The Gunpowder Revolution And The French Invasion Of Italy

The gunpowder revolution saw many advancements beginning in the mid-fifteenth century. With the French invasion of Italy in 1494, France demonstrated that the exploitation and advancement of a technology could give one side an extreme advantage over the side which did not advance as quickly. France developed lighter and more mobile cannons, made from bronze, with handles on the sides that allowed them to be mounted to horse-drawn carts. These cannons could be easily traversed up or down, right or left, allowing for better aiming techniques. The French army also developed better propellant and ammunition by concentrating gunpowder, first introduced to Europe in the thirteenth century, through a process known as “corning.” This involved first
But it was not the soldiers that made this Army so formidable, it was the artillery.

French invasion of Italy in 1494 – modern age of warfare – change the nature of the state itself by provided powerful impetus for the rise of modern governments RMA – revolutions in military affairs History of warfare profoundly altered by forces, such as the rise of nationalism and democracy, little to do with new tools – but the tools of war DO matter Technology creates the potential for a military revolution; the extent to which militaries, societies, states, governments, etc exploit the new tools of warfare to create a military revolution depend on organization, strategy, tactics, leadership, training, morale, and other human factors; demands a paradigm shift from one set of assumptions to another Gunpowder revolution saw the rise of Western militaries over non-Western militaries who Since the rise of modern nation-states in the 16th and 17th centuries, shifts in military power have been closely associated with shifts in governance No technical advantage by itself created a revolution; it was how people responded to technology that produced shifts in