According to Lee, “Context- social, cultural, political, and more-is essential to understanding the reception of a new military technology” (63). Perhaps one of the most influential military technologies in the history of warfare, besides that of the firearm, was the chariot. Not only did the chariot give a military advantage, but it also reflected, reinforced, and altered social status. Egypt was one of many societies that “based their military superiority” on their use and ownership of chariots (63). Specifically, a chariot was a two-wheeled cart driven by a horse, that elevated a person above the battlefield and allowed them the use of their hands. Because they were difficult and expensive to make, required “specially trained horses,”
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A large society cannot thrive without a strong military to protect it, and a strong military cannot exist without the organization and resources of the state. In fact, Lee suggests that a state needed a military force in order to exist at all. As stated by Lee, “we can tie virtually every one of the so-called definitional characteristics of the state to the ways they provided a competitive advantage in conflicts with other states” (37). The standard definition of a state referring to a society with a centralized government and social stratification (36). A military force allowed a centralized ruler or body of government to exercise control, gave the ability to “conquer other similar social entities,” and “subordinate an intact enemy population” (37). In addition, the agricultural surplus generated by large societies was necessary to support a large military, however, a large military was also needed to support this surplus. The military extended the reach and influence of the government to control and conquer reginal centers and trade routes necessary for the maintenance and armament of the military, and created a social hierarchy within a given society based on who was enslaved or conquered (36). So not only did the military maintain the state and its resources, but also, through military action, established a hierarchy of social stratification and thus social order. The rise of the state military and “take and hold” warfare, the act of seizing the population and territory of a concurred enemy rather than simply raiding for goods, established a new era of continuous warfare (37). Through almost constant warfare, states aimed to acquire territory and resources that allowed the state institution to thrive, and therefore set the stage for organizational and technological military advances that led to the development of modern
A large society cannot thrive without a strong military to protect it, and a strong military cannot exist without the organization and resources of the state. In fact, Lee suggests that a state needed a military force in order to exist at all. As stated by Lee, “we can tie virtually every one of the so-called definitional characteristics of the state to the ways they provided a competitive advantage in conflicts with other states” (37). The standard definition of a state referring to a society with a centralized government and social stratification (36). A military force allowed a centralized ruler or body of government to exercise control, gave the ability to “conquer other similar social entities,” and “subordinate an intact enemy population” (37). In addition, the agricultural surplus generated by large societies was necessary to support a large military, however, a large military was also needed to support this surplus. The military extended the reach and influence of the government to control and conquer reginal centers and trade routes necessary for the maintenance and armament of the military, and created a social hierarchy within a given society based on who was enslaved or conquered (36). So not only did the military maintain the state and its resources, but also, through military action, established a hierarchy of social stratification and thus social order. The rise of the state military and “take and hold” warfare, the act of seizing the population and territory of a concurred enemy rather than simply raiding for goods, established a new era of continuous warfare (37). Through almost constant warfare, states aimed to acquire territory and resources that allowed the state institution to thrive, and therefore set the stage for organizational and technological military advances that led to the development of modern