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INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ESSAY
Introduction
The Industrial Revolution marked great advancements in the manufacturing industry. It provided the shift of production from the extensive use of human power to the application of machines. The Industrial Revolution had both positive and negative effects. The Military Revolution was a result of the Industrial Revolution. It has both positive and negative results of the Industrial Revolution. This paper will seek to show the concepts behind the Military Revolution and the Total War. It will also identify the relationship between the Military Revolution and the RMA.
The Concepts of the Military Revolution and the Total War
The industrial revolution brought change in warfare, and generally the whole idea behind the Military Revolution. The commencement of the Industrial Revolution did not offer the armies with better weapons and technology. The armies used the traditional, slower, and weaker weapons in the different battles they fought. The victory of the wars mainly depended on the size of the armies. They bigger the army, the more chances it had in winning the wars. The Military Revolution allowed the introduction of advance and more lethal weapons in the wars. The countries with the best weapons won the wars (Boot, 79). The Military Revolution allowed the improvement of the stunted weaponry growth. It enabled the replacement of pikemen and muskets with rifles. The Military Revolution also included the growth of large armies in both small and large battles. It also included well-trained armies, with armors and better war and siege tactics.
The total war concept involves not only the military wars, but also government involvements, economic battles, sanctions, and the extensive use of propaganda. The total war included all the available resources that a country could utilize to defeat their enemies and war opponents (World War I). The Total War was not limited to the physical battles as the different countries encouraged their citizens to assist where they could. The people increased food production to feed their armies; the manufacturing industries provided better products that could be used in the war, and financing the wars.
Effects of the Military Revolution and the Total War
The formation of the Military Revolution had a great impact on the wars. It created a new level of the perception of the general idea of wars. One of the effects of the Military Revolution was the use of powerful weapons in the different wars. Thorough researchers about the fast and effective guns lead to the introduction and improvement of the rifle. The Military Revolution led to the rise and fall of various nations. It led to the expansion of dynasties not only in Europe but across Asia. The Military Revolution enabled mass deaths, as the weapons created were more lethal compared to the previous ones. The improvement in the artillery machines was supported by the use of fortified buildings and walls. This led to improved defensive mechanisms by different countries across Europe (Boot, 80)
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The other direct effect of the Military Revolution was the development of military tactics. The advanced military tactics were mainly used by the pikemen, who defended themselves against the cavalry assaults. The Total War left some of the countries in big war debts and financial deficiency. The countries that won had higher chances of expanding their treasuries and bank accounts. The Total War led to the introduction of different laws that favored the war and neglected the critical interests of the citizens. The Total War had extreme effects on the people who channeled all their produce towards the war. These people suffered psychological torture and lack of enough food for survival (Boot, 123)
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Should we consider the Military Industrial Revolution an RMA?
The Military Industrial Revolution should be considered as a Revolution in the Military Affairs. This is because it involved the complete utilization of new and improved military tactics and artillery. The various changes in the Military Industrial Revolution provided progress toward the utilization of non-military technology in the wars. The improvement of communication and transportation helped in the transition of the Military Industrial Revolution of an RMA (Boot, 160).
Why the Total War Caught the Europeans Off Guard?
The Total War did not provide the Europeans with the opportunity to prepare them financially. The Europeans did not expect them to suffer extreme sanction from their enemies. The Total War caught the Europeans off guard because they did not expect their enemies to be motivated in the course of the war. The application of various strategies in the by the enemies against the Europeans was a major setback for the Europeans (Boot, 170)
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How the Revolution Fits in the Six Observations?
The Gunpowder Revolution provided the armies with better weapons to use in the war. The armies that had not applied the use of guns in battle faced numerous disadvantages. The Gunpowder Revolution was part of the advancement of the Military Revolution. The Industrial Revolution paved the way for the Military Revolution (World War I). The introduction of machines to replace the human power provided better advancements in the Military Revolution. The Second industrial revolution expanded the entire warfare perspective. The introduction of better transport machines provided advantageous effects to the Military Revolution. The armies were able to move from one geographical position to the other. The Second Industrial Revolution enabled the formation of more lethal weapons. The information Revolution had a major role in the improvement of the Military Revolution. The Information Revolution has established the invention and application of better combination devices and forms of warfare (Boot, 179)
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Work Cited
Boot, Max. War made new: technology, warfare, and the course of history, 1500 to today. Penguin, 2006.
World War I,. 'Total War'. N.p., 2012. Web. 2 July 2015.