Electric Renaissance

Warfare

Overview

Warfare did not get invented during the Renaissance, but there were some significant innovations. Feudal cavalry lost its dominance of the battlefield, infantry gained in stature, states learned how to field large armies for long periods of time. Most important of all, however, was the use of gunpowder.

The chief result of these innovations was that warfare once and for all was taken out of the hands of private individuals (the nobility) and was taken over by the nation-state. Moreover, war became so expensive and destructive that it became ever more difficult and dangerous for small states to wage war, even at the local level. Warfare became big business and the business of big players.

Course: Electric Renaissance
Teacher: Dr. E. L. Skip Knox

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