Reply #25: Guns and explosives helped make democracy possible. [View All]

[Irreverend IX]

Before the advent of gunpowder munitions, success in warfare was determined almost entirely by how many soldiers you could field -- their training and coordination wasn't all that important, and whoever had the most boots on the ground would usually win the battle. For the last few centuries, military strategy has been trending away from that mentality, as modern conflicts have shown that highly trained and agile combat units can persevere over much larger forces with poorer fighting skills. This strategy would not be possible if not for firearms. The guerrilla warfare that won US independence could never have happened if the revolutionary fighters were wielding polearms against the British -- even the best weapon skill is no match for numbers in that scenario. Gunpowder has ushered in a world where popular uprisings actually have a chance of succeeding.