The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800

by Geoffrey Parker

Book Overview

Well before the Industrial Revolution, Europe developed the superior military potential and expertise that enabled her to dominate the world for the next two centuries. In this attractively illustrated and updated edition, Geoffrey Parker discusses the major changes in the military practice of the West during this time period--establishment of bigger armies, creation of superior warships, the role of firearms--and argues that these major changes amounted...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521479584
• ISBN13: 9780521479585
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Michael Roberts (Modified & Expanded)

During the 1990s, it was fashionable in the defense intellectual community to talk and write about a military revolution driven by the advances of the Information Age. The concept of a "military revolution" can trace its lineage back to a lecture given by the British historian Michael Roberts at Queen's University in Belfast in January 1955 titled "The military revolution 1560-1660." Thirty years later Geoffrey Parker delivered a series of lectures at Trinity College, Cambridge, that endorsed, but modified Roberts' original and highly influential thesis, and which was ultimately turned into book form as "The Military Revolution: Military innovation and the rise of the West, 1500-1800." It is important to clearly state Parker's main objective in writing this piece. He notes that much scholarly attention has been devoted to explaining the rapid conquest by western states during the 19th century. It has been claimed that between 1800 and 1914 the West went from controlling 35% of the earth's surface to 84%. Here Parker endeavors to explain how the West came to control the first 35%, which cannot be explained by the Industrial Revolution, and his explanation is derived from Roberts' original thesis of a military revolution in the 16th century. Parker accepts but modifies Roberts' general argument that a fundamental change in tactics, accompanied by a stunning growth in army size, the development of complex strategies, and the profound impact of military operations on society led to a military revolution that had deep and lasting consequences. To begin with, Parker suggests that the impact of the military revolution was much slower to develop and much less decisive than Roberts had argued. Thus, where Roberts' revolution is contained in a one hundred year period (1560-1660), Parker sees a revolution that unfolded over a period that began a bit earlier (1500) and took much longer to mature (1800). Next, he sees the rise of modern fortifications, especially the famed trace italienne, as the truly distinguishing characteristic of the revolutionary period, and not the tight drill of handheld firearm weaponry by infantry units as argued by Roberts and brought to perfection by the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years War. Parker suggests that Roberts over-emphasized the importance of tactical changes in set piece battles, such Breitenfeld (1631) or Lutzen (1632), which occurred in Germany precisely because of the absence of modern trace italienne fortifications. It was the artillery fortifications that drove the rapid expanse in army size and logistical sophistication, Parker argues, and not mobile infantry firepower. Parker sees a clearly definable progression of military development. First came the maturation of gunpowder artillery, which so clearly obsolesced the high and thin fortification walls of Italy in the French invasion of 1494. Second, in response to the power of siege artillery against classical walls developed t

Well Written, Concise, But Imperfect

In this well written and concise book, Geoffrey Parker argues that a revolution in European fighting methods in this era transformed Europe and gave Europeans a military advantage over the rest of the world. As a result, by 1800 European powers held substantial empires which they would expand greatly in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds. Parker gives convincing arguments on the advantages of gunpowder weapons, superior European organization, superior European naval power, and the ruthlessness of European warfare compared to that of some opponents. What is less convincing is the emphasis on the Italian trace system of fortifications and the supposedly resulting increase in army size and weakness of smaller states. Good coherent coverage is given to naval warfare and early imperialism, like the Portuguese and Dutch in Indonesia as well as later British success in India. The efforts of non-western powers to adapt to the revolution are also covered, as well as eastern practices of impoundment of goods as a substitute for strong naval power. This book is excellent, but for a fuller view, please also read "The Military Revolution Debate" edited by Clifford Rogers.

Excellence.

Geoffrey Parker work can be considered a milestone in its field. A really excellent book.

A Cause and Effect Look at Early Modern European Art of War

Geoffrey Parker argues that during the 16th Century a "military revolution" occurred that profoundly changed the way Europeans conducted warfare. This revolution involved four distinct changes in the art of war: a change in tactics; a marked growth in the size of armies; more ambitious and complex military/political strategies; and an acute impact on society as a whole. Parker further contends that the initial imperial gains and conquests by European nations (before the full impact of the Industrial Revolution was felt) would not have been possible had it not been for these revolutionary changes. Not all historians of early modern European military history agree with Parker's argument. In the Second Edition, Parker answers his critics in an updated addendum (for those who enjoy conversational footnotes, Parker does seem to have a particular axe to grind with the historian John A. Lynn and vice-versa)..Parker incorporates a thread of cause and effect to illustrate his claims. For example: the technological advancements in firepower in the form of larger canons, prompted the wide spread development of the bastion fortifications system known as trace italienne. These improved fortifications required larger garrisons as well as larger siege armies of the opposing enemy. Infantry became the core of these new and expanded armies of Europe. Larger armies created the need for revised tactics as well as improved logistical, supply, medical, and financial solutions. All of these factors had a direct upon the societies that depended upon these armies for protection. Parker applies similar cause and effect methodology in a discussion of sea power. Though Parker is a known scholar of early modern Europe, he turns his analysis into a global study by comparing and contrasting the European art of war with various non-western armies and empires. Parker discusses the reactions, adaptations, successes or failures of Near Eastern (Muslim, Ottoman, Indian, and African) and Far Eastern (China, Japan, Southeast Asia) armies in their contacts with the west.Parker consults a vast array of archival material. From Machiavelli to an assortment of 16th Century French, Spanish, Dutch, German and British documents in varying native languages, Parkers research is truly impressive. Absent, however, are non-western sources turning this "global" analysis into one from a western perspective. European colonial contacts with the east are seen only through western eyes in Parker's study. Sprinkled throughout the book are period etchings and engravings that Parker utilizes to support his premises. As an art history lover, however, I would have liked to have seen a description of the art work itself in the caption.Parker writes well. The author blends a well developed scholarly argument with historical narrative with great effect. For the most part, Parker maintained a set literary style throughout that held the reader's interest. One flaw, however, is the author's tendency to make a

What makes a revolution?

The purist may not appreciate the title of this excellent survey of the rise of Western European military and eventually cultural dominance. Any revolution that takes 300 years to accomplish begs the question. The subtitle is more revealing, and more accurately portrays the content of the book. The years of 1500 to 1800 indeed saw a series of military innovations that directly contributed to Western military hegemony.What the author has done, which is truly unique, is to survey the innovations and to document how they affected events in Europe and elsewhere. A good part of the book accounts for developments in sail and guns and global exploration and confrontation. Also discussed is how other societies such as the Ottomans, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, and others reacted or failed to react to these developments. In this course, Parker proves his thesis of how the West gained its "35%" toehold on the globe by 1800, which set the course for the century of rabid imperialism.There is more detail to be found in other sources, but the synthesis of analysis is what marks this contribution as one of the best in the history of early modern Europe.