The Heirs of Archimedes: Science and the Art of War through the Age of Enlightenment (Dibner Institute Studies in the History of Science and Technology)

The integration of scientific knowledge and military power began long before the Manhattan Project. In the third century BC, Archimedes was renowned for his research in mechanics and mathematics as well as for his design and coordination of defensive siegecraft for Syracuse during the Second Punic War. This collection of essays examines the emergence during the early modern era of mathematicians, chemists, and natural philosophers who, along with military engineers, navigators, and artillery officers, followed in the footsteps of Archimedes and synthesized scientific theory and military practice. It is the first collaborative scholarly assessment of these early military-scientific relationships, which have been long neglected by scholars both in the history of science and technology and in military history.From a historical perspective, this volume investigates the deep connections between two central manifestations of Western power, examining the military context of the Scientific Revolution and the scientific context of the Military Revolution. Unlike the classic narratives of the Scientific Revolution that focus on the theories of, and conflicts between, Aristotelian and Platonic worldviews, this volume highlights the emergence of the Archimedean ideal--in which a symbiosis exists between the supply of mechanistic science and the demand for military capability.From a security-studies perspective, this work presents an in-depth study of the central components of military power as well as their dynamic interactions in the political, acquisitional, operational, and tactical domains. The essays in this volume reveal the intellectual and cultural struggles to enhance the capabilities of these components--an exercise in transforming military power that remains relevant for today's armed forces.The volume sets the stage by examining the innovation of gunpowder weaponry in both the Christian and the Islamic states of the late medieval and Renaissance eras. It then explores such topics as the cultural resistance to scientific techniques and the relationship between early modern science and naval power--particularly the intersecting developments in mathematics and oceanic navigation. Other essays address the efforts of early practitioners and theorists of chemistry to increase the power and consistency of gunpowder. The final essays analyze the application of advanced scientific knowledge and Enlightenment ideals to the military engineering and artillery organizations of the eighteenth century. The volume concludes by noting the global spread of the Archimedean ideal during the nineteenth century as an essential means for resisting Western imperialism. Essays analyze the connections between science and technology and military power in the late medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment periods. The integration of scientific knowledge and military power began long before the Manhattan Project. In the third century BC, Archimedes was renowned for his research in mechanics and mathematics as well as for his design and coordination of defensive siegecraft for Syracuse during the Second Punic War. This collection of essays examines the emergence during the early modern era of mathematicians, chemists, and natural philosophers who, along with military engineers, navigators, and artillery officers, followed in the footsteps of Archimedes and synthesized scientific theory and military practice. It is the first collaborative scholarly assessment of these early military-scientific relationships, which have been long neglected by scholars both in the history of science and technology and in military history. From a historical perspective, this volume investigates the deep connections between two central manifestations of Western power, examining the military context of the Scientific Revolution and the scientific context of the Military Revolution. Unlike the classic narratives of the Scientific Revolution that focus on the theories of, and conflicts between, Aristotelian and Platonic worldviews, this volume highlights the emergence of the Archimedean ideal--in which a symbiosis exists between the supply of mechanistic science and the demand for military capability. From a security-studies perspective, this work presents an in-depth study of the central components of military power as well as their dynamic interactions in the political, acquisitional, operational, and tactical domains. The essays in this volume reveal the intellectual and cultural struggles to enhance the capabilities of these components--an exercise in transforming military power that remains relevant for today's armed forces. The volume sets the stage by examining the innovation of gunpowder weaponry in both the Christian and the Islamic states of the late medieval and Renaissance eras. It then explores such topics as the cultural resistance to scientific techniques and the relationship between early modern science and naval power--particularly the intersecting developments in mathematics and oceanic navigation. Other essays address the efforts of early practitioners and theorists of chemistry to increase the power and consistency of gunpowder. The final essays analyze the application of advanced scientific knowledge and Enlightenment ideals to the military engineering and artillery organizations of the eighteenth century. The volume concludes by noting the global spread of the Archimedean ideal during the nineteenth century as an essential means for resisting Western imperialism This Collection Of Essays Examines The Emergence During The Early Modern Era Of Mathematicians, Chemists, And Natural Philosophers Who Along With Military Engineers, Navigators, And Artillery Officers, Followed In The Footsteps Of Archimedes And Synthesized Scientific Theory And Military Practice. It Is The First Collaborative Scholarly Assessment Of These Early Military-scientific Relationships, Which Have Been Long Neglected By Scholars Both In The History Of Science And Technology And In Military History.--jacket. Facing The New Technology : Gunpowder Defenses In Military Architecture Before The Trace Italienne, 1350-1500 / Kelly Devries -- The French Reluctance To Adopt Firearms Technology In The Early Modern Period / Frederic J. Baumgartner -- Gunpowder And The Changing Military Order : The Islamic Gunpowder Empires, Ca. 1450-ca. 1650 / Barton C. Hacker -- Behind The Turkish War Machine : Gunpowder Technology And War Industry In The Ottoman Empire, 1450-1700 / Gabor Agoston -- The Mary Rose : A Tale Of Two Centuries / Alexzandra Hildred -- Mathematics And Empire : The Military Impulse And The Scientific Revolution / Lesley B. Cormack -- Harriot And Dee On Exploration And Mathematics : Did Scientific Imagery Make For New Scientific Practice? / Amir Alexander -- Charting The Globe And Tracking The Heavens : Navigation And The Sciences In The Early Modern Era / Michael S. Mahoney -- The Art And Mystery Of Making Gunpowder : The English Experience In The Seventeenth And Eighteenth Centuries / Brenda J. Buchanan -- Chemistry In The War Machine : Saltpeter Production In Eighteenth-century Sweden / Thomas Kaiserfeld -- Chemistry In The Arsenal : State Regulation And Scientific Methodology Of Gunpowder In Eighteenth-century England And France / Seymour H. Mauskopf -- Eighteenth-century French Fortification Theory After Vauban : The Case Of Montalembert / Janis Langins -- Military Progress And Newtonian Science In The Age Of Enlightenment / Brett D. Steele. Brett D. Steele And Tamera Dorland, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 8 INTRODUCTION......Page 12 1 FACING THE NEW TECHNOLOGY: GUNPOWDER DEFENSES IN MILITARY ARCHITECTURE BEFORE THE TRACE ITALIENNE, 1350–1500......Page 48 2 THE FRENCH RELUCTANCE TO ADOPT FIREARMS TECHNOLOGY IN THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD......Page 84 3 GUNPOWDER AND THE CHANGING MILITARY ORDER: THE ISLAMIC GUNPOWDER EMPIRES, CA. 1450–CA. 1650......Page 98 4 BEHIND THE TURKISH WAR MACHINE: GUNPOWDER TECHNOLOGY AND WAR INDUSTRY IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, 1450–1700......Page 112 5 THE MARY ROSE: A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES......Page 148 6 MATHEMATICS AND EMPIRE: THE MILITARY IMPULSE AND THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION......Page 192 7 HARRIOT AND DEE ON EXPLORATION AND MATHEMATICS: DID SCIENTIFIC IMAGERY MAKE FOR NEW SCIENTIFIC PRACTICE?......Page 216 8 CHARTING THE GLOBE AND TRACKING THE HEAVENS: NAVIGATION AND THE SCIENCES IN THE EARLY MODERN ERA......Page 232 9 “THE ART AND MYSTERY OF MAKING GUNPOWDER”: THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE IN THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES......Page 244 10 CHEMISTRY IN THE WAR MACHINE: SALTPETER PRODUCTION IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY SWEDEN......Page 286 11 CHEMISTRY IN THE ARSENAL: STATE REGULATION AND SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY OF GUNPOWDER IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND AND FRANCE......Page 304 12 EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH FORTIFICATION THEORY AFTER VAUBAN: THE CASE OF MONTALEMBERT......Page 344 13 MILITARY “PROGRESS” AND NEWTONIAN SCIENCE IN THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT......Page 372 ABOUT THE AUTHORS......Page 402 INDEX......Page 406