Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

IMPORTANT PERIODS OF WAR. 93°. From the death of Alexander, 323 b. c, to the death ofCaesar, 44 b. c.4°. From the death of Caesar, 44 b. c, to the fall of the WestRoman Empire, A. d. 476.B. Wars of the Middle Ages.1°, From A. D. 476 to the death of Charles the Great, A. D. 814,2°. From A. D. 814 to the introduction of firearms, A. d. 1350,3°, From A. D. 1350 to the Thirty Years' War, A, D. 1618.C. Modern Wars.1°. The Thirty Years' War, A. D. 1618 to 1648.2°, Wars from A. D. 1048 to Frederick the Great,3°, Frederick's era to the beginning of the French Revolution,A, D, 1740 to 1792,D. Recent Wars.1°. From the French Revolution to 1805.2°. Napoleon's wars, A. D. 1805 to 1815.3°. Wars since 1815,Of these several periods themost important by far to themilitary student are those which contain the deeds of Alexander,Hannibal, Cassar, in ancient days, and those of Gustavus,Frederick and Najjoleon in modern times. Few ofthe other great generals fall without these periods. To narratethe military achievements of these great masters, andincidentally a few others, and to connect them by a merethread of the intervening events, will suffice to give all whichis best in the rise and jirogress of the science of war. " Read,"says Napoleon, " re-read the history of their campaigns, makethem your model ; this is the sole means of becoming a greatcaptain and of guessing the secret of the art."So long as man has existed on the earth he has been afighting animal. After settling his quarrels with the weaponsof nature, he resorted to clubs and stones, that is, weapons