The development of technology and warfare are interrelated processes that are based on the expansion of knowledge. Although the printing press was invented after the first cannons and fortresses, it had a significant impact on the subsequent development of military projects. The printing press and expansion of knowledge have allowed people to accumulate and share knowledge, which has accelerated technological development. In particular, printing opened access to more complex engineering projects, which led to the modernization of medieval cannons and fortresses in later periods.
The invention of gunpowder allowed Europe to revolutionize military weapons in the 14th century. However, further, development became possible only through the accumulation and transfer of knowledge. The first description of the cannon is known to have been written in 1326 and presented in the Florentine document, “authorizing the manufacture of brass cannon and iron cannonballs” (McGaha, n.d., para. 2).
Thereafter, cannon technology spread widely across European countries by 1340 (McGaha, n.d.). This invention marked the end of the era of fortresses, which were able to withstand the onslaught of all the weapons of that period, including trebuchets. However, against the siege guns of the late 15th century, such buildings were powerless, as weapon technology and gunpowder became much more effective (McGaha, n.d.). By 1528, the Italians Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo Da Vinci had developed a new kind of fortress, the walls of which were lower and thicker to absorb artillery shots (Anderson, 2018). This technology included bastions, which were created to eliminate blind spots during the defense.
The development of new types of fortresses was associated with the need for more effective protection. Anderson (2018) notes that “innovation in response to threat ushered in a new era of scientific warfare” (para. 7). Thus, in the 16-17 centuries, fortress projects became extremely technological and engineering complex (Anderson, 2018). The process of accumulating and developing knowledge became available owing to the invention of the printing press.
This technology made it possible to reduce the cost and speed up book printing, which led to the process of laying “the groundwork for a modern knowledge-based economy and participation by the masses” (Giges, 2012, para. 7). Printing and expansion of knowledge allowed the creation of more complex weapons and buildings, which significantly accelerated the subsequent development of technology.
References
Anderson, J. (2018). The wall is the wall: Why fortresses fail. War on Rocks. Web.
Giges, N. (2012). Johannes Gutenberg. ASME. Web.
McGaha, R. (n.d.). Chapter 8 – Cannon and fortresses in Early Modern Europe. Rebus Community. Web.