Humanity has resorted to war as a fundamental way to settle their differences. War, per Clausewitz is the act of force to compel the enemy to do our will. Sun-Tzu believed that war was to subdue the enemy without fighting. However it is defined, every culture has its motives for why they go to war and how it should be conducted. Western states attempt to settle their differences by diplomatic means; when diplomacy fails, war ensues. War is often used as the means to an end and according to Clausewitz “war is the continuation of politics.”
The Western way of conducting war is built on five foundation; superior technology, disciplined soldiers, the means to finance wars, and military traditions. Disciplined soldiers, superior technology, and the financial means to fund wars are three elements that have defined success and shaped conflicts throughout Western Civilization. Disciplined soldiers have always been the core of any effective military strategy based on the employment of tactics and the effectiveness of their weapons. Superior discipline and training was an integral part of infantry training and the basis for Western success.
Starting in the sixteen century European states experienced a military revolution that transformed armies into disciplined and powerful military machines that lay the ground work for world dominance. Key to this revolution were larger standing armies, increase fortification, tactical innovations, and gunpower weapons which led
As the 20th century began, all the countries were looking to upgrade their arms. The more the countries divided the more the need to increase armed forces became important. Between 1870 and 1914, the armies for France and Germany doubled, and sea master was constantly changing between Britain and Germany. It seemed that each country was coming up with different plans to attack their enemies. (World War One- Causes, 2014)
b. While military discipline is the result of effective training, it is affected by every feature of military life. It is manifested in individuals and units by cohesion, bonding, and a spirit of teamwork; by smartness of appearance and action;
In Carnage and Culture Victor David Hanson expressed a slanted perspective about the crucial battles in western history in order to support his theory that western militaristic strategies are superior to alternative forms of warfare. He fostered his sentiments by explaining how specific battle tactics can unify or divide a nation in a matter of moments. However, his reference to the concept that western warriors continuously triumph in war, is expressed in a manner that does not fully evaluate both perspectives of the conflict. Hanson alluded to the message behind Carnage and Culture when he stated “a sense of personal freedom, superior discipline, matchless weapons, egalitarian camaraderie, individual initiative, constant tactical adaptations, and flexibility, preference for shock battle of heavy infantry— were themselves the murderous dividend of Hellenic culture at large… Yet for the past 2,500 years— even in the Dark Ages, well before the “Military Revolution,” and not simply as a result of the Renaissance, the European discovery of the Americas, or the Industrial Revolution— there has been a peculiar practice of Western warfare, a common foundation and continual way of fighting, that has made Europeans the most deadly soldiers the history of civilizations (Hanson 5-6).” Although Hanson is able to give an overview of valuable battles that express western confidence and reflect the west’s brutal military tactics that established the region as an unstoppable
Set-up - Warfare is constantly changing, for the tools of war are always evolving, as do the societies that wage war. Between 1400 and 1918, western warfare went through four periods that saw such profound change that it can fairly be said that a "military revolution" occurred. According to historians MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray, military revolutions "fundamentally change the framework of war" and "recast society and the state as well as military organizations." While all of the military revolutions studied in H100 were important in the evolution of warfare, one clearly stimulated greater change than the others.
War is a human endeavor. Humanity continually pursues solutions to counter evolving threats with the end of preserving power while also enabling peace. Civilizations resort to war to maintain their perception of this equilibrium. Defined threats and adversaries have changed throughout history, however, the essence of human nature and the base concept of conflict itself have not. Carl von Clausewitz’s theories on warfare capture the relationship between humanity and its application of war, remaining relevant in today’s era through their pensive explanations of timeless philosophical principles regarding the concept of war. These theories regarding war in politics, the key factors affecting war, and the extent that war is applied are inherently interconnected, providing insight on the relationships between humanity and its application of war.
Military strategy forever had been battles of attrition, men throwing themselves at each other until a winner was determined, this form of battle was replaced in Europe during the 16th and 17th century. The change in military strategy took place mostly in Europe, and the countries at the forefront of this were the Swedish empire and the Netherlands. The Swedes and Dutch changed many military strategies and practices which were in place for thousands of years and changed the standard for militaries. They helped to show the first realistic application of David versus Goliath, using smart tactics paired with a smaller army to destroy militaries of greater size. The two smallest nations in Europe took control and led the world in military innovations in the 16th and 17th century through competition and loss. The Swedes and Dutch managed to create fluid militaries which were able to overpower larger armies through deception and agility. The Swedish and Dutch nations during the 16th and 17th century gained military strength through the reformation of tactics, reorganization of the military, improvisation of weapons, and as a result changed the image and action of the military forever. The idea of a military revolution was first explored by a man named Michael Roberts in the 1950s. Roberts said that if the Swedish Empire and the Netherlands had not developed as they did, military strategy and organization would have not evolved for much later.
Unique systems of finance such as nation state resources, levee en masse, and alliances provided the means to build, strengthen, and maintain military forces for war. Innovation was used to change organizational design and maneuver practices which allowed the command and control of large military forces and successful engagements of the enemy. Discipline allowed forces to understand and study tactics through Bildung and Nationalism among troops allowed forces to move great distance by pillaging for logistic resources without deserting their units.
The western way of war consists of five foundations that have shaped a significant amount of military cultures; the foundations are superior technology, discipline, a finance system, innovation, and military tradition. Perhaps people believe that discipline is not one of the most important foundations of the western way of war, since people tend to emphasize technology. However, discipline is the key to maximizing the other four foundations before and during conflict. Historian Geoffrey Parker agrees that technology can give a military advantage, but it is not sufficient without superior discipline. That is because discipline consists of the ability of armies to act within battle plans even when not supervised, obey orders, exercise loyalty, and restrain their fears when faced with danger. Discipline as a western way of war has influenced military cultures from the Roman Empire to today’s militaries. Discipline shaped military cultures by how they prepared for war, effectively giving them the ability to act during combat and expanding commander’s operational reach, thus aiding in conflicts throughout history and increasing the likelihood of defeating the adversary.
Throughout much of the history of civilizations, states have declared war for land, valuables, and resources. In the course of the mid-20th century and the 21st century, ascendant super powers have invaded foreign lands for resources such as oil, and weapons companies have profited from the ongoing cycle of war these super powers promote. The populations of these states have been fed lies vis-à-vis the media; propagandizing these “rogue nations” and promoting an ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality, to garner support for these armed conflicts. War is our primordial instinct, as humans are territorial and aggressive. That is our nature, and by looking at events in our history, one may see that war appears to be timeless and inevitable.
There are moments in our history where the citizens of the world stand up and for their beliefs, their honor, and themselves. They come together to reform the existing government that is holding them back from achieving their desired lifestyle. When this occurs, most likely, war is inevitable to follow. When war comes to a country, death and destruction is destined. Leaders and rules change, but the pride of its citizens prevails and becomes
disciplined and well-directed enemy. In you work in the Army we may wonder why the officers and noncommissioned officers insist on
Through this comprehensive state of affairs, the magnitude of the word 'discipline' reaches a new high, as it encompasses every step of a member of any military force, as if a guardian angel securing its subject from any danger. Needless to say, without timeliness this application of discipline is impossible, where it aims to build a dynamic and dedicated force.
Wars is the most egressive , barbarian solution to end up any conflict . " all wars is symptom of men's failure as a thinking animal " writer Johnsteven said . Wars could happen between countries . for example the first world war , or between group of people in the same country which called " civil war " . Wars always left a deadly , terrible affect on the Conflicting country .
War is an inevitable feature of international politics. Assess with reference to liberalism or realism
Many nations have been trying to solve their problems by wars and using wars and applying their strength on other nations which might be weaker or do not have the same force. But they in most of the time had failed to accomplish any kind of peace for their citizens. That is because wars bring a lot of destruction to nation it never helps in applying peace it only causes great loss in nations welfares and in human lives. As Willson (1917) stated "The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political