Page 182 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

warfare—europe 1959

with Sir Daniel and what with Sir Oliver—that
knows more of law than honesty—I have no natu- a newly unified Germany in the 1860s.The first decade
ral lord but poor King Harry the Sixt, God bless of the twentieth century saw the defeat of Russia by Japan
him!—the poor innocent that cannot tell his right in the Far East and several wars in the Balkans, which
hand from his left.” foreshadowed the Great War (World War I) fought from
“Ye speak with an ill tongue, friend,” answered 1914 to 1918. Defeated in the First World War, Ger-
Dick, “to miscall your good master and my lord the many’s expansionist foreign policy was again the cause
king in the same libel. But King Harry—praised be of a general European—and eventually world—war that
the saints!—has come again into his right mind, and began in 1939. When Germany and its allies Italy and
will have all things peaceably ordained. And as for Japan were defeated in 1945, the militarily dominant
Sir Daniel, y’ are very brave behind his back. But I powers in Europe became the United States and the
will be no tale-bearer; and let that suffice.” Soviet Union. From the late 1940s to 1989–1990,
“I say no harm of you, Master Richard,” returned Europe was the center of the Cold War in a relative sta-
the peasant. “Y’ are a lad; but when ye come to a ble peace guaranteed by the nuclear stalemate between
man’s inches, ye will find ye have an empty pocket. the two superpowers. Britain, France, and other Euro-
I say no more: the saints help Sir Daniel’s neigh- pean powers lost their major colonies in Africa and Asia
bours, and the Blessed Maid protect his wards!” in the postwar years. After the end of the Cold War, the
“Clipsby,” said Richard, “you speak what I cannot nations of Europe created a zone of peaceful cooperation
hear with honour. Sir Daniel is my good master, and with the European Union at its center. But there were still
my guardian.” violent spots on the fringes of Europe, especially in the
“Come, now, will ye read me a riddle?” returned civil wars following the collapse of Yugoslavia. After the
Clipsby. “On whose side is Sir Daniel?” terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11,
“I know not,” said Dick, colouring a little; for his 2001, Europe finds itself divided about the extent of its
guardian had changed sides continually in the trou- participation in the “War on Terror.”
bles of that period, and every change had brought
him some increase of fortune. European Combatants
“Ay,” returned Clipsby, “you, nor no man. For, The European warrior has changed several times, being
indeed, he is one that goes to bed Lancaster and gets a professional man at arms in some eras or part of a more
up York.” general population in arms in others. Whereas the
Roman army must be considered to be a professional
Source: Stevenson, R. L. Retrieved August 5, 2004, from http://www.e-text.org/text/
Stevenson,%20Robert%20Louis%20%20-%20The%20black%20arrow.txt army, at times partially composed of foreign mercenary
troops, the Celtic, Gallic, Germanic, and other tribes were
a sort of a complete—at least male—population in arms.
monarchial succession riddled Europe; the European With the concept of chivalry the Middle Ages developed
colonies overseas were part and object of these wars. In a warrior caste that went far beyond a professional fight-
the 1770s England lost its most important colony, when ing force, as it was an integral part of the medieval soci-
its American colonies declared their independence. From ety itself. When technological change made chivalry
1792 to 1815 wars against revolutionary and obsolete in military terms, a more modern form of a pro-
Napoleonic France were fought by several coalitions fessional warrior emerged with the mercenary (a remain-
sponsored by the British. A relatively peaceful era ended der can still be seen today with the Swiss Guard of the
with the advent of the Crimean War, Britain, France, and pope). The absolute states of the seventeenth and eigh-
Turkey against Russia in the 1850s, and with the emer- teenth centuries needed more men than could be pro-
gence of Prussia as a dominant and aggressive power in vided by expensive mercenaries for their “cabinet wars,”