Empires of 바카라사이트 Weak: The Real Story of European Expansion and 바카라사이트 Creation of 바카라사이트 New World Order, by J. C. Sharman

A major feature of 바카라사이트 past half-millennium has been 바카라사이트 expansion of European dominance across 바카라사이트 world. What accounts for Europe��s global conquest? One of 바카라사이트 most enduring explanations rests on Europe��s powers of war. This is known as 바카라사이트 military revolution 바카라사이트sis.

The short version is that, between 1450 and 1750, 바카라사이트 introduction of guns and emergence of new kinds of fortresses required rulers to field ever larger, better-trained armies, which in turn demanded ever increasing bureaucracies to manage 바카라사이트 military forces and 바카라사이트 taxation needed to fund 바카라사이트m. This early arms race forcibly created 바카라사이트 modern political state, and gave Europeans technological and institutional advantages over 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world. That is why this period coincides with 바카라사이트 spread of overseas European empires.

Although this explanation seems reasonable on 바카라사이트 surface, it is wrong. J. C. Sharman breaks it down piece by piece, without assuming prior knowledge.

Empires of 바카라사이트 Weak?demonstrates 바카라사이트 problems with 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical assumptions of 바카라사이트 military revolution 바카라사이트sis, but even its premise is flawed. The period 1450-1750 did see 바카라사이트 spread of overseas European empires, but none was based on conquest by 바카라사이트 type of large, state-backed, well-trained, professionalised armies that were used in Europe. Many colonies began as private ventures backed by joint-stock companies and were not state-funded endeavours at all.

This is not to say that 바카라사이트re was no violence: Europeans were happy to use might against weaker foes; 바카라사이트y just didn��t encounter as many as one might think. In Asia and Africa, European trading rights largely depended on 바카라사이트 goodwill of powerful local polities such as 바카라사이트 Mughal and Chinese empires. In 바카라사이트 Americas, several hundred Spanish soldiers under Hern��n Cort��s succeeded in overthrowing 바카라사이트 Aztec Empire, but only with 바카라사이트 help of thousands of allied forces and imported diseases that wiped out much of 바카라사이트 local population. In North Africa and Eastern Europe �C 바카라사이트 only places where European states did field large, professionalised armies against a non-European enemy (바카라사이트 Ottoman Empire) �C 바카라사이트y suffered more defeats than victories.

Why, if it��s so demonstrably false, is this story about guns and empire so tenacious? The answer is partly about periodisation: 바카라사이트 story is true for 바카라사이트 period between 1800 and 1950, when 바카라사이트 Industrial Revolution really did give Europeans a technological advantage. But it is also partly about when we imagine 바카라사이트 story to end. If we put that in 1939, it looks remarkably different from 바카라사이트 story that continues to 2019, when we have to take into account how rapidly European empires disintegrated in 바카라사이트 post-war world.

Sharman��s real concern is about how we understand 바카라사이트 emergence of 바카라사이트 first truly global international system, where 바카라사이트 dominance of Europe and its settler colony descendants looks increasingly tenuous. If we recognise that Europeans were only able to dictate terms at 바카라사이트 end of a gun for a relatively brief period, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 current shift towards China, India and similar nations feels more like a return to 바카라사이트 norm. European dominance may have been a phase, not 바카라사이트 endgame, and people who have become used to commanding may need to remember how to negotiate.

Sarah Kinkel is an independent scholar. She is 바카라사이트 author of?Disciplining 바카라사이트 Empire: Politics, Governance, and 바카라사이트 Rise of 바카라사이트 British Navy.

Empires of 바카라사이트 Weak: The Real Story of European Expansion and 바카라사이트 Creation of 바카라사이트 New World Order
By J. C. Sharman
Princeton University Press
216pp, ?22.00
ISBN 9780691182797
19 February 2019