Frank Jacob

Conclusion: An Endless Evolution

The widespread evidence of significant military developments in technology and tactics across many geographic areas and in different historical periods lends support to a theory of a persistent, global, and endless evolutionary process in military affairs. This conceptualization of military progress should replace the notion of a unique and exclusively Western Military Revolution during the Early Modern period. The notion of a Military Revolution has outlived its usefulness as an instrument of historical inquiry.

Global Military Revolutions

The premise that a Military Revolution impelled European powers into an era of global hegemony during the Early Modern period is not supported by contemporary events. The conquest of Mexico and Peru, the two most important colonial acquisitions by a European state during that era, were accomplished without the application of the technology or tactics that are usually associated with the Military Revolution. On the other hand, Japan, Korea, some Indian states, and the Ottoman Empire implemented military reforms, both tactical and technological, that are commonly associated with what was considered an exclusively Western approach to warfare.

Numerous Military Revolutions

Over the course of history several instances of “revolutionary” military changes can be observed. Examples of this are the tactics of the Macedonian armies, the development of the trace italienne, the rise of pike and arquebus formations, and the technological developments of WWI. Under close examination, these apparent revolutionary transformations reveal themselves to be the product of evolutionary processes whose development accelerates or slows down in response to military needs. The numerous instances of this type of historical occurrence nullify the concept of a Military Revolution as a viable explanation to the developments of the Early Modern period.