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Warfare and Society

by dorothyterror

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Book Description

Undoubtedly, warfare is one of the most significant factors that have shaped the world’s history. Wars often result in numerous casualties and destruction of the infrastructure of the society. However, there are many cases when war and military technology contributed to the economic and cultural development of the country. In particular, the examples of Bronze Age chariot forces and military forces of Sparta and Athens demonstrate that warfare can have a profound impact on politics, culture, society, and economic affairs.
Military culture and values present one of the main tools for reshaping and redistribution of the political and economic powers in the world - furthermore, they can change the class structure of society and boost its economic growth. The invention of chariots for military use became the moving force that resulted in the appearance of trade between the Bronze Age Kingdoms. Chariot was one of the main commodities of trade between Babylonia, Mitanni, and Egypt. The demand for wood, metal, and horses allowed the Bronze Age states to increase their economic growth by selling these supplies. In addition, the emergence of military chariots contributed to the appearance of a new well-respected military-social class that comprised warriors who operated these chariots. Since horses were needed to drag them, this trend created a horse-breeding aristocracy in the societies of Bronze Age Kingdoms. Thus, the example of Bronze Age shows how warfare attributes shaped social and economic life of kingdoms.
The military structure and values of Sparta and Athens formed the basis of political and cultural life of these states. In Sparta, the ruling class comprised Spartiate, men who were professional warriors. Spartans did not engage in any work except wars and military training. All work was performed by slaves, a social class represented by Helots. In Athens, all children were forced to engage in physical exercises in order to become successful warriors in future. The political rule of Athens also covered courageous warriors who excelled in maritime warfare. Therefore, the military structure of Athens and Sparta had a tremendous impact on politics and cultural life of their citizens.
To conclude, the examples of Bronze Age, Sparta, and Athens show that warfare and military values not only intersected with politics, culture, economics, and society, but also had a profound impact on them. The military technology boosted economic growth and established political relationships between the kingdoms of Bronze Age. The desire for military dominance made cultures and societies of Athens and Sparta focus on military trainings and values.

Article by Dorothy Terror, historian of the Institute of Historical and Cultural Heritage and writer https://writology.com/buy-research-papers