Page 168 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

war and peace—overview 1945

Francis Bacon on Power and War

Statesman Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) wrote on declination. Of Christian Europe, they that have it are,
many subjects, from truth and envy to gardening, but in effect, only the Spaniards. But it is so plain, that
perhaps wrote most forcefully on power, and in this every man profiteth in that, he most intendeth, that it
essay on the importance of a military spirit: needeth not to be stood upon. It is enough to point
at it; that no nation which doth not directly profess
But above all, for empire and greatness, it importeth
arms, may look to have greatness fall into their
most, that a nation do profess arms, as their principal
mouths. And on the other side, it is a most certain
honor, study, and occupation. For the things which
oracle of time, that those states that continue long in
we formerly have spoken of, are but habilitations
that profession (as the Romans and Turks principally
towards arms; and what is habilitation without inten-
have done) do wonders. And those that have pro-
tion and act? Romulus, after his death (as they report
fessed arms but for an age, have, notwithstanding,
or feign), sent a present to the Romans, that above all,
commonly attained that greatness, in that age, which
they should intend arms; and then they should prove
maintained them long after, when their profession
the greatest empire of the world. The fabric of the
and exercise of arms hath grown to decay.... Let it
state of Sparta was wholly (though not wisely) framed
suffice, that no estate expect to be great, that is not
and composed, to that scope and end. The Persians
awake upon any just occasion of arming.
and Macedonians had it for a flash.The Gauls, Ger-
Source: Bacon, F. (1601). The Essays. Number 29: Of Greatness of Kingdomes and Estates.
mans, Goths, Saxons, Normans, and others, had it for Retrieved July 29, 2004 from http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/bacon/francis/b12e/
a time. The Turks have it at this day, though in great part28.html

especially great strain on established resource levels.The fore favored war as policy more than the interests of their
result: Formerly peaceful neighboring peoples resorted to society as a whole would have.To paraphrase sociologist
organized violence against each other to protect their Charles Tilly’s famous maxim about states, war made
place in the world. leaders and leaders made war. Finally, once there were
Once the resort to arms had taken place, several addi- war-making powers on the political map, any society in
tional dynamics reinforced the tendency for warfare to contact with them had to adopt the new mode of organ-
spread rapidly beyond its points of origin, and indeed ization or risk conquest and extermination.Avoiding war-
beyond places where the initial conditions held. For one, fare was no longer an option, and war became a constant
it was a successful technique, at least from the perspective in human history, complete with fortifications, arms
of the early winners, who were of course the ones best races, and wide-ranging social and cultural effects.
placed to exploit the new way of life. But perhaps even
more important then and thereafter was the interaction Stages in the
of warfare with social class and political leadership.The History of War
interests of social elites in hierarchical societies naturally How societies made and make war is probably the cen-
diverged from the interests of the mass of the people, and tral question in military history. The question has often
warfare proved more beneficial to the elites than to the been answered in narrow terms of strategy and tactics—
farmers, because the elites were more likely to specialize the “art of war” and its supposedly universal principles.
in the bearing of arms (so becoming warrior elites) and Technological determinism, the view that ways of making
thus to garner the most in terms of glory and riches from war are shaped crucially and perhaps exclusively by
waging war. available weaponry, also has a long historiographical tra-
And as the most intense form of crisis that societies dition. But modern military history (as well as some
now faced, warfare made strong leadership all the more ancient writing on war) tends to take a broader view of
crucial.Tribal leaders, chiefs, or kings knew this and there- the question, analyzing the social and cultural parameters