Week 7: Monday, February 27
In this 19th-century print, a pair of arquebusiers inspect their weapons. One checks his stand as the other primes his weapon. Note that both are sporting lit fuses in their left hands.
1) According to the text, what were the big consequences associated with the introduction of gunpowder weapons?
2) What problems had to be resolved before firearms could become effective and used widely? What were the downsides of early firearms?
3) Despite these problems and downsides, why did Europeans stick with firearms? What were the advantages of early firearms? Where did they emerge and develop?
4) What kind of impact did firearms have on the state and society in early modern Europe?
5) What seem to have been the sources of Spanish military success during this period?
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Copyrighted by Hugh Dubrulle, 2006.