A Cultural History of War in the Age of Enlightenment

The period between the middle of the 17th century and the beginning of the French Revolution saw the apogee of two of the most powerful empires in world history, the Chinese and the Spanish, which were soon to go into crisis. It was also a period of strategic redefinition of the British linked to the birth of the United States and the beginning of the colonization of the Indian Sub-Continent. New powers like Prussia, Russia, and Austria-Hungary emerged and all these changes were intertwined with the emergence of new societal mentalities and new cultures of war and conflict, which still dominate or modern world. Major Wars like the world war of the 18th century, the Seven Years War, the Ten Campaigns of the Quianlong Emperor of China, or the American Revolution, were crucial in the establishment of new cultures of war and formed societal norms and mentalities like religions, nationalism, understandings of gender roles, codes of honor, treatment of different ethnic groups and racism. These are also part and parcel of modern scientific debates about the Military Revolution or the Western Way of War, which are also covered in this volume by an international group of experts. A Cultural History of War is part of The Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available as hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a tangible reference for their shelves or as part of a fully-searchable digital library. The digital product is available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access via www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com. Individual volumes for academics and researchers interested in specific historical periods are also available in print or digitally via www.bloomsburycollections.com.