Essay Questions

What is the importance of technology in war?

Technology and the use of it is perhaps the single greatest factor in the ability of a competing side to win a war. Simple hand-to-hand combat isn't enough to defeat an enemy if the enemy has greater mental abilities to use their strength, or extra material tools that can be used against you. Today, many innovations have come into common use because of war. The use of the airplane was drastically increased because of the World Wars, and modern-day computers were inspired by Enigma, a miraculous machine used in World War II.

What effect does the centralization of an empire have on its ability to win wars?

An important step in maintaining a successful society is having a centralized society. This would include a social pyramid, a hierarchy of government, and common services for its people. Athens, unlike Sparta, majored in all of these things, leading them to time for more technological innovation. Spartans, on the other hand, were always training for war, with no real time to exercise their mental capabilities. It is likely that Athens won the Peloponnesian War because of the direct orders that a higher ranking officer could give to someone, without any confusion - the practical definition of centralization.

Why is The History such a debatable book?

By Thucydides, The History was never actually brought to completion. It is thought that he died while writing the book, as it stopped mid-sentence and became less readable toward the end. However, despite compiling such a vast amount of knowledge in one book, Thucydides is thought to be a very biased Greek author. When sourcing, often times only one source or person is used, and they are rarely cited. This makes it seem like he is trying to persuade the reader to a certain belief about the war, which would make sense from a military standpoint at the time. Other authors have tried completing the book, but their information is often discounted as inaccurate.