Military history of the World
Written By Nick Straub
The world as we know it today has been shaped by many millennia of battles, wars, and large-scale conflicts. The first battle in human history ever recorded, called the Battle of Megiddo, occurred around 1500 BCE. The conflict started when an Egyptian prince named Thutmose III had recently succeeded to the throne after the death of his stepmother, the legendary Pharaoh Hatshepsut. However, some prominent leaders in Egypt believed he was weak, and they claimed to be the rightful pharaoh for themselves. The kings of Megiddo and Kadesh rebelled against Thutmose III as both sides prepared their forces for battle. These kings anticipated that the prince would move his troops along a wide passage, so their chariots could easily pass and set up their forces accordingly. Regardless, Thutmose III went against the recommendations of his advisors and took a narrow path. It required him to take apart all of their chariots in order to move them through the narrow passage. The rebel forces were caught by surprise, and they fled into the city of Megiddo. Thutmose III then ordered his men to dig a moat around the city to begin a siege. The siege lasted for about a week until the enemy forces eventually gave in, ensuring Thutmose III’s victory and throne.
During this time period, known as the Bronze Age, many battles utilized primitive weaponry such as swords, shields, spears, and bows. Depending on the terrain, chariots were also used with great effectiveness. Their speed and lethality in battle also made horse-mounted cavalry quite effective. The causes and tactics of most battles, from the time of the Egyptians to the time of the Romans, were quite similar. Most wars of this era were due to expanding empires, power struggles due to the death of a leader, or the boundary of two empires colliding due to growth. This caused several empires to rise and fall during this time, some of the most prominent being: Rome, Macedonia, Indus Valley, Egypt, Inca, Maya, and various Chinese dynasties.
Human civilization took a step back when Rome fell in 476 CE. There was no longer any time for science, astronomy, philosophy, or education. This resulted in what is called the “Feudal Age.” In this age, kings would appoint vassals to manage parts of their kingdom, collect taxes, and pay tribute to them. There was so much turmoil and chaos created by ambitious leaders that there was little, if any, time dedicated towards gaining new knowledge and advancing human civilization. Most common people were farmers or laborers and, of course, subject to their rulers.
Rulers would typically fortify their cities with castles in order to better protect their towns in case of a raid or attack. The warfare of this time period used similar weapons to that of the Bronze Age, although slightly enhanced. Regardless, in this period, early artillery became more common to aid attacking armies in their sieges. Many battles were sieges in which the attacking army would wait outside the castle walls while the defenders would wait inside. If the castle had prepared well and had enough supplies, they could sustain themselves for long periods of time and force the attackers to attack their well-guarded defenses. Other times, when the defenders had not prepared well, the inhabitants of the castle would suffer from disease and starvation. At that time, the attackers would then strike the weakened defenders, or they would simply surrender because they would have no means to sustain themselves. Many sieges wouldn’t result in actual combat because the attacking army was patient and well prepared, forcing the surrender of the ill-prepared defenders. During this period in time, some notable empires were the Byzantine, Mongol, Tang Dynasty, Ottoman, Hun, and North Sea Empires.
Around the Ninth and Tenth centuries, the Chinese invented firearms, which would eventually spread to Europe and revolutionize warfare as we now know it. Initially in Europe, some groups of troops would be outfitted with firearms and act as a sort of skirmishing force. They could not reload quickly or shoot accurately; but in large groups, they could be devastating to a charging enemy. When the enemy got too close, they could retreat behind the line infantry, who had melee weapons. As time went on, more units were given firearms and soon, instead of a sword or a spear, they were most soldiers’ primary weapons. During this time, European nations also began to look more like they do today, as many kingdoms unified to form larger nations. However, the borders were always changing and being disputed. Most battles at this time consisted of groups of soldiers in formation, taking turns shooting at each other and moving around, based on the orders of a high-ranking leader. The French General, Napoleon, is well known for his success in battle and military strategy during this time period.
The beginning of the 19th century saw the two greatest conflicts the world has ever known, World Wars I and II. The first World War started when an Austrian Archduke, named Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by a Bosnian Serb, Gavrilo Princip, in 1914. Although this may not initially seem like much to start a world war, the Austrians declared war on Serbia, and the various alliances intertwined within Europe started the world war. The Austrians had the backing of the powerful German Army, but the Serbs were supported by Russia. This created a string of alliances that pitted most European nations, and many other countries, against one another. Many new inventions were present during this war, including machine guns and chemical attacks. This resulted in a new style of warfare known as “trench warfare,” in which two opposing armies dug a complicated network of trenches to take cover from the constant artillery raining from above. This is also when most cavalry units became obsolete, as mounted soldiers were easy targets from a well protected trench with machine guns. In total, about 40 million people died during the first World War, a conflict like the world had never seen.
A couple of decades later, the world was at war once more as Nazi Germany began invading many nations in Europe, as Japan did in Asia. As nations chose to support or oppose these growing empires, two main groups were formed. These groups, known as the Axis powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy), and the Allies (United States, Britain, Russia, and many others), fought fiercely against each other. Eventually, the Allies would prevail. It is estimated that a total of 70–85 million people died in this conflict.
After the world wars, most of the world acknowledged how dangerous and destructive world wars could be and sought to avoid them. However, many powerful nations like the United States, Russia, and China, fought proxy wars against one another through less powerful nations. These wars were fought over the spread and influence of their ideologies. In the early 2000’s, there was little, if any conflict between first-world nations. Unfortunately, a new threat has emerged in the form of terrorism. This is an ongoing conflict where many powerful nations fight religious and political extremists who occasionally carry out attacks on the western world. Their tactics are not conventional, using suicide bombings, cyber warfare, and guerrilla tactics to combat the much stronger conventional armies of the West. This new type of war is difficult for conventional armies to fight because the enemy is uninformed, and they are attacked in ways where there are no immediate ways to retaliate. There is now another type of battlefield, the digital battlefield, where nations try to obtain as much information about other nations or groups by using cyber attacks and surveillance. Time will tell how this shapes the conflicts of the future.
During this time period, known as the Bronze Age, many battles utilized primitive weaponry such as swords, shields, spears, and bows. Depending on the terrain, chariots were also used with great effectiveness. Their speed and lethality in battle also made horse-mounted cavalry quite effective. The causes and tactics of most battles, from the time of the Egyptians to the time of the Romans, were quite similar. Most wars of this era were due to expanding empires, power struggles due to the death of a leader, or the boundary of two empires colliding due to growth. This caused several empires to rise and fall during this time, some of the most prominent being: Rome, Macedonia, Indus Valley, Egypt, Inca, Maya, and various Chinese dynasties.
Human civilization took a step back when Rome fell in 476 CE. There was no longer any time for science, astronomy, philosophy, or education. This resulted in what is called the “Feudal Age.” In this age, kings would appoint vassals to manage parts of their kingdom, collect taxes, and pay tribute to them. There was so much turmoil and chaos created by ambitious leaders that there was little, if any, time dedicated towards gaining new knowledge and advancing human civilization. Most common people were farmers or laborers and, of course, subject to their rulers.
Rulers would typically fortify their cities with castles in order to better protect their towns in case of a raid or attack. The warfare of this time period used similar weapons to that of the Bronze Age, although slightly enhanced. Regardless, in this period, early artillery became more common to aid attacking armies in their sieges. Many battles were sieges in which the attacking army would wait outside the castle walls while the defenders would wait inside. If the castle had prepared well and had enough supplies, they could sustain themselves for long periods of time and force the attackers to attack their well-guarded defenses. Other times, when the defenders had not prepared well, the inhabitants of the castle would suffer from disease and starvation. At that time, the attackers would then strike the weakened defenders, or they would simply surrender because they would have no means to sustain themselves. Many sieges wouldn’t result in actual combat because the attacking army was patient and well prepared, forcing the surrender of the ill-prepared defenders. During this period in time, some notable empires were the Byzantine, Mongol, Tang Dynasty, Ottoman, Hun, and North Sea Empires.
Around the Ninth and Tenth centuries, the Chinese invented firearms, which would eventually spread to Europe and revolutionize warfare as we now know it. Initially in Europe, some groups of troops would be outfitted with firearms and act as a sort of skirmishing force. They could not reload quickly or shoot accurately; but in large groups, they could be devastating to a charging enemy. When the enemy got too close, they could retreat behind the line infantry, who had melee weapons. As time went on, more units were given firearms and soon, instead of a sword or a spear, they were most soldiers’ primary weapons. During this time, European nations also began to look more like they do today, as many kingdoms unified to form larger nations. However, the borders were always changing and being disputed. Most battles at this time consisted of groups of soldiers in formation, taking turns shooting at each other and moving around, based on the orders of a high-ranking leader. The French General, Napoleon, is well known for his success in battle and military strategy during this time period.
The beginning of the 19th century saw the two greatest conflicts the world has ever known, World Wars I and II. The first World War started when an Austrian Archduke, named Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by a Bosnian Serb, Gavrilo Princip, in 1914. Although this may not initially seem like much to start a world war, the Austrians declared war on Serbia, and the various alliances intertwined within Europe started the world war. The Austrians had the backing of the powerful German Army, but the Serbs were supported by Russia. This created a string of alliances that pitted most European nations, and many other countries, against one another. Many new inventions were present during this war, including machine guns and chemical attacks. This resulted in a new style of warfare known as “trench warfare,” in which two opposing armies dug a complicated network of trenches to take cover from the constant artillery raining from above. This is also when most cavalry units became obsolete, as mounted soldiers were easy targets from a well protected trench with machine guns. In total, about 40 million people died during the first World War, a conflict like the world had never seen.
A couple of decades later, the world was at war once more as Nazi Germany began invading many nations in Europe, as Japan did in Asia. As nations chose to support or oppose these growing empires, two main groups were formed. These groups, known as the Axis powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy), and the Allies (United States, Britain, Russia, and many others), fought fiercely against each other. Eventually, the Allies would prevail. It is estimated that a total of 70–85 million people died in this conflict.
After the world wars, most of the world acknowledged how dangerous and destructive world wars could be and sought to avoid them. However, many powerful nations like the United States, Russia, and China, fought proxy wars against one another through less powerful nations. These wars were fought over the spread and influence of their ideologies. In the early 2000’s, there was little, if any conflict between first-world nations. Unfortunately, a new threat has emerged in the form of terrorism. This is an ongoing conflict where many powerful nations fight religious and political extremists who occasionally carry out attacks on the western world. Their tactics are not conventional, using suicide bombings, cyber warfare, and guerrilla tactics to combat the much stronger conventional armies of the West. This new type of war is difficult for conventional armies to fight because the enemy is uninformed, and they are attacked in ways where there are no immediate ways to retaliate. There is now another type of battlefield, the digital battlefield, where nations try to obtain as much information about other nations or groups by using cyber attacks and surveillance. Time will tell how this shapes the conflicts of the future.
Trivia:
- The earliest battle ever recorded, the Battle of Megiddo, happened over 3500 years ago in 1457.
- Did you know that the instability of the feudal age (from the 5th to the 12th century) nearly brought innovation and science to a halt?
- War has evolved throughout the ages, and now the internet is considered to be the modern battlefield.