25 - Military Revolution (abridged)

military revolution

radical changes in fighting strategy and tactics during the 1500s-1600s, including greater reliance on infantry, firearms, mobile cannon, and more elaborate fortifications, all financed by heavier taxation and requiring a larger bureaucracy

gunpowder empires

Muslim Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires that used cannons during military campaigns

artillery

large firearms designed to fire a heavy projectile over a long distance; first used in 1200s, spread across Eurasia by 1300s, widely adopted during the 1400s, greatly improved in the 1500s

muskets

muzzle-loaded smoothbore long gun capable of penetrating heavy armor; first used by Ottomans in late 1400s

volley fire

tactic of soldiers firing in turns to make up for the inaccuracy, slow rate of fire, and limited range of muskets; first used in Ming China

star forts

defensive structures with low, thick walls built once cannon began to dominate battlefields; had angled corners to eliminate protected blind spots; first built in Italy

permanent standing armies

professional fighting units who do not disband during times of peace, such as the Ottoman Janissary corps formed during the 1300s