A Global History of War : From Assyria to the Twenty-First Century

While many books examine specific wars, few study the history of war worldwide and from an evolutionary perspective. __A Global History of War__ is one of the first works to focus not on the impact of war on civilizations, but rather on how civilizations impact the art and execution of war. World-renowned scholar Gérard Chaliand concentrates on the peoples and cultures who have determined how war is conducted and reveals the lasting historical consequences of combat, offering a unique picture of the major geopolitical and civilizational clashes that have rocked our common history and made us who we are today. Chaliand’s questions provoke a new understanding of the development of armed conflict. How did the foremost non-European empires rise and fall? What critical role did the nomads of the Eurasian steppes and their descendants play? Chaliand illuminates the military cultures and martial traditions of the great Eurasian empires, including Turkey, China, Iran, and Mongolia. Based on fifteen years of research, this book provides a novel military and strategic perspective on the crises and conflicts that have shaped the current world order. "While many books examine specific wars, few study the history of war worldwide and from an evolutionary perspective. A Global History of War is one of the first works to focus not on the impact of war on civilizations, but rather on how civilizations impact the art and execution of war. World-renowned scholar Gérard Chaliand concentrates on the peoples and cultures who have determined how war is conducted and reveals the lasting historical consequences of combat, offering a unique picture of the major geopolitical and civilizational clashes that have rocked our common history and made us who we are today. Chaliand's questions provoke a new understanding of the development of armed conflict. How did the foremost non-European empires rise and fall? What critical role did the nomads of the Eurasian steppes and their descendants play? Chaliand illuminates the military cultures and martial traditions of the great Eurasian empires, including Turkey, China, Iran, and Mongolia. Based on fifteen years of research, this book provides a novel military and strategic perspective on the crises and conflicts that have shaped the current world order."--Publisher's description While many books examine specific wars, few study the history of war worldwide and from an evolutionary perspective. A Global History of War is one of the first works to focus not on the impact of war on civilizations, but rather on how civilizations impact the art and execution of war. World-renowned scholar Gérard Chaliand concentrates on the peoples and cultures who have determined how war is conducted and reveals the lasting historical consequences of combat, offering a unique picture of the major geopolitical and civilizational clashes that have rocked our common history and made us who we are today. Chaliand’s questions provoke a new understanding of the development of armed conflict. How did the foremost non-European empires rise and fall? What critical role did the nomads of the Eurasian steppes and their descendants play? Chaliand illuminates the military cultures and martial traditions of the great Eurasian empires, including Turkey, China, Iran, and Mongolia. Based on fifteen years of research, this book provides a novel military and strategic perspective on the crises and conflicts that have shaped the current world order. While many books examine specific wars, few study the history of war worldwide and from an evolutionary perspective. A Global History of War is one of the first works to focus not on the impact of war on civilizations, but rather on how civilizations impact the art and execution of war. World-renowned scholar Gerard Chaliand concentrates on the peoples and cultures who have determined how war is conducted and reveals the lasting historical consequences of combat, offering a unique picture of the major geopolitical and civilizational clashes that have rocked our common history and made us who we are today. Chaliand's questions provoke a new understanding of the development of armed conflict. How did the foremost non-European empires rise and fall? What critical role did the nomads of the Eurasian steppes and their descendants play? Chaliand illuminates the military cultures and martial traditions of the great Eurasian empires, including Turkey, China, Iran, and Mongolia. Based on fifteen years of research, this book provides a novel military and strategic perspective on the crises and conflicts that have shaped the current world order. Contents Maps Foreword Preface Introduction Chapter 1. Overview Chapter 2. The First Military Empire Chapter 3. The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire Chapter 4. The Arabs Chapter 5. The Nomads of the Eurasian Steppes Chapter 6. The Seljuks, the Mamluks, and the Crusades Chapter 7. The Mongol Empire Chapter 8. Timur the Lame Chapter 9. The Ottomans Chapter 10. Safavid Persia Chapter 11. The Ming and Chinese Politico-Military Traditions Chapter 12. The Manchu and the End of the Nomads Chapter 13. The Mughals and Islam in India Chapter 14. Russia and the End of the Tatars Chapter 15. The Ascent of Europe Chapter 16. The Time of Revolutions Chapter 17. Guerrilla Warfare Chapter 18. From Total War to Asymmetrical Conflict Chapter 19. Conclusion Select Bibliography Index Overview: war and history -- The first military empire: the Assyrians -- The great strategy of the Byzantine Empire -- The Arabs -- The nomads of the Eurasian steppes -- The Seljuks, Mameluks, and the Crusades -- The Mongol Dmpire -- Tamerlane -- The Ottomans -- Safavid Iran -- The Ming and Chinese politico-military traditions -- The Manchu and the end of the nomads -- The Mughals and Islam in India -- Russia and the end of the Tatars -- The ascent of Europe -- The time of revolutions -- Guerilla warfare -- From total war to asymmetrical conflict -- Conclusion