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The Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) was a major European conflict which involved more than 200 different states, bitterly divided by political and especially religious differences. The war was notable for its brutality, military innovation, and for its firm connection with religion as a motivaitng factor for armed conflict.
(For full citations of all primary sources in timeline, please see bibliography section of the accompanying essay)
Primary Source: Callot, Jacques. La Pendaison. 1633 -
Period: to
The Shifting Sands of Armed Conflict: Warfare in Europe 1648-1945
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The Seven Years War
The Seven Years War (1753-1764) was the first truly global armed conflict and involved most of the Great Powers of Europe, most notably Britain and France. Through this war, we see the increase in the scale of warfare as colonial powers fought all over the globe in North America, the Carribean, Africa, and India to gain political and economic advantages over their rivals.
Primary Source: West, Benjamin. The Death of General Wolfe. 1770. -
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) thrust Europe into a series of wars of unprecedented scale and ferocity. The Napoleonic Wars as they came to be known as, witnessed innovation in military organization (e.g. the "corps system") and showcased a wars fuelled by ideas, pitting the French Revolutionnary ideals agaisnt the more conservative views of the European Monarchies (Britain, Prussia, Russia, Austria).
Primary Source: The Column de la Place Vendome -
The Crimean War
The Crimean War (1853-1856) featured a new type of warfare which involved the protection of one's interests, even if this interests were not directly at stake. This led to the surprising alliance of Britain, France (two age-old enemies), and the Ottoman Empire (the traditional "great threat" to European Christianity), which is a testament to the lessening importance of religion concerning matters of war and international relations.
Primary Source : New York Times ,1857 (see essay) -
Otto Von Bismarck
Otto Von Bismarck (1815-1898) was a highly influential Prussian statesmen who would go on to play a vital role in the creation of the German State and in the development of the German military ethos, characterized by his speech where he states: "The position of Prussia in Germany will be determined not by its liberalism but by its power (…) not through speeches and majority decisions are the great questions of the day decided (…)-but through blood and iron".
Primary: Prior quote (see essay cit.) -
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The Two World Wars
The Two World Wars (1914-1918;1939-1945) acts a devastating meeting point between brutality and technological innovation, which led to total casualty rates as high as 100 million+ for both conflicts combined. These two wars also saw the near disappearance of religion playing a primary role in warfare,acting as a final resting point for religion's steady decline in military significance.
P Source: Hopps, H.R. Destroy this Mad Brute: Enlist. 1917. Library of Congress, Washington D.C. Library
