ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the innovation of European defence, but the literature on military change has been referred to as ‘revolution’, ‘transformation’, ‘innovation’, ‘adaptation’ and ‘change in military praxis’. It illustrates some of the central themes and motivating questions that have been central to the more ‘grand historical narratives’ approach to understanding military innovation. The chapter demonstrates the ways in which key historical events – in particular large-scale wars – have shaped the thinking of military strategists and organisations when it comes to how they prepare, respond and generally attempt to innovate before and after these events. It also demonstrates how scholars and theorists have come to understand the central questions and challenges that face military organisations in terms of innovation in response to socio-political, resource, and organisational concerns. However, the ‘character of war describes the changing way that war as a phenomenon manifests in the real world’.
