The Birth of Modern War

Abstract

The article presents the fi rst part of the study on transformation of war in the XIX–XX
centuries. As an introduction to the topic it proposes the description of the processes (of the
XVI–XIX centuries) which “modernize” war. Main section of the article examines the discursive
move from “the art of war” to the “war science”, from eclectic treatises about war of the
XVI–XVIII centuries to professionalized theory of the XIX century. The concept of “modernity”
within this discursive move marks such things as renunciation of the classical war’s “receipt”,
commitment to the actual (military, political and technological) order and calculation of logistic
capability and political expediency.