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

10 ORIGIN OF ORGANIZATION.for use hand to hand and at a distance ; and no doubt atan early day built himself huts and surrounded them withstakes, stones and earth, so as to keep away aggressiveneighbors.Herein we have the origin of weapons and of fortification.As men joined themselves into communities, the artsof attack and defense, and their uses as applied to numbers,grew. The citizen was always a soldier. But often only aportion of the citizens required to be sent away from hometo fight, and this originated standing armies, which becamea well-settled institution when conquerors made themselveskings. As man invented useful arts, these were first appliedto the demands of war. Bows and arrows, lances, slings,swords, breastplates and shields came into use, and horseswere tamed and employed for war, first as beasts of burden,and then in chariots and for cavalry.cavalry were first adopted becauseChariots and horses forthey afforded the fightersa higher position from which to cast their weapons, as wellas rendered their aspect more dreadful.Elephants and camelscame into warfare for a similar reason. No doubt chariotsantedated cavalry. Troops began by fighting in masses,without settled order, and the victory was won by those whohad the bravest, strongest, or most numerous array. Withbetter weapons came greater order. The best-armed warriorswere placed together.The slingers could not do goodwork side by side with the pikemen, nor the charioteer ormounted man with the foot-soldier. Thus certain tacticalformations arose, and as the more intelligent soldiers wereput in charge of the less so, rank and command appeared.It was soon found that the light-armed, bowmen and slingers,could best use their weapons and most rapidly move inopen, skirmishing order ;swordsmen, could best give decisivethat the heavy-armed, pikemen andblows when ployed intomasses. The growth of army organization came about in a