Explain the apparent military decline of East Asia after 1700
East Asia had been regarded as one of the most military advanced region of the globe since the early firearms were invented by the Chinese before the Europeans perfected them. Indeed, the earliest known formula for gunpowder is found in a Chinese work dating from the 800s. This allowed the Chinese to apply it to warfare through producing a variety of gunpowder weapons among them rockets, bombs, mines, and rockets before inventing the firearms. Together with the Japanese, the Chinese continued using firearms throughout the following centuries as the Europeans and Arabs started acquiring them (Chase p. 1). Despite this military success over the centuries to 1700s, the reconstruction …show more content…
Towards the 1700s, East Asia did not engage in many intense wars despite this period being a military innovation era in most states in Europe. As such, they did not see any urge to enhance their military innovation. Towards 1480s, all types of the European guns had become better, which saw the Portuguese mariners introducing them to China in the early 1500’s. The increase in warfare in the entirety of East Asia from 1550s further accelerated military innovation. This allowed the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans to master the manufacture of European cannons and muskets. They also deployed these firearms with advanced tactics such as the musketry volley technique. Between 1550 and 1700, the Europeans continued with rapid military innovations as East Asia maintained military parity with Western nations. In this connection, the Age of Parity paved way for Great Military Divergence as illustrated during the Opium War of 1839-42 where the British forces were able to outfight the Qing on a consistent basis (Andrade p. 5). This therefore led to slowed military innovation, in which case East Asia witnessed apparent military decline after the
East Asia had been regarded as one of the most military advanced region of the globe since the early firearms were invented by the Chinese before the Europeans perfected them. Indeed, the earliest known formula for gunpowder is found in a Chinese work dating from the 800s. This allowed the Chinese to apply it to warfare through producing a variety of gunpowder weapons among them rockets, bombs, mines, and rockets before inventing the firearms. Together with the Japanese, the Chinese continued using firearms throughout the following centuries as the Europeans and Arabs started acquiring them (Chase p. 1). Despite this military success over the centuries to 1700s, the reconstruction …show more content…
Towards the 1700s, East Asia did not engage in many intense wars despite this period being a military innovation era in most states in Europe. As such, they did not see any urge to enhance their military innovation. Towards 1480s, all types of the European guns had become better, which saw the Portuguese mariners introducing them to China in the early 1500’s. The increase in warfare in the entirety of East Asia from 1550s further accelerated military innovation. This allowed the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans to master the manufacture of European cannons and muskets. They also deployed these firearms with advanced tactics such as the musketry volley technique. Between 1550 and 1700, the Europeans continued with rapid military innovations as East Asia maintained military parity with Western nations. In this connection, the Age of Parity paved way for Great Military Divergence as illustrated during the Opium War of 1839-42 where the British forces were able to outfight the Qing on a consistent basis (Andrade p. 5). This therefore led to slowed military innovation, in which case East Asia witnessed apparent military decline after the