The Introduction of Gunpowder Weapons at the Turn of the Seventeenth Century Was the Most Significant Transitional Period in Modern Warfare

Question: Using your best military history judgment based on the study of modern warfare, which transitional period was the most significant--introduction of gunpowder weapons at the turn of the Seventeenth Century Why? Analyze the military point of view within the contextual aspects of war. Explain and analyze the successes on the battlefield and their influences on military history. Be specific in your answer by discussing technology, tactics, formations, organizations, weaponry, training and leadership. Use specific examples to support your answer.
Answer:
Regardless of what era of military history is studied, there is one basic principle that is ever prevalent--in order to conquer an enemy, to crush a revolution, to successfully overthrown a tyrant government, or even in the modern scope, to enforce safety and security through 'peacekeeping'--an army only accomplishes its mission through use of ground troops. Whether it is Alexander the Great marching across Asia Minor, William the Conqueror unifying England and then securing it through a string of castles, Hitler 'blitzkrieging' through Poland, or America and the Coalition pushing Iraq back across the Kuwaiti border, the ground troops were there, insuring that every inch of ground was paid for, secured, and left with follow-on forces to prevent it changing hands. …