Armies and ecosystems in premodern Europe : the Meuse region, 1250-1850 / by Sander Govaerts.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Govaerts, Sander, author.

Series:

War and conflict in premodern societies.

War and conflict in premodern societies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Armed Forces--Environmental aspects.

Armed Forces.

Meuse River Region--History, Military.

Meuse River Region.

Europe--History, Military.

Europe.

Europe--Armed Forces.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 309 pages) : illustrations (black and white), maps (black and white, and colour), digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

New edition.

Place of Publication:

Leeds : Arc Humanities Press, 2021.

Language Note:

In English.

Biography/History:

Govaerts Sander : Sander Govaerts is postdoctoral researcher at the Department of History and Art History, Utrecht University.

Summary:

Using the ecosystem concept as his starting point, the author examines the complex relationship between premodern armed forces and their environment at three levels: landscapes, living beings, and diseases. The study focuses on Europe's Meuse Region, well-known among historians of war as a battleground between France and Germany. By analyzing soldiers' long-term interactions with nature, this book engages with current debates about the ecological impact of the military, and provides new impetus for contemporary armed forces to make greater effort to reduce their environmental footprint.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

List of Illustrations

Preface

Introduction

Part One LANDSCAPES

Chapter 1. Frontiers

Chapter 2. Fortifications

Part Two BIOTIC COMMUNITIES

Chapter 3. Disturbances

Chapter 4. Policing

Part Three PATHOGENS

Chapter 5. Army Health

Conclusion

Appendix. Overview of plants found in the fortifications of Maastricht in 1868

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

This eBook is made available Open Access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://www.degruyter.com/dg/page/open-access-policy

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed on July 6, 2026).

ISBN:

1-64189-399-0

OCLC:

1250598821

Access Restriction:

Open Access Unrestricted online access