The Emergence of Organized Infantry
The emergence of organized infantry masses that demonstrated a sense of community through the use of spears is the subject of Lee's chapter three thesis, "Men in Line with Spears." Lee starts off by pointing out how a spear was a complex and practical weapon that was made to be successful in battle. Before technology, men were organized to use spears on the battlefield, and spears were portrayed as being essential. As men learned to ride horses and join the cavalry, replacements grew to be an infantryman's best option for this reason. The focus of the chapter is on the calculated arraying of men into linear formations and how they were trained to act in concert. The utilization of spears was denoted to be a notable development because they were relatively cheaper.
The Significance of Uniformly Armed Infantry
The uniformly armed infantry men were profoundly significant to the protection of the state. Social differentiation, coercive hierarchy, and food surplus management were the underlining ideas that forced men in fighting communally. Lee also mentions how communities such as the Zulus, Dutch Afrikaners, and the Araucanian adopted the use of spears in war. The era of Bronze Age encompassed societies such as Harappans of Indian and Aryans which heavily relied on spears when fighting to control their territories and capture cities. During this time, controlling territories and labor was associated with an increase in power and wealth and hence drove away from the dangerous neighboring communities. In fact, Lee says that during the Bronze Age, Assyria was prominently known to be powerful and had tremendously expanded (Lee 88). Assyria's ruling was highly militarized and used spears and chariots. Indeed, the infantry played a central role in the protection of territory according to chapter two in Lee's book.
Rites of Spring
Chapter two and three in Eksteins' book connects the culture in the 19th century and alludes to its destruction during the Great War. Eksteins probes into the origins, the impact and the aftermath of the First World War through giving an in-depth analysis of war and the influence to culture. The German, British, and French, were motivated to participate in the World War I for revenge and the chapters describe the military organization strategies used to accomplish the war missions (Eksteins 29). In chapter two, the Great War is recognized to be a psychological turning point that gave rise to modernization and evidently, the war was a historical event that significantly redefined culture. For example, Eksteins elucidates that, the years that followed the First World War in Europe were labeled to be an economic and a cultural golden age. Notably, a thoughtful analysis concerning the fundamental shifts in the perception of the soldier who participated in the Great War is manifested in chapter two.
The Influence of the Great War on Modern Culture
Again, in chapter three, Europe's experiences in the war appear to be the pivotal factors that shaped the new cultures in the 20th century. Eksteins writes in an engaging style displaying a remarkable and valuable argument of shifts in attitudes that culminated into modern values. This bears a coincidental resemblance to pre-war cultural changes in Germany. Therefore, the Great War was a catalyst that pushed the movement towards modernity. Certainly, the human behavior and endeavor defined modern trends in fashion, art, sexuality, and politics. Moreover, the modernism encouraged rebellion against contemporary mores. Individuals in support of liberation were intertwined with the idea of western civilization, and according to Eksteins, modernism was the principle urge of the time. Eksteins evidence how the Germanys created a culture of modernization which culminated from the brutality of the Great War. This began with the avant-garde and the premiere of Rite of Spring depicted in Stravinsky in 1913 and the rise in Hitler's power.
Works Cited
Lee, Wayne E. Warfare and Culture in World History. New York. New York University Press, 2011.
Eksteins, Modris. Rites of Spring: The Great War and the birth of modern age. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.
