Evolution of Warfare
Since existence, human beings have always waged war. It is claimed that the first action the Homo sapiens engaged in on the global stage was genocide with the complete obliteration of the Neanderthals even though there is no implication of a prearranged war endeavor. The Neanderthals where physically stronger than the Homo sapiens. However, the Homo sapiens could commune and unite to push the Neathadals to areas that were not very favorable for continued existence hence dominating better settlements.
Though many people would think of war as a morally and ethically unacceptably action, it is still a very important form of human interaction. Even with the tremendous technological advances in weaponry, all armies have three basic fundamentals, ground troops, fire support and shock. Ground troops always have to fight on the ground even if they may have gotten to the war grounds through other means. They are involved in most of the fighting and they seize and hold the ground.
The elements of shock started in ancient days as chariots and have since advanced to cavalry the highest point which was the escalated knight and into present day warfare with reinforced vehicles and in the twenty first century the sky cavalry forces. The element of fire support has steadily developed in significance and technology has permitted it become more precise, mobile and longer in range. This element in modern day includes catapults and systems of guided weapon launch.
The first period of warfare can be classified as the era of chariots. In this era superior kingdoms initiated war for the purposes of prestige and to acquire land and other resources such as slaves. Ancient Egypt and other kingdoms such as Hittites are a good example of this era. This is the era when armies began to develop and the chariot was the king of the battle. The chariot symbolized the element of shock in this era. It was pulled by four horses and had few worriers who carried weapons. The fire support element in this era was not well developed and the shock element was the most significant on the fighting grounds.
The next stage in the warfare evolution was the rise of ground troops as the prevailing force on fighting grounds. The ground troops were well trained and much disciplined to handle chariots using various techniques. This era could be referred to as the legionnaire period since it was characterized by heavy ground troops from Rome dominating the battle fields. The ground troops were more organized and equipped with heavier weapons. Long spears, pike-like sarissa and the destructive phalanx formations were developed by the Greeks. These were reverberated more than a thousand years later with bigger pike men formations.
In this era the element of shock element became more advanced as the cavalry was used more. However, cavalry had was yet to attain its full potential since the stirrup and lance had not developed completely. In this era the chariots were used for some time but their time passed. In North Africa the elephants were used. However the ground troops learnt how to deal with them. They were also used in Indian warfare and remained in use for a long period of time.
The next stage was the knight era where a worrier was heavily armored and was supreme in the fighting grounds until fire arms were introduced and ground troops acquired better tactics. The shock element was very important in this era. This led to the neglecting of the ground troops as the knight was seen as the most important element of the battle. Mongol armies concentrated more on the shock element and only applied ground troops and fire support when they need fortification. This period saw the development of the fire support element. There was increased utilization of gun powder. Long bows and cross bows were developed and used to take down the knight. Ground troops also gained better killing ranges and this brought the knight age to its knees.
Technological advances led the evolvement of the musket era where the ground troops were very dominant. This happened gradually and it is very difficult to define the exact date of the beginning of this period. This era lasted until the beginning of the American Civil War. It was characterized by sociological changes as witnesses in Napoleonic wars. The initiation of Nation in arms, official uniforms, training of recruited troops and patriotism and war strengthen their relationship. This period was characterized by large ground troops with a lot of fire power on each side. This era also sees the development of camouflage rifles and rockets are also introduced in this era.
Weaponry in the Napoleonic war evolved from static siege guns to movable fire support which was transported from one place to another in the battle field with the use of horses. As the flexibility of this fire support increased its importance also increased. Fire support element in this era evolved from breech loading weapons to more powerful explosives.
The machine gun also made its way in this era and dominated battles for a long time. The machine gun led to the domination of the fire support element but many ground troops died in battles especially the American Civil War and First World War. In this era the fire support element gained the most from technological advances as the shock element followed and the ground troops gained the least from technological developments.
The increase in the fire support element led to the development of the defensive warfare was dominant in the First World War. Weaponry developed in variety and the machine gun became more flexible and portable. New type of warfare developed such as the air power which has its origin from the fire support element. Naval warfare led to the large scale utilization of submarines and the starting of the naval air operations. Cavalry as the shock element was killed by the defensive nature of warfare which involved barbed wire fences and trenches. The shock element of war nearly died but from it, the armored warfare which is the first tanks began.
The beginning of the mechanized warfare age was marked by the Second World War. This stage was characterized by a rapid development of technology which impacted all the elements of war. The ground troops benefited from more mobile weapons and a lot of personal fire power. Sub machine guns and vehicles allowed few ground troops to cover bigger areas. The element of ground troops is limited because its main constituent is the human beings who develop slower than technology.
This age was dominated the shock element. Tanks became more common in this age and also became the main shock element. The combination of the shock element and the air power and some parts of the fire support element and fast moving ground troops with the use of vehicles were the main characteristics of the mechanized warfare period. There was also a very rapid advancement in fire support element and the air power became the most significant constituent of this element.
In this era, accuracy and use of bomb loads increased rapidly from the basic bombers in the Second World War. There was also advancement in laser guides bombs during the Vietnam War. During the Second World War the close air support was developed but it reached its full potential in the Vietnam War. Final stage is the B.B.C warfare where chemical, biological and nuclear weapons were introduced. These weapons cause very serious destruction even when used in small amounts. They are the ultimate fire support weapons. They can cause damage to even people who are not engaged in war.
The present period of warfare could be referred to as the post nuclear era. The era of bid battles on battlefields no longer exists. The warfare in this era is dominated by directing power to trouble areas around the globe and fighting the rebellious. The number of ground troops deployed in western wars has drastically reduced and there is development of hi tech ground troop weaponry. Mobility is very crucial in this stage and troops work in helicopters or vehicles that are armored.
Weaponry guns are not the only features in this age as technology has led to the growth of air craft that are not manned and cruise missiles which have very accurate strikes and interdiction compare to just a throng of weapons distributed on target. Technology has allowed humans to control massive weapons from a distance to reduce the number of casualties on the attacking side. This easily frustrates the target.
In conclusion, humans are naturally inclined towards aggressiveness for their own survival. Warfare has steadily developed since ancient days due to advancement in technology and this has brought a lot of change in battlefields. It has led to the development of the different aspects of armies which include the ground troop element, shock element and the fire support element.
References:
Bernard, L. L. (1944). War and its causes. Michigan: H. Holt and Company.
Dupuy, T. N. (1990). The Evolution Of Weapons And Warfare. Chicago: Da Capo Press.
Richard A. Gabriel, K. S. (1992). A Short History of War: The Evolution of Warfare and Weapons. Professional Readings in Military Strategy Number 5. New York: Defense Technical Information Center,.
Robert A. Doughty, I. G. (1996). American military history and the evolution of warfare in the western world. Washiongton DC: D.C. Heath and Co.,.
