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| AUTHOR: | David B. Ralston |
| CATEGORY: | Book |
| MANUFACTURER: | University of Chicago Press |
| ISBN: | 0226703193 |
| TYPE: | General, History, History - Military / War, History: World, Military - General, Military History - Modern, Military Science, Technology / Military Science |
| MEDIA: | Paperback |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
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Customer Reviews of Importing the European Army : The Introduction of European Military Techniques and Institutions in the Extra-European World, 1600-1914
Interesting concise history on the impact of Military reform Having just read Ralston's "Importing the European Army" I think it is a nicely done work. The discussion in entirely on the large and small scale impacts that the adoption of an modern Army effects an entire State. The author shows that in his case studies (Russia, Ottoman Empire, Egypt, China and Japan) that each State sought to modernize its army along European lines alone without consideration to modernizing any other part of itself. However, in all instances there was a cascade effect of collateral modernization of the State in order to provide and afford this new army.
A continually standing army requires reforms in tax collection and government bureacracy. In order to get educated officers there has to be an extension (or establishment) of the national school systems, both at the primary and secondary levels. The investment into the State's infrastructure and expansion of its industrial capability is necessary to keep the Army supplied. All these improvements directly impact every layer of society and there has always been an armed revolt of sorts from the conservative order which is crushed by the reformers.
A very interesting work which one should consider more as a jumping off point to further reading rather than a definitive work. It certainly presents a side of military history which isn't covered very much.
Collecting factoids does not make history
Our reading group chose this title but not one of us made it past the second chapter. There is no sense of process in the writing. Events from history are thrown at the reader as if he or she already knows the period and the context. One never learns why, for example, Russia under Peter I adopted the type of army it did at that particular point in history. Where is the discussion of the logistical and technical challenges faced by the Russian military of the 18th century? Where are the insights gleened from Russian military commanders? Worse, since the author titled the book "Importing the European Army" he has an obligation to define what is European. He doesn't except to recite all the old stereotypes about how the European mind has better organizational skills and to dismiss other cultures as "barbarians". Unless one wants to collect a jumbled corpus of facts this book is best avoided.