Introduction
The success of modern military tactical expertise, complicated warfare strategies, and complex technological advancement points to a historical process of borrowing and assimilating the different military strategies of top empires in Europe and Asia Minor. The rise and fall of powerful empires around Europe contributed significantly to the changes we are currently seeing in the military warfare around the world. Battles from Ancient Egypt, Assyria, Scythians, the Persian Empire, Ancient Greece, Macedonia, the Roman Empire, the Hunnic Empire, the Rashidun Caliphate, and the Mongol Empire capture the slow but steady development of warfare and the improvement of military technology. 1 , 2 The success of top empires across Europe, over a long period, captures the minute yet significant contributions that each realm has had in the growth of the military technology that is evidenced in the present times.
Military Size
Existing evidence attributes the success of military expediency on their defensive and offensive tactical organization. 3 The reign of Ramesses in Ancient Egypt in 1250 BCE proved that even with an army of over hundred thousand soldiers, their strength was still insufficient to successfully defeat the small group of Hittites they were fighting against. 4 As such, the Hittites were characterized by the skill of forging iron and wearing heavy coats and boots. In addition to their strategic numbers, they had a superior defense back in their capital, which had a double wall fortification that covered the entire valley. 5 The reign of Ramesses, however, provided a valuable lesson into the importance of military organization, by being able to protect Egypt’s borders during his reign. Moreover, the value of military discipline in the organization was captured better by the Assyrians’ warrior society. 6 The vastness of the land the Assyrians occupied necessitated an army that was disciplined and understood the importance of administration in military success. More importantly, the Assyrians were very particular about underlining the value of weaponry in the success of military expeditions. 7
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Weaponry
Modern warfare is awash with complicated and ruthless weaponry that gives an edge to individual military groups. The development and success of weaponry was captured by the Assyrians in using battering rams and siege towers to break down gates and climb over walls. As such, this advancement in technology propelled warfare and its brutality to another level. This also granted small individual groups the ruthlessness they needed against bigger and more organized military groups. The Scythians portrayed their strength by embracing the use of effective and superior weaponry, such as poisoned arrows, war chariots, axes, spears, and the coveted missile cavalry those times. 8
In addition to the superior weapons, the brutality and effectiveness of the military in the earlier times in history were complemented with field fortification and the adoption of the phalanx as one of the formidable field formations during attacks. 9 The unconventional style of warfare, together with the improved military organization and superior weaponry, was a characteristic that prompted the rise, growth, and the successes of the Roman and Persian Empires 10 . Therefore, the expansion of military technology during these times is evidenced with a range of weapons and equipment, such as the scutum, pugio dagger, and gladious were deployed effectively by the Romans when using the testudo formation on the offensive. 11
Specification
The strict element of military expeditions demanded a specific level of proficiency that allows individual soldiers to possess skills and expertise, for instance, physical endurance, disciplined, communication and tactical skills, which could not be matched by their enemies. Ancient Greece and the Persian Empire were very keen on this specialization that allowed a single group to possess such ruthlessness in advancing battle. 12 Among the Persians, there were Persian warriors or the immortals, who were an elite group of professional soldiers with military expertise. As a result, the safety of the society was accorded to individual groups, rather than to the whole society. This meant that these communities or societies could grow without worrying about possible attacks. It is the same attitude that was adopted in Sparta, Greece, where only the fittest, and the healthiest babies were granted the opportunity to defend their country. Warfare became a matter of pride, rather than a matter of necessity. 13
Individual pride
As a crucial aspect in warfare, pride helped establish dynasties and empires that aspired to rule and conquer other regions, as a way of expanding their “superior culture” over other people. For instance, Philip II, the king of Macedonia, and the Roman Empire exploited this individual trait to build one of the greatest empires that have graced human existence. 14 Philip II and his son, Alexander, with Emperor Augustus, appropriated the power of military loyalty and pride to form empires that shaped modern states. Consequentially, the success of these empires helped in pointing out the value of individual brilliance in leadership. For instance, before destroying the Persian Empire and the Persepolis, Alexander the Great had utilized his leadership skills demonstrated through virtues and conviction to bring together a large army and they were successful in their encounters. On the other hand, the successes of the Huns 15 and the Rashidun Caliphate 16 , and the Mughal Empire 17 were merely based on individuals that depicted unique talent and skills, which were demonstrated in the organization and tactical advancement of their armies, such as fortification and indulgence in siege warfare. Evidently, the military age had been created, where warfare was no longer about attacking each other, but about out-maneuvering one another on the battlefield, to gain a technical advantage. 18 , 19
Conclusion
The success of top empires across Europe, over a long period, captures both the enormous and simple contributions to either their success or downfall. However, it is vital to note the contribution of the warfare and the military revolution that had immense changes to tactics and organizations of military groups between the 17 th and the 18 th centuries. More importantly, the history of warfare and the success of individual groups and persons paved the way for the growth and advancement of the military, both in technology and in tactical expediency. Today, more than ever, we are witnessing the pinnacle of warfare in the introduction of cyber warfare and nuclear weaponry that can wipe out the earth in an instant. The success of military expedition and warfare proliferation, through technology today, depicts the contributory aspect of ancient groups, dynasties, and empires.
Bibliography
Broers, Michael. "The First Napoleonic Empire, 1799–1815." Nationalizing Empires (2015): 99-134.
Bulliet, Richard W. The earth, and its peoples: a global history . Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011.
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Cline, Eric H., and Mark W. Graham. Ancient Empires : From Mesopotamia to the rise of Islam . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Elliott, Simon. Empire State: How the Roman Military Built an Empire . Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2017.
Faulkner, Neil. A Marxist history of the world: From Neanderthals to neoliberals . London: Pluto Press, 2013.
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Hurley, Vic. Arrows against steel: the history of the bow and how it forever changed warfare . Salem, Oregon: Cerberus Books, 2011.
Sazanov, Kuanysh-Beck. The grand chatrang game . Bloomington, IN: Author House, 2014.
Smil, Vaclav. Why America is not a new Rome . Cambridge: MIT Press, 2010.
1 Eric H. Cline and Mark W. Graham. Ancient empires: From Mesopotamia to the rise of Islam (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011 ), 34.
2 Simon Elliot . Empire State: How the Roman Military Built an Empire (Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2017 ), 20-21.
3 Elliot, 22.
4 Margaret Bunson . Encyclopedia of ancient Egypt ( New York: Facts on File, 2002) , 170.
5 Bunson, 169-170.
6 Richard W. Bulliet. The earth and its peoples: a global history ( Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011), 67-68 .
7 Eckart Frahm . A companion to Assyria (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2017 ) , 152.
8 Hurley, Vic Hurley. Arrows against steel: the history of the bow and how it forever changed warfare ( Salem, Oregon: Cerberus Books, 2011), 224-225.
9 Cline and Graham, 6.
10 Vaclav Smil . Why America is not a new Rome ( Cambridge: MIT Press, 2010 ) , 20.
11 Elliot, 28- 30.
12 Cline and Graham, 130.
13 Neil Faulkner . A Marxist history of the world: From Neanderthals to neoliberals ( Pluto Press, 2013 ) , 4 2.
14 Ibid, 39-40.
15 Faulkner, 51.
16 Kuanysh-Beck Sazanov. The grand chatrang game ( Bloomington, IN: Aurthor House, 2014 ) , 84 .
17 Faulkner, 52.
18 Ibid, 106-107.
19 Broers, Michael . The First Napoleonic Empire, 1799–1815 (Nationalizing Empires, 2015 ), 99- 100 .
