European Expansion Between 1450 And 1700

Was European expansion between 1450 and 1700 aided more by guns or by germs?

As the 16th century was fast approaching the general opinion in Europe was one of a new age, an age of exploration and expansion. This opinion was motivated by an appeal to new trade, the opportunity of new wealth and the option to spread Christianity which was so prominent in Europe, to other parts of the world. In order to assess how this was achieved two factors need to be considered: guns and germs.

Where germs are mentioned it is referring to the lethal diseases which the European travellers bought over with them such as smallpox, measles and typhus. These diseases, led to a great depopulation of the new world, a world which previous ‘there was then no sickness,

The epidemics which engrossed countless towns and cities led to a lack of food due to the lack of hands, leading to great starvation, meaning many were too weak to fight or were dead. As well as this the psychological impact of these diseases led to something which ‘marks its victim for the rest of their lives’ .The weakness allowed for ‘respite to reorganize and prepare a counterattack’. In these cases, without the disease effecting the opposing populations, the Europeans may have been successfully fought against and been pushed out of where they were. These germs allowed an army which at times was weak to proceed and colonise. Therefore, the germs aided the guns in their succession to European

Although some did try to replicate this level of weaponry and military organisation it was never completely achieved. The Ottoman army ‘appears to have adopted and mastered western military technology’.They tried to replicate the field guns and the advanced siege techniques. However, ‘they never succeeded beyond the initial stage’ exposing just how superior the European armies were. This superiority led to them triumphing rapidly in particular places such as the south where empires collapsed such as one under Francisco Pizarro to a ‘smaller group of 168 Europeans’ the small size of this group shows just how advance their techniques were. The superiority allowed them to advance as the opposition was far inferior. This superiority was what had gained them many of their new colonies however, as mentioned earlier not everywhere was so quick to back down such as the Ottoman empire and without the germs many of these empires may not have backed