Explanation: In medieval Europe, warfare had largely been reshaped in the post-Classical period by the advent of ever-more-numerous and ever-stronger fortifications, which we generally refer to as 'castles'. These fortifications allowed small groups of elites to impose their will on a broad swathe of the countryside, slow invading foes for months at a time, and cut enemy supply lines if they were left to their own devices.
When Muslims in Spain introduced gunpowder to Christian Europe in the 14th 13th century AD, Europe eagerly began constructing cannons and blowing down all of their fancy castles, eventually causing a radical shift in the nature of European warfare by the 16th century AD. Fortifications became increasingly secondary to massive professional armies and artillery corps, and the influence of elite warrior-knights faded in both military and political terms.
Do you have a source for gunpowder coming to Europe through spain in the 14th century? Gunpowder is mentioned in european texts from the 13th century (but not necessarily for use in weapons) and as far as i know it isn't really clear how, where and when exactly it came to Europe.
You're right, it's the 13th century, not 14th, mea culpa. I think the alternate explanation is through the Mongols, but to my fuzzy recollection, Muslim Spain was the more likely vector.
Basically the Ottomans used the Parthenon as a gunpowder storage, while the Venetian forces sieged the acropolis with cannons and mortars. On the evening of 26 September 1687, a mortar shell hit the building, the resulting explosion killed 300 people and led to the complete destruction of the temple's roof and most of the walls.
See, people complain about museums appropriating stuff from various cultures, but stuff like this happens a lot. See also: Babylonian paving destroyed by US tanks, most of Hadrian’s Wall being repurposed as housing and enclosures…
The difference is that usually, the controversy over museums taking stuff from other cultures comes from a period of extraordinary looting in the process of 19th century AD imperialism, which we've pretty much all agreed was a dick move and at a time when Euros no longer normalized treating each other like that. So it's more a question of double standards and restitution.
See also: Babylonian paving destroyed by US tanks,
... not sure I'd remark on that one positively, or even neutrally.
15 Comments
PugJesus@piefed.social · 26 pts · 160d
Explanation: In medieval Europe, warfare had largely been reshaped in the post-Classical period by the advent of ever-more-numerous and ever-stronger fortifications, which we generally refer to as 'castles'. These fortifications allowed small groups of elites to impose their will on a broad swathe of the countryside, slow invading foes for months at a time, and cut enemy supply lines if they were left to their own devices.
When Muslims in Spain introduced gunpowder to Christian Europe in the
14th13th century AD, Europe eagerly began constructing cannons and blowing down all of their fancy castles, eventually causing a radical shift in the nature of European warfare by the 16th century AD. Fortifications became increasingly secondary to massive professional armies and artillery corps, and the influence of elite warrior-knights faded in both military and political terms.EinMensch@feddit.org · 6 pts · 160d
Do you have a source for gunpowder coming to Europe through spain in the 14th century? Gunpowder is mentioned in european texts from the 13th century (but not necessarily for use in weapons) and as far as i know it isn't really clear how, where and when exactly it came to Europe.
PugJesus@piefed.social · 3 pts · 160d
You're right, it's the 13th century, not 14th, mea culpa. I think the alternate explanation is through the Mongols, but to my fuzzy recollection, Muslim Spain was the more likely vector.
LodeMike@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 160d
What the fuck is this photo? "Let's make ¼ of our child's height her hair for some reason and put her behind a full machine gun"
BillibusMaximus@sh.itjust.works · 32 pts · 160d
Agree about the hair, though.
Gork@sopuli.xyz · 7 pts · 160d
Smaller hitboxes too.
marcos@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 160d
There are many museums all over the world where children can get close to a weapon.
neidu3@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 160d
My disappointment when I found out museums don't work the way libraries do...
marcos@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 160d
Have you tried wearing a yellow vest and carrying a ladder?
DaddleDew@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 160d
We can't deny that the resulting visual works.
NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 160d
What do you have against topknots? She could be in a Frank Miller comic.
nuko147@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 160d
This reminds me the destruction of the Parthenon in Athens at the Siege of Acropolis (1687). .
Basically the Ottomans used the Parthenon as a gunpowder storage, while the Venetian forces sieged the acropolis with cannons and mortars. On the evening of 26 September 1687, a mortar shell hit the building, the resulting explosion killed 300 people and led to the complete destruction of the temple's roof and most of the walls.
flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 160d
This is why you get some parts of Europe with many preserved medieval castles and others with few.
Those at war during the transition period were most likely to get blown up. Areas conquered by the Ottomans suffered most damage.
Those that survived long enough to become completely obsolete are still around today.
NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 160d
See, people complain about museums appropriating stuff from various cultures, but stuff like this happens a lot. See also: Babylonian paving destroyed by US tanks, most of Hadrian’s Wall being repurposed as housing and enclosures…
PugJesus@piefed.social · 4 pts · 160d
The difference is that usually, the controversy over museums taking stuff from other cultures comes from a period of extraordinary looting in the process of 19th century AD imperialism, which we've pretty much all agreed was a dick move and at a time when Euros no longer normalized treating each other like that. So it's more a question of double standards and restitution.
... not sure I'd remark on that one positively, or even neutrally.