The history of war begins with the development of organised infantry, which is later referred to as infantry in military history. It was the legions of the Romans who conquered a vast empire on the Mediterranean, the divisions of Napoleon who subjugated Europe and the "Poor Bloody Infantry" of the Americans, British and Soviets who occupied it under the rule of the National Socialists. New weapons may change the tactics of warfare, they may increase the effectiveness of infantry or complicate their operating conditions. Artillery may conquer, as they said in the First World War, but infantry occupies. And only what you occupy in war can be claimed in peace. This volume provides a concise account of the history of the infantry from early history to the present day. It analyses their equipment, tactics and operational conditions. While the emergence of new technology such as artillery, aircraft, tanks and most recently drones has always been attributed a revolutionary effect on warfare, infantry is the great constant. New weapons offer opportunities and pose threats, but infantry will always adapt to these challenges.
