Had a Distinct Template for a ‘Western Way of War’ Been Established before 1800?

This chapter in the edited volume The Changing Character of War examines the development of the Western way of war. Since the seventeenth century, Western military superiority has rested on the ability of states and peoples to stay ahead of the game in developing cutting-edge military technology, both in wars between European powers and in European expansion into the wider world. However, a study of the military history also shows that in cases where there has been a great leap forward in pure military potential and effectiveness, many transformations have little to do with a single, or even a combination of, technological innovations. Many war-transforming developments were about organization and resources, not technology.