Odd little idea

DISSIDENT

Banned
Inspired by a thread I saw on the soc.history.what-if archives.

During the Renaissance and the development of large scale gunpowder weaponry, what if, percussion cap ammunition were developed much earlier and more widespread? Given the manufacturing base and gunsmithing capabilities of early modern Europe and Tokugawa Japan, it would not be totally implausible. This would mean personal fire-arms, and from it, civillian militia more on the Swiss model and armed peasantry capable of defending themselves from artillery-armed armies in the field develop earlier and at a more rapid rate. This could stunt the absolute monarchies and nation states that followed them.

A world of city-states and loosely-governed multinational empires but no nation-states was what the thread I draw the idea from posited. I have no idea. It would alter the Reformation and other things.

Open to discussion.
 
Denmark was a multinational empire from around 700? to 1864!

But a percussion cap would make early firearms much more reliable and all-weather useable.
Could make for a transition to all-firearms armies much earlier.

As a general trend I don't see any benefitting particularly from the invention in the long run because of widespread use except because of conscription!

If all have relyable firearms early on then you have to have the largest army possible because
soldiers would be easier to train using this tech and this abolishes the need for highly professional small-size armies as 18. century.
 
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