Science and Technology (Fidem Pacis)

Gunpowder weapons
Gunpowder is believed to have been discovered independently by Roman and Chinese scholars at some point in the 9th century, but its first recorded use for military purposes is by the Southern Wu army at the siege of Yuzhang in 904. Firearms were developed beginning in the 11th century and were used with great effect by the Romans against the Bulgars, and the new technology rapidly spread across the Middle East and the Mediterranean. In 1241 a Mongol invasion of Hungary was defeated at the Battle of Mohi using primitive handcannons - the first recorded engagement in which gunpowder weaponry played a significant role for both sides.

The matchlock musket was invented in the early 14th century and revolutionised warfare forever. For the first time it became feasible to use firearms as the primary infantry weapon, slowly displacing the older longbow and crossbow. Since muskets took a long time to load and the musketeer was vulnerable while doing so, the pike and shot formation was developed to protect against cavalry, and until the invention of the bayonet it was the dominant tactic on battlefields of the era.

Until rifling was introduced towards the end of the 16th century firearms were very inaccurate over long distances, but after that the technology improved rapidly. Due to the added cost of manufacture it did not become commonplace until the 18th century, but it did allow for the possibility of sharpshooting and precision field artillery - tactics which had been lost since the days of bow and arrow. During the 18th century the flintlock, then the percussion cap, and finally the automatic machine gun were invented, thus displacing for good the last remnants of the pre-gunpowder era. Pikes, and indeed just about all other hand-to-hand weapons, were replaced by the bayonet and the rifle butt, and horse-mounted cavalry were gradually phased out of active combat following the annihilation of the Horse Grenadiers of the Aquitanian Imperial Guard at the Battle of Épinal in 1815.

The rocket was invented in China during the 13th century but were not accurate enough for use as anything other than fireworks for another 500 years. After that however the rocket quickly became the single most important form of artillery in East Asia, and was eventually adopted in Europe as well. The first tactical ballistic missile was tested by China in 1887, though in later experiments its solid gunpowder fuel was replaced by liquid fuels. Ultimately these developments would lead to the launch of the first artificial satellite into Earth orbit in 1901.

Today, although gunpowder has largely been replaced with other propellants and explosives, firearms remain the staple weapons of every professional military in the world.