How important was military conflict in creating and sustaining empires?

Answer with reference to two empires of your choice.

Option 2 requires you to consider the extent to which military conflict was important in the creation and operation of empire. Units 8, 9 and 10 are particularly relevant to this question, but you will also find useful material in Block 3.

To answer effectively, you will need to assess the importance of war and military force relative to other factors (political, economic and cultural) in the maintenance of imperial power, but your essay should focus in greater detail on the various ways in which empires used war and military force to survive and expand.

Your answer should be comparative, so avoid narrating a series of battles and wars. Instead, analyse how and why empires employed military force for political and expansionist purposes, and to what extent these strategies were successful.

USE MODULE MATERIALS

Last writer used no module materials and need the two empires to be included that are in above modules.