possessions, the British sent troops to America. Once the battles began in America, the British were not impressed with the colonial military, but the weak militias soon proved to be effective. With foreign aid from France, American devotion, and the lack of British vigor, the Americans soon discovered the open doors of independence. In my opinion, the American advantages and the British disadvantages proved to be the downfall of the English in the American Revolution.
In the mid 18th century many different powers in Europe were trying to spread their influence and gain global power. However, this was not without difficulty. There were many regional issues that these powers needed to overcome such as economic complications, struggles with native and conquered peoples, and competing with other European powers.
...new technology and manipulated into a device of warfare and killing. This is a clear example of how Europe’s success was influenced by geographical luck.
It was by no doubt that Britain held an incredibly intimidating military, but sometimes it is not just the strength of the soldiers that counts. The colonists had the benefit of an exceedingly morale filling cause that most could not help but route for. Britain tried to fight a war the traditional way without incentive for victory. Entering the American Revolutionary War, the colonists possessed a keen desire and aspiration to have and keep their freedom. With determination the chaotic army of America strived toward victory. The British had the powers of money, numbers, and experience, but sometimes the seemingly potent advantages have little effect on the determination of free will.
By no doubt Britain held an incredibly intimidating military, but sometimes it is not just the strength of the soldiers that counts. The colonists had the benefit of an exceedingly morale filling cause that most could not help but rally around. Britain tried to fight a war the traditional way without incentive for victory. Entering the American Revolutionary War, the colonists possessed a keen desire and aspiration to have and keep their freedom. With determination the chaotic army of America strived toward victory. The British had the powers of money, numbers, and experience, but sometimes seemingly potent advantages have little effect on the determination of free will.
In the years leading up to the Seven Years War, there were already many skirmishes in the thirteen colonies between the British and the Native American tribes in the area.1 The first official year of fighting also led to many decisive defeats to the overextended British Empire. Many small battles for dominance between the British and the French also occurred along the Indian coast. In response to the acts of expansion by the French, the British decided to defend its own territory in North America and India.2 There were many battles scattered across the world, with significant naval battles in the Indian theatre and the Mediterranean. At first, the French won many decisive battles with the aid of its allies against the British Empire. Both countries however, were relatively equal in size and power at the time, but that would soon change. The British began to turn the tide as they made significant lead...
The European monarchs and rulers of the 17th and 18th centuries wanted to increase their power both domestically and globally by adding to their territories and populations. Both in merging their power internally and expanding their power externally, they employed three features of state-building: control, extraction, and integration. In the late 1700s, both the Industrial revolution and French revolution of 1789 strengthened the idea that Europeans were different from the rest of the world. It also strengthened that Europeans were “succeeding” promptly while the rest of the world seemed to be declining, that Europeans were somehow extraordinary and better than the rest.” (Robert Marks page 10).
McGuigan, Cathleen. "Theater Of War." Newsweek 151.14 (2008): 52-53. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.
Holsti, K. J. Peace and War: Armed Conflicts and International Order, 1648-1989. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991. Print.
Hoffman presents a case for European dominance in gunpowder technology based upon economic principles. In the tournament model, pairs of rulers are pitted against each other, with each conflict providing a chance to lead to technological innovation. Thus, more conflicts lead to more innovation. However, constant warring occurs only under certain circumstances. Furthermore, technological and political progress only result from war under even stricter conditions.
...gredient of the modern army had been created. The most significant effect of gunpowder was that it required the resources of the nation-state to exploit. It took money, organization, and sustained effort to put into the field armies with cannons and harquebusiers. To meet these demands, princes learned to tax their people annually and efficiently (or, at least, more efficiently than before). In effect, the nation-state was always at war, or at least taxed its people as if that were so. This was due to the creation of standing armies, which had to be paid for continually. Princes took the control of armies out of the hands of their barons and put it in the hands of professionals paid by the royal fisc. City-states and small principalities lacked the ability to wage war at this level, and they began to surrender to the larger nation-states.
Science fiction never ceases to amaze me as I take great enjoyment in exploring these creative universes. I have always had a great interest in military science fiction for its take on technological innovation and critical analysis. Military science fiction in general is very speculative about future of technology and warfare. The military science fiction genre also serves as a critique of contemporary politics as it deals with many of the same issues that go on today. This has made military science fiction one if the most well respected genres of science fiction for it ability to indirectly criticize modern society. My Integrated Project explores the relationship between how technology that has arisen from war has been some of the most innovative and why war has become an unshakeable aspect of human existence.
The advent of the revolution in the military affair in the period of 1450 and 1800 is believed to had been shaped by a number of reasons. All the reasons, that is to say, the invention of gunpowder, technology, trade, an increase in economy and different types of defensive fortifications are considered to have played an equal role in contributing the revolution in the military affair. However, some historians interpret the military revolution differently and have distinguished opinions towards the revolution from each other representing objections and disagreements. For example, Clifford J. Rogers points out that RMA-Revolution in Military Affair is simply a revolutionary change in how war is fought – a change that can be recognised by
The European continent was a continent that has been recognized as the continent where most war has occurred during the 19th century. According to Oceña J. (2003), the European has experienced the second world catastrophe, World War II, which then resulted in the idea of the European integration and reorder. There were three main reasons behind the idea of European integration. First, the European aware of their own darkness in which they are afraid that another war will start. Meanwhile, the US and Soviet Union gained so much power after the war and the European are afraid of sudden invasion from the two countries. Second, the European continents was used as the battlefield during the two world wars, particularly between France and Germany, therefore the two countries must comprise as well as other European states. Third, many Europeans desire peace, prosperity and developed international relations between states (Oceña J., 2003). After many forms of p...