WESTERN WAY OF WAR
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Warfare plays different roles. It is at times used as a way through which large empires are built. Civil war as another form of warfare is, on the other hand, what leads to the downfall of the empires. All societies and all historical periods have experienced war at one point in time. Different nations or militaries use diverse war approaches and tactics depending on their experiences and goals. Over time, different war approaches have been utilized by various regions across the globe. The Western Way of War has been instrumental in ensuring the long-standing dominance of the western nations all over the globe. In the last two centuries, it has turned out to be the prevailed and used by majority of the globes militaries. The ‘Western Way’ is defined by five main facets, namely: dependence on technological advancement, advanced training and discipline, capability to implement new technological innovations (innovativeness) and strategic vision. These aspects have been attributed to the supremacy of the western culture. A pioneer of war is Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.1 He is highly regarded as an exceptional commander. Under his tenure, Sweden became very powerful, and his battles were won through innovativeness, superb and effective weaponry, impeccable training and government support.2 Gustavus Adolphus is arguably one of the highly respected generals owing to his outstanding military expeditions during his era. His military tactics are closely illustrated by the ‘Western Way’. Substantial aspects present in the ‘Western Way' sufficiently epitomize the Gustavus era, and they include innovation, preeminent technology, top-notch training, effective weaponry, and government support.3 This is an argumentative essay on the characteristics found on the ‘Western Way' that typify the Gustavus Adolphus era. Military spending all over the world is extremely high. The Western Way of War entails high military spending, and states have come up with ways of making sure their armies are fully funded. The amount of resources countries set aside for maintaining and elevating their militaries is insanely high running into Trillions. However, this funding is justified owing to the numerous threats that countries face each day.4 Military funding is not unique to the 21st century. Centuries ago states realized the importance of army funding and development of powerful establishments such as the financial institutions was ensured. Establishment of such institutions made sure that militaries were adequately funded.
During his tenure as Sweden’s King, Gustavus ably formulated ways of ensuring military dominance.5 The period was characterized by continued warfare and better ways to guarantee victory had to be made. Gustavus began by structuring the government and building of strong institutions to promote efficiency. He introduced the initial central bank in the globe. He also introduced the initial Parish registrations which helped the government tax the citizens efficiently. These institutional reforms were instrumental not only in improving the economy but also facilitating military spending. The government efficiency brought about by these reforms ensured full support of the military, and it is no secret that Gustavus's era was exceptionally successful. The Western Way is characterized by among other things innovativeness. The Western Way has for centuries continued to dominate warfare globally. Majority of the world states have embraced it for its proven effectiveness. At the forefront of this war, strategy is innovativeness. Warfare strains the financial muscle of any country. This ranges from equipment to personnel. Countries set substantial amounts of their budgetary allocations to be used by their militaries. War affects every area of a countries economy, and it is in general an expensive affair. However, wars also do have positive impacts on technological and economic development. Generally, wars are instrumental in spurring technological development through innovation. Militaries are obliged to innovate new ways to gain advantage over their adversaries. The developments adapted in solving particular military needs later evolve into non-military apparatus. The point, nevertheless, is that inventiveness is paramount in ensuring successful expeditions. Over the years, militaries have come up with sophisticated and exemplary technological innovations.
This inclusion of innovation is among the characteristics that best exemplify Gustavus era. Gustavus was the leading figure in Sweden’s military supremacy in the 17th century when the Thirty Years War took place. His efforts helped Sweden become a European powerhouse and also influence Europe’s political and religious power. Gustavus's military prowess is well recognized, and he is viewed as the founder of modern day warfare. Relating technological innovation as a characteristic of Gustavus's war era might seem like a fallacy because those are ages ago. Technology, however, is the end product of innovation. Gustavus is well-remembered for his innovative and creative war tactics. During that period, war was common and through Gustavus's influence innovativeness was up to standard.6 He introduced the tactic of integrating infantry, cavalry and logistics. Science advancements in military led to Sweden being the leading Baltic power. Among the famous innovations influenced by Gustavus were the use of mobile weaponry on the front line and the use of the combined arms approach that entailed incorporating an assortment of warfare weaponry to get equal corresponding outcomes.7 Innovation is indeed an evident tactic that characterizes Gustavus’s era. Excellent training and respect of the command is a prerequisite for successful armies. Massive military funding and innovativeness are meaningless if the people tasked with utilizing them are not adequately prepared. Military training has over the years become sophisticated, and the ‘Western Way' is usually characterized by this. Different armies have their own training tactics. Training in the military takes time and army personnel are supposed to perform the tactics to precision. The sole aim of the sophistication and precision is to ensure that the troops are well equipped to face any situation in the battlefield. Gustavus realized the importance of a well-prepared army and during his era, and he made sure that his army men were finely trained. Speed and precision were crucial at that time, and combatants had to quickly fire as well as reload their rifles. Respect among the troops was imperative, duties and commands were well coordinated. Using the combined arms strategy soldiers had to be excellently trained to ensure proper coordination. Ensuring excellent military discipline and training is imperative for any nation, and it is one of the main aspects of the ‘Western Way' and it no doubt characterizes the kind of warfare present in Gustavus's era. A countries military is a precious asset that determines its power. The success of a military in any war is dependent on numerous aspects. These aspects include innovativeness, government support and funding and superb discipline and training among others.8 These three characteristics were effectively utilized in the era of Gustavus, the renowned former Swedish king. They are also among aspects synonymous with the ‘Western Way' warfare strategy, and they evidently epitomize the age of the great Swedish king.

Notes 1. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 68. 2. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 72. 3. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 76 4. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 105 5. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 123. 6. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 134. 7. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 89 8. Geoffrey Parker, The Cambridge History Of Warfare, 1st ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 138

Bibliography
Parker, Geoffrey. The Cambridge History Of Warfare. 1st ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005.