History 100 Essay

1. How can you as a military professional benefit from the study of the changes in warfare covered by the H100 block? Use specific examples from H100 to defend your position.

A military revolution, as defined by Willamson Murray and MacGregor Knox are “periods of dramatic change in the way violence is used to pursue policy by other means” (3).   These revolutions have an impact on societies as a whole and bring about profound change.   Organization, tactics, and especially leadership must adapt to keep up as Military Revolutions occur.   Small, subtle shifts can lead to large changes in the way war is conducted.   Adaptability is key and we must become adept at identifying those shifts as they happen rather than react once a military revolution is underway, especially since Murray and Knox note that historically military institutions “are hard pressed to keep us with changes.”   (3).
    As military professionals, history tells us that we must be aware of the changing geopolitical and societal shifts that could signify the next great Military Revolution.
    Murray and Knox identify that military revolutions are caused by major upheavals in society, economics, politics, or diplomacy.   Some examples they give of Military Revolutions are the Napoleonic Wars, the Industrial Revolution, World War I, and the advent of Nuclear Weapons.   Each of these fundamentally changed the way war was fought, certainly, but these also had a dramatic effect on society as a whole.   Murray and Knox contrast Military Revolutions to what they term “Revolutions in Military Affairs” which they identify as impacting military behavior only.   Perhaps the greatest example of a Military Revolution can be seen in World War I.   The industrialization of war, the efficient and timely production of goods, had brought stalemate to the front for several years.   In an effort to break the stalemate, both Allies and enemy forces looked to new technologies such as machine guns, airplanes, and tanks.   When...