How the U.S. Military Was Founded

Military origins have gotten complicated with all the competing historical claims flying around. As someone who’s studied the emergence of organized warfare across civilizations, I learned everything there is to know about how armed forces actually developed throughout history. Today, I will share it all with you.

Pinpointing the exact “start” of the military isn’t really possible because organized fighting forces emerged independently across multiple civilizations. The story isn’t about a single origin but about parallel developments shaped by geography, technology, and political necessity.

Mesopotamian Foundations

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Ancient Mesopotamia – specifically the Sumerian city-states around 3000 BCE – produced the earliest documented organized military forces. These weren’t just raiding parties. They were citizen-soldiers called up to defend their cities, organized into units, and commanded by recognized leaders. The concept of a standing army – professional soldiers maintained even in peacetime – emerged here. That’s what makes Mesopotamia so significant to military history: the transition from ad hoc armed groups to institutionalized military forces.

Egyptian Military Development

Egyptian pharaohs maintained armies that demonstrated the link between military power and political authority. The Pharaoh sat atop the military hierarchy, and defending Egypt meant defending the divine order. During the New Kingdom, Egyptian forces expanded aggressively, establishing the empire as a regional power. The military organization included specialized units – infantry, chariotry, archers – each with distinct roles in battle. Military engineering capabilities allowed construction of fortifications along borders.

Chinese Military Sophistication

Ancient China developed military institutions alongside its bureaucratic state. The Terracotta Army buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang demonstrates the scale and organization of Chinese military forces over two thousand years ago. But Chinese military thinking went beyond just raising armies. Texts like Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” reveal sophisticated strategic philosophy that acknowledged warfare as an extension of statecraft rather than mere combat.

Greek and Roman Evolution

Greek city-states produced the hoplite phalanx – citizens fighting as heavily armored infantry in tight formation. This model proved remarkably effective and influenced military organization for centuries. Rome took Greek concepts further, creating the legion system that conquered the Mediterranean world. Roman military innovation wasn’t just tactical – it included engineering, logistics, and administrative systems that sustained professional forces across vast distances.

The Modern Military Emerges

The military as we understand it today crystallized during the early modern period. The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 established the principle that states held monopoly on legitimate military force. Standing professional armies replaced feudal levies and mercenary bands. Officer training became systematic rather than assumed. By the 18th century, European powers maintained permanent military establishments that would be recognizable to modern observers.

The military didn’t have a single founder – it evolved across civilizations as political complexity demanded organized coercion. From Sumerian city-states to modern nation-states, the trajectory has been toward greater professionalization, specialization, and institutional permanence.