Ancient warfare is war as conducted from the beginnings of history to the end of the ancient period. In Europe, the end of antiquity is often equated with the fall of Rome in 476. In China, it can also be seen as ending in the fifth century, with the growing role of mounted warriors needed to counter the ever-growing threat from the north. Ancient warfare - Overview. The difference between prehistoric and ancient warfare is less one of technology than of organization. The development of first city-states, a ...

Including:

Ancient warfare - Overview
Ancient warfare - Chariots Ancient warfare - Infantry Ancient warfare - Cavalry Ancient warfare - Naval warfare
Ancient warfare - Tactics and weapons
Ancient warfare - Strategy Ancient warfare - Tactics Ancient warfare - Weapons Ancient warfare - Sieges
Ancient warfare - Cultures
Ancient warfare - Chinese Ancient warfare - Persian Ancient warfare - Egyptian Ancient warfare - Germanic Ancient warfare - Greek Ancient warfare - Indus Valley Ancient warfare - Japanese Ancient warfare - Roman
Ancient warfare - Important ancient wars Ancient warfare - Important ancient battles Ancient warfare - Unit types Ancient warfare - Sources

Read more here: » Ancient warfare: Encyclopedia - Ancient warfare

See also:

Ancient warfare, Ancient warfare - Overview, Ancient warfare - Chariots, Ancient warfare - Infantry, Ancient warfare - Cavalry, Ancient warfare - Naval warfare, Ancient warfare - Tactics and weapons, Ancient warfare - Strategy, Ancient warfare - Tactics, Ancient warfare - Weapons, Ancient warfare - Sieges, Ancient warfare - Cultures, Ancient warfare - Chinese, Ancient warfare - Persian, Ancient warfare - Egyptian, Ancient warfare - Germanic, Ancient warfare - Greek, Ancient warfare - Indus Valley, Ancient warfare - Japanese, Ancient warfare - Roman, Ancient warfare - Important ancient wars, Ancient warfare - Important ancient battles, Ancient warfare - Unit types, Ancient warfare - Sources

Read more here: » Ancient warfare: Encyclopedia II - Ancient warfare - Cultures

The difference between prehistoric and ancient warfare is less one of technology than of organization. The development of first city-states, and then empires, allowed warfare to change dramatically. Beginning in Mesopotamia, states produced sufficient agricultural surplus that full-time ruling elites and military commanders could emerge. While the bulk of military forces were still farmers, the society could support having them campaigning rather than working the land for a portion of each year. Thus, or ...

See also:

Ancient warfare, Ancient warfare - Overview, Ancient warfare - Chariots, Ancient warfare - Infantry, Ancient warfare - Cavalry, Ancient warfare - Naval warfare, Ancient warfare - Tactics and weapons, Ancient warfare - Strategy, Ancient warfare - Tactics, Ancient warfare - Weapons, Ancient warfare - Sieges, Ancient warfare - Cultures, Ancient warfare - Chinese, Ancient warfare - Persian, Ancient warfare - Egyptian, Ancient warfare - Germanic, Ancient warfare - Greek, Ancient warfare - Indus Valley, Ancient warfare - Japanese, Ancient warfare - Roman, Ancient warfare - Important ancient wars, Ancient warfare - Important ancient battles, Ancient warfare - Unit types, Ancient warfare - Sources

Read more here: » Ancient warfare: Encyclopedia II - Ancient warfare - Overview

See also Roman military structure. Military history of ancient Rome - Roman army. "The Roman Army" is the name given by English-speakers to the soldiers and other military forces who served the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. The Roman words for the military were often based on the word for one soldier, miles. The army in general was the militia, and a commander of military operations, magister militiae. In the republic, a general might be called imperator, "commander" (as in Caesar imperator), but un ...

See also:

Military history of ancient Rome, Military history of ancient Rome - Institutions, Military history of ancient Rome - Roman army, Military history of ancient Rome - Roman navy, Military history of ancient Rome - Events, Military history of ancient Rome - Patterns of Roman wars, Military history of ancient Rome - List of Roman wars

Read more here: » Military history of ancient Rome: Encyclopedia II - Military history of ancient Rome - Institutions

Military history of ancient Rome - Patterns of Roman wars. The first Roman wars were wars of expansion and defence, aimed at protecting Rome itself from neighbouring cities and nations by defeating them in battle. This sort of warfare characterized the early Republican Period when Rome was focused on consolidating its position in Italy, and eventually conquering the peninsula. Rome first began to make war outside the Italian peninsula in the Punic wars against Carthage. These wars, starting in 264 BC saw Rome bec ...

See also:

Military history of ancient Rome, Military history of ancient Rome - Institutions, Military history of ancient Rome - Roman army, Military history of ancient Rome - Roman navy, Military history of ancient Rome - Events, Military history of ancient Rome - Patterns of Roman wars, Military history of ancient Rome - List of Roman wars

Read more here: » Military history of ancient Rome: Encyclopedia II - Military history of ancient Rome - Events

Fortification is almost as old as warfare itself; however, because of the relatively small size of the armies and the lack of range of the weapons, it was traditionally not possible to defend more than a short defensive line or an isolated strongpoint. The very long fortifications of the ancient world, such as the Great Wall of China or Hadrian's Wall, were exceptions to the general rule and were in any case not designed to completely prevent enemy crossing the border, but to act as a deterence to casual border infringement, as well as to ac ...

See also:

Trench warfare, Trench warfare - Background, Trench warfare - Siege warfare, Trench warfare - Maori Pas, Trench warfare - Development, Trench warfare - Implementation, Trench warfare - Defensive system, Trench warfare - Trench construction, Trench warfare - Trench geography, Trench warfare - Life in the trenches, Trench warfare - Death in the trenches, Trench warfare - Weapons of trench warfare, Trench warfare - Infantry weapons, Trench warfare - Machine guns, Trench warfare - Mortars, Trench warfare - Artillery, Trench warfare - Gas, Trench warfare - Helmets, Trench warfare - Wire, Trench warfare - Aircraft, Trench warfare - Other Weapons, Trench warfare - Mining, Trench warfare - Trench battles, Trench warfare - Strategy, Trench warfare - Tactics, Trench warfare - Communications, Trench warfare - Obsolescence, Trench warfare - Recent trench warfare, Trench warfare - Sources

Read more here: » Trench warfare: Encyclopedia II - Trench warfare - Background

Fortification is almost as old as warfare itself; however, because of the relatively small size of the armies and the lack of range of the weapons, it was traditionally not possible to defend more than a short defensive line or an isolated strongpoint. The very long fortifications of the ancient world, such as the Great Wall of China or Hadrian's Wall, were exceptions to the general rule and were in any case not designed to completely prevent enemy crossing the border, but to act as a deterence to casual border infringement, as well as to ac ...

See also:

Trench warfare, Trench warfare - Background, Trench warfare - Siege warfare, Trench warfare - Maori Pas, Trench warfare - Development, Trench warfare - Implementation, Trench warfare - Defensive system, Trench warfare - Trench construction, Trench warfare - Trench geography, Trench warfare - Life in the trenches, Trench warfare - Death in the trenches, Trench warfare - Weapons of trench warfare, Trench warfare - Infantry weapons, Trench warfare - Machine guns, Trench warfare - Mortars, Trench warfare - Artillery, Trench warfare - Gas, Trench warfare - Helmets, Trench warfare - Wire, Trench warfare - Aircraft, Trench warfare - Other Weapons, Trench warfare - Mining, Trench warfare - Trench battles, Trench warfare - Strategy, Trench warfare - Tactics, Trench warfare - Communications, Trench warfare - Obsolescence, Trench warfare - Recent trench warfare

Read more here: » Trench warfare: Encyclopedia II - Trench warfare - Background

In the Mediterranean, naval warfare in the medieval period resembled that of the ancient period: fleets of galleys rowed by slaves would attempt to ram each other, or come alongside for marines to fight on deck. This mode of naval warfare continued even into the early modern period, as, for example, at the Battle of Lepanto. Famous admirals included Andrea Doria, Khair ed-Din, and Don John of Austria. However, galleys were fragile and difficult to use in the cold and turbulent North Sea and northern Atlantic. Bulkier ships were develo ...

See also:

Medieval warfare, Medieval warfare - Origins of medieval warfare, Medieval warfare - Strategy and tactics, Medieval warfare - Deployment of forces, Medieval warfare - Employment of forces, Medieval warfare - Retreat, Medieval warfare - Fortifications, Medieval warfare - Medieval siege craft, Medieval warfare - Organization, Medieval warfare - Knights, Medieval warfare - Heavy cavalry, Medieval warfare - Infantry, Medieval warfare - Recruiting or drafting soldiers, Medieval warfare - Equipment, Medieval warfare - Personal equipment for, Medieval warfare - Weaponry, Medieval warfare - Supplies and logistics, Medieval warfare - Plunder and foraging, Medieval warfare - Supply chains, Medieval warfare - Famine and disease, Medieval warfare - Naval warfare, Medieval warfare - Significant medieval battles, Medieval warfare - Medieval wars

Read more here: » Medieval warfare: Encyclopedia II - Medieval warfare - Naval warfare

Mainly as a result of the increasing firepower (such as machine guns) available to defensive forces, First World War trench warfare briefly revived a form of siege warfare. Although siege warfare had moved out from an urban setting because city walls had become ineffective against modern weapons, trench warfare was nonetheless able to utilize many of the techniques of siege warfare in its prosecution (sapping, mining, barrage and, of course, attrition) but on a much larger scale and on a greatly extended front. The development of the armoured tank and improved infantry tactics at the end of World War I swung ...

See also:

Siege, Siege - Ancient and medieval siege warfare, Siege - Mongol siege warfare, Siege - Sieges in the age of gunpowder, Siege - Emerging theories on improving fortifications, Siege - New styles of fortresses employed, Siege - Marshal Vauban, Siege - Advent of mobile warfare, Siege - Modern warfare, Siege - Recent sieges, Siege - Police actions, Siege - Bibliography, Siege - Notes

Read more here: » Siege: Encyclopedia II - Siege - Modern warfare

Combined arms operations dates back to antiquity, where armies would usually field a screen of skirmishers to protect their spearmen during the approach to contact. In more elaborate situations the armies of various nationalities fielded different combinations of light, medium, or heavy infantry, cavalry, chariotry, camelry, elephantry, and artillery (mechanical weapons), with the cooperating units variously armed with side-arms, spears, or missile weapons in order to coordinate an attack in time and space th ...

See also:

Combined arms, Combined arms - Ancient warfare, Combined arms - Early modern warfare, Combined arms - Late 20th Century warfare

Read more here: » Combined arms: Encyclopedia II - Combined arms - Ancient warfare

The helicopter has had profound influences on modern warfare. In the Vietnam War, troops were deployed in large part by helicopters. For this reason, US troops in Vietnam saw more than six times as much combat as in any preceding war, because so much less time was spent on logistic delays. The result was that the same size of infantry became at least four times as effective for its size, when supported with fuel, ammunition and helicopters. In the Soviet war in Afghanistan, helicopters were treated much like flying light tanks. ...

See also:

Combined arms, Combined arms - Ancient warfare, Combined arms - Early modern warfare, Combined arms - Late 20th Century warfare

Read more here: » Combined arms: Encyclopedia II - Combined arms - Late 20th Century warfare

China has been an advanced country in terms of military technology, losing ground only after the Industrial Revolution. In the Qin and Han conscript armies, infantry were armed with spears, bows, and in particular crossbows (弩), a weapon in whose technology the Chinese remained superior. Even though infantry bearing shields, swords and spears existed, there is no trace of either a "phalanx" or a "legion" style of infantry fighting, prefering firepower style ...

See also:

Military history of China, Military history of China - Warfare in ancient China, Military history of China - Legalism and Confucianism, Military history of China - The northern frontier, Military history of China - Weapons and military technology, Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China, Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties, Military history of China - Era of division, Military history of China - Sui and Tang dynasties, Military history of China - Song Dynasty, Military history of China - Yuan Dynasty, Military history of China - Ming Dynasty, Military history of China - Qing Dynasty, Military history of China - Modern China

Read more here: » Military history of China: Encyclopedia II - Military history of China - Weapons and military technology

Ancient China during the Shang Dynasty was a Bronze Age society based on chariot armies. Archaeological study of Shang sites at Anyang have revealed extensive examples of chariots and bronze weapons. The overthrow of the Shang by the Zhou saw the creation of a feudal social order, resting militarily on a class of aristocratic chariot warriors (士). Most armies of the time was organized in to three divisions, but can vary sometimes. Most infantry was armed with dagger-axe and spear. Around the 4th century t ...

See also:

Military history of China, Military history of China - Warfare in ancient China, Military history of China - Legalism and Confucianism, Military history of China - The northern frontier, Military history of China - Weapons and military technology, Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China, Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties, Military history of China - Era of division, Military history of China - Sui and Tang dynasties, Military history of China - Song Dynasty, Military history of China - Yuan Dynasty, Military history of China - Ming Dynasty, Military history of China - Qing Dynasty, Military history of China - Modern China

Read more here: » Military history of China: Encyclopedia II - Military history of China - Warfare in ancient China

Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties. Both the Qin and Western Han empires employed a military system based on universal conscription and corvee labour. Men were drafted for two years, serving as infantry, cavalry, or sailors according to their background. Most conscripts seem to have served their time within their native province or commandery, whose governor or administrator was also their commander in case of invasion. There were also a small ...

See also:

Military history of China, Military history of China - Warfare in ancient China, Military history of China - Legalism and Confucianism, Military history of China - The northern frontier, Military history of China - Weapons and military technology, Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China, Military history of China - Qin and Han dynasties, Military history of China - Era of division, Military history of China - Sui and Tang dynasties, Military history of China - Song Dynasty, Military history of China - Yuan Dynasty, Military history of China - Ming Dynasty, Military history of China - Qing Dynasty, Military history of China - Modern China

Read more here: » Military history of China: Encyclopedia II - Military history of China - Military institutions in Imperial China

Ancient warfare - Strategy. Ancient strategy focused broadly on the twin goals of making continued war seem more costly than submitting to the enemy and of making the most gain from war as possible. Forcing the enemy to submit generally consisted of defeating their army in the field. Once the enemy force was routed, the threat of siege, civilian deaths, and the like often forced the enemy to the bargaining table. However, this goal could be accomplished by other means. Burning enemy fields would force the ...

See also:

Ancient warfare, Ancient warfare - Overview, Ancient warfare - Chariots, Ancient warfare - Infantry, Ancient warfare - Cavalry, Ancient warfare - Naval warfare, Ancient warfare - Tactics and weapons, Ancient warfare - Strategy, Ancient warfare - Tactics, Ancient warfare - Weapons, Ancient warfare - Sieges, Ancient warfare - Cultures, Ancient warfare - Chinese, Ancient warfare - Persian, Ancient warfare - Egyptian, Ancient warfare - Germanic, Ancient warfare - Greek, Ancient warfare - Indus Valley, Ancient warfare - Japanese, Ancient warfare - Roman, Ancient warfare - Important ancient wars, Ancient warfare - Important ancient battles, Ancient warfare - Unit types, Ancient warfare - Sources

Read more here: » Ancient warfare: Encyclopedia II - Ancient warfare - Tactics and weapons