Why would I refuse to use a gun and stick to my sword?

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Well, I know the title is quite a common question when building fantasy world involving gunpowder, and it falls under the well known "Don't bring a gun to a swordfight" trope.



I'm well aware there can be plenties of reasons to prefer a sword over a gun, especially in the earliest stages of gunpowder use in warfare.



But the power to kill an opponent from a distance with less skills involved (compared to bows, spears, crossbows) is, without a doubt, a great advantage for military leaders who can now equip less trained men with deadly weapons.



I have trouble finding examples of military faction that would have refused to use gunpowder on the battlefield.




Quick note about the boshin war : Hollywood decided to remember this
as a "tradition versus modernity" conflict, but there's no evidence
that samuraï from both sides refused any strategic advantage at
their disposal. From what I know, they used guns and cannons and
whatever fell into their hands.




My question :



Are there examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least ?



Why ?



How ?










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  • 1




    I'm much too lazy to reseach at this moment, hence just a comment: ranged weapons were deemed unacceptable by european knights (for a time). And if i remember right, the same was true for japanese samurai. Plus: early guns were single shot. a sword does not need reloading.
    – Burki
    2 hours ago






  • 3




    This is more of a history.stackexchange.com question than world building. What first come to mind is Australians versus Emus and Battle of Isandlwana
    – SZCZERZO KŁY
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    You're looking for the Anglo-Zulu war where the Zulus had some victories and vastly superior numbers.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Also note that a crossbow required less skill than early firearms, it was the original "no skill required" weapon.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    @Separatrix however the Zulus did used captured British Martini-Henry rifles when they were available at Rorkes Drift for example. Before that they used smooth bore muskets at Isandlwana.
    – Sarriesfan
    1 hour ago















up vote
3
down vote

favorite












Well, I know the title is quite a common question when building fantasy world involving gunpowder, and it falls under the well known "Don't bring a gun to a swordfight" trope.



I'm well aware there can be plenties of reasons to prefer a sword over a gun, especially in the earliest stages of gunpowder use in warfare.



But the power to kill an opponent from a distance with less skills involved (compared to bows, spears, crossbows) is, without a doubt, a great advantage for military leaders who can now equip less trained men with deadly weapons.



I have trouble finding examples of military faction that would have refused to use gunpowder on the battlefield.




Quick note about the boshin war : Hollywood decided to remember this
as a "tradition versus modernity" conflict, but there's no evidence
that samuraï from both sides refused any strategic advantage at
their disposal. From what I know, they used guns and cannons and
whatever fell into their hands.




My question :



Are there examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least ?



Why ?



How ?










share|improve this question







New contributor




Zaa is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 1




    I'm much too lazy to reseach at this moment, hence just a comment: ranged weapons were deemed unacceptable by european knights (for a time). And if i remember right, the same was true for japanese samurai. Plus: early guns were single shot. a sword does not need reloading.
    – Burki
    2 hours ago






  • 3




    This is more of a history.stackexchange.com question than world building. What first come to mind is Australians versus Emus and Battle of Isandlwana
    – SZCZERZO KŁY
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    You're looking for the Anglo-Zulu war where the Zulus had some victories and vastly superior numbers.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Also note that a crossbow required less skill than early firearms, it was the original "no skill required" weapon.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    @Separatrix however the Zulus did used captured British Martini-Henry rifles when they were available at Rorkes Drift for example. Before that they used smooth bore muskets at Isandlwana.
    – Sarriesfan
    1 hour ago













up vote
3
down vote

favorite









up vote
3
down vote

favorite











Well, I know the title is quite a common question when building fantasy world involving gunpowder, and it falls under the well known "Don't bring a gun to a swordfight" trope.



I'm well aware there can be plenties of reasons to prefer a sword over a gun, especially in the earliest stages of gunpowder use in warfare.



But the power to kill an opponent from a distance with less skills involved (compared to bows, spears, crossbows) is, without a doubt, a great advantage for military leaders who can now equip less trained men with deadly weapons.



I have trouble finding examples of military faction that would have refused to use gunpowder on the battlefield.




Quick note about the boshin war : Hollywood decided to remember this
as a "tradition versus modernity" conflict, but there's no evidence
that samuraï from both sides refused any strategic advantage at
their disposal. From what I know, they used guns and cannons and
whatever fell into their hands.




My question :



Are there examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least ?



Why ?



How ?










share|improve this question







New contributor




Zaa is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











Well, I know the title is quite a common question when building fantasy world involving gunpowder, and it falls under the well known "Don't bring a gun to a swordfight" trope.



I'm well aware there can be plenties of reasons to prefer a sword over a gun, especially in the earliest stages of gunpowder use in warfare.



But the power to kill an opponent from a distance with less skills involved (compared to bows, spears, crossbows) is, without a doubt, a great advantage for military leaders who can now equip less trained men with deadly weapons.



I have trouble finding examples of military faction that would have refused to use gunpowder on the battlefield.




Quick note about the boshin war : Hollywood decided to remember this
as a "tradition versus modernity" conflict, but there's no evidence
that samuraï from both sides refused any strategic advantage at
their disposal. From what I know, they used guns and cannons and
whatever fell into their hands.




My question :



Are there examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least ?



Why ?



How ?







reality-check warfare






share|improve this question







New contributor




Zaa is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




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Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






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Zaa is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






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Check out our Code of Conduct.







  • 1




    I'm much too lazy to reseach at this moment, hence just a comment: ranged weapons were deemed unacceptable by european knights (for a time). And if i remember right, the same was true for japanese samurai. Plus: early guns were single shot. a sword does not need reloading.
    – Burki
    2 hours ago






  • 3




    This is more of a history.stackexchange.com question than world building. What first come to mind is Australians versus Emus and Battle of Isandlwana
    – SZCZERZO KŁY
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    You're looking for the Anglo-Zulu war where the Zulus had some victories and vastly superior numbers.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Also note that a crossbow required less skill than early firearms, it was the original "no skill required" weapon.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    @Separatrix however the Zulus did used captured British Martini-Henry rifles when they were available at Rorkes Drift for example. Before that they used smooth bore muskets at Isandlwana.
    – Sarriesfan
    1 hour ago













  • 1




    I'm much too lazy to reseach at this moment, hence just a comment: ranged weapons were deemed unacceptable by european knights (for a time). And if i remember right, the same was true for japanese samurai. Plus: early guns were single shot. a sword does not need reloading.
    – Burki
    2 hours ago






  • 3




    This is more of a history.stackexchange.com question than world building. What first come to mind is Australians versus Emus and Battle of Isandlwana
    – SZCZERZO KŁY
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    You're looking for the Anglo-Zulu war where the Zulus had some victories and vastly superior numbers.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    Also note that a crossbow required less skill than early firearms, it was the original "no skill required" weapon.
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago






  • 1




    @Separatrix however the Zulus did used captured British Martini-Henry rifles when they were available at Rorkes Drift for example. Before that they used smooth bore muskets at Isandlwana.
    – Sarriesfan
    1 hour ago








1




1




I'm much too lazy to reseach at this moment, hence just a comment: ranged weapons were deemed unacceptable by european knights (for a time). And if i remember right, the same was true for japanese samurai. Plus: early guns were single shot. a sword does not need reloading.
– Burki
2 hours ago




I'm much too lazy to reseach at this moment, hence just a comment: ranged weapons were deemed unacceptable by european knights (for a time). And if i remember right, the same was true for japanese samurai. Plus: early guns were single shot. a sword does not need reloading.
– Burki
2 hours ago




3




3




This is more of a history.stackexchange.com question than world building. What first come to mind is Australians versus Emus and Battle of Isandlwana
– SZCZERZO KŁY
2 hours ago




This is more of a history.stackexchange.com question than world building. What first come to mind is Australians versus Emus and Battle of Isandlwana
– SZCZERZO KŁY
2 hours ago




1




1




You're looking for the Anglo-Zulu war where the Zulus had some victories and vastly superior numbers.
– Separatrix
2 hours ago




You're looking for the Anglo-Zulu war where the Zulus had some victories and vastly superior numbers.
– Separatrix
2 hours ago




1




1




Also note that a crossbow required less skill than early firearms, it was the original "no skill required" weapon.
– Separatrix
2 hours ago




Also note that a crossbow required less skill than early firearms, it was the original "no skill required" weapon.
– Separatrix
2 hours ago




1




1




@Separatrix however the Zulus did used captured British Martini-Henry rifles when they were available at Rorkes Drift for example. Before that they used smooth bore muskets at Isandlwana.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago





@Separatrix however the Zulus did used captured British Martini-Henry rifles when they were available at Rorkes Drift for example. Before that they used smooth bore muskets at Isandlwana.
– Sarriesfan
1 hour ago











2 Answers
2






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The only examples I am aware of are the Samurai after the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and to a limited extent, the Ottoman Janissary armies into the 1500's, but these were results of particular circumstances.



The Samurai were actually very enthusiastic in their adoption and use of firearms. Perhaps the most striking example was the Battle of Nagashino, where the traditional armies of Katsuyori Shingen were destroyed by mass volley fire from the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga.



These sorts of battles were early examples of the "Infantry Revolution" in Japan, where weapons and tactics were being introduced to allow relatively untrained Infantrymen to take the field and contend with highly trained Samurai warriors. In Europe, the process eventually swept away knights and the Feudal system, but Japan was more isolated and insular due to the island nature of the country. Once the Tokugawa Shogunate was firmly established, a process of disarming the peasants was rapidly undertaken to prevent the overthrow of the established social and political order, and firearms essentially passed from Japanese history until the arrival of the Americans and the Meiji restoration.



The Ottoman Janissaries are a slightly different case. The Ottoman Empire, dispite its size and resources, was actually rather poor in terms of deploying resources. While the Ottomans were well aware of gunpowder, artillery and firearms, they did not have the same ability to actually make cannon and firearms, often buying them from their Western rivals like Genoa or Venice (through black markets or renegade Western traders). During the Battle of Lepanto, the Christian fleet was armed with cannon and the boarding parties armed with the match and wheel locks common to the period, while the Janissaries embarked on the Ottoman fleet were armed with the deadly recurve bow.



In practical terms, once the ships were closing in, the Ottomans could unleash hails of arrows with greater speed and accuracy than the Christian soldiers could reply. The problem was while the Christian soldiers could be shielded by light wooden barriers, coils of rope and so on, their shot could penetrate similar protective barriers on the Ottoman ships. An arquebus could deliver 1000j of energy with each shot, while a typical arrow delivered between 100-200j of energy.



The other issue (which plagued the Samurai and European knights) was it took a lifetime of training to prepare Jamissaries, and the massive casualties from the battle of Lepanto would take a generation to make good, you could train people to use firearms in a matter of weeks. (English Longbowmen also took a lifetime of training, which explains why despite their fearsome reputation in the 100 years war, longbows were not commonly adopted by European armies).



So in order to suppress the use of firearms, crossbows and pikes (the ,major enablers of the Infantry Revolution), you would need to have the existing Feudal social order which supported kKnights, Samurai, Janissaries or similar classes of highly trained fighting men, an understanding of the danger firearms and simplified but effective mass infantry tactics posed to their military and social status, and the ability to limit or effectively ban the use of firearms (lie the Japanese) or the inability to create them on a mass scale (like the Ottomans).






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    Cost and maintenance.



    Since you know how to maintain a sword keep it oiled and such its low cost of ownership would make it attractive.



    Guns on the other hand have quite a few moving pieces and then you have to buy bullets which are costly if this were restricted and costly it would make me favour my sword.






    share|improve this answer






















    • This doesn't answer the question. The OP asks for "examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least". This post is about the advantages of swords over guns, not historical examples.
      – John Locke
      58 mins ago










    • @John Locke: In the title OP asked a different Question, which this Answer tries to answer. I requested OP to clarify ...
      – Daniel
      37 mins ago










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    2 Answers
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    The only examples I am aware of are the Samurai after the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and to a limited extent, the Ottoman Janissary armies into the 1500's, but these were results of particular circumstances.



    The Samurai were actually very enthusiastic in their adoption and use of firearms. Perhaps the most striking example was the Battle of Nagashino, where the traditional armies of Katsuyori Shingen were destroyed by mass volley fire from the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga.



    These sorts of battles were early examples of the "Infantry Revolution" in Japan, where weapons and tactics were being introduced to allow relatively untrained Infantrymen to take the field and contend with highly trained Samurai warriors. In Europe, the process eventually swept away knights and the Feudal system, but Japan was more isolated and insular due to the island nature of the country. Once the Tokugawa Shogunate was firmly established, a process of disarming the peasants was rapidly undertaken to prevent the overthrow of the established social and political order, and firearms essentially passed from Japanese history until the arrival of the Americans and the Meiji restoration.



    The Ottoman Janissaries are a slightly different case. The Ottoman Empire, dispite its size and resources, was actually rather poor in terms of deploying resources. While the Ottomans were well aware of gunpowder, artillery and firearms, they did not have the same ability to actually make cannon and firearms, often buying them from their Western rivals like Genoa or Venice (through black markets or renegade Western traders). During the Battle of Lepanto, the Christian fleet was armed with cannon and the boarding parties armed with the match and wheel locks common to the period, while the Janissaries embarked on the Ottoman fleet were armed with the deadly recurve bow.



    In practical terms, once the ships were closing in, the Ottomans could unleash hails of arrows with greater speed and accuracy than the Christian soldiers could reply. The problem was while the Christian soldiers could be shielded by light wooden barriers, coils of rope and so on, their shot could penetrate similar protective barriers on the Ottoman ships. An arquebus could deliver 1000j of energy with each shot, while a typical arrow delivered between 100-200j of energy.



    The other issue (which plagued the Samurai and European knights) was it took a lifetime of training to prepare Jamissaries, and the massive casualties from the battle of Lepanto would take a generation to make good, you could train people to use firearms in a matter of weeks. (English Longbowmen also took a lifetime of training, which explains why despite their fearsome reputation in the 100 years war, longbows were not commonly adopted by European armies).



    So in order to suppress the use of firearms, crossbows and pikes (the ,major enablers of the Infantry Revolution), you would need to have the existing Feudal social order which supported kKnights, Samurai, Janissaries or similar classes of highly trained fighting men, an understanding of the danger firearms and simplified but effective mass infantry tactics posed to their military and social status, and the ability to limit or effectively ban the use of firearms (lie the Japanese) or the inability to create them on a mass scale (like the Ottomans).






    share|improve this answer
























      up vote
      5
      down vote













      The only examples I am aware of are the Samurai after the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and to a limited extent, the Ottoman Janissary armies into the 1500's, but these were results of particular circumstances.



      The Samurai were actually very enthusiastic in their adoption and use of firearms. Perhaps the most striking example was the Battle of Nagashino, where the traditional armies of Katsuyori Shingen were destroyed by mass volley fire from the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga.



      These sorts of battles were early examples of the "Infantry Revolution" in Japan, where weapons and tactics were being introduced to allow relatively untrained Infantrymen to take the field and contend with highly trained Samurai warriors. In Europe, the process eventually swept away knights and the Feudal system, but Japan was more isolated and insular due to the island nature of the country. Once the Tokugawa Shogunate was firmly established, a process of disarming the peasants was rapidly undertaken to prevent the overthrow of the established social and political order, and firearms essentially passed from Japanese history until the arrival of the Americans and the Meiji restoration.



      The Ottoman Janissaries are a slightly different case. The Ottoman Empire, dispite its size and resources, was actually rather poor in terms of deploying resources. While the Ottomans were well aware of gunpowder, artillery and firearms, they did not have the same ability to actually make cannon and firearms, often buying them from their Western rivals like Genoa or Venice (through black markets or renegade Western traders). During the Battle of Lepanto, the Christian fleet was armed with cannon and the boarding parties armed with the match and wheel locks common to the period, while the Janissaries embarked on the Ottoman fleet were armed with the deadly recurve bow.



      In practical terms, once the ships were closing in, the Ottomans could unleash hails of arrows with greater speed and accuracy than the Christian soldiers could reply. The problem was while the Christian soldiers could be shielded by light wooden barriers, coils of rope and so on, their shot could penetrate similar protective barriers on the Ottoman ships. An arquebus could deliver 1000j of energy with each shot, while a typical arrow delivered between 100-200j of energy.



      The other issue (which plagued the Samurai and European knights) was it took a lifetime of training to prepare Jamissaries, and the massive casualties from the battle of Lepanto would take a generation to make good, you could train people to use firearms in a matter of weeks. (English Longbowmen also took a lifetime of training, which explains why despite their fearsome reputation in the 100 years war, longbows were not commonly adopted by European armies).



      So in order to suppress the use of firearms, crossbows and pikes (the ,major enablers of the Infantry Revolution), you would need to have the existing Feudal social order which supported kKnights, Samurai, Janissaries or similar classes of highly trained fighting men, an understanding of the danger firearms and simplified but effective mass infantry tactics posed to their military and social status, and the ability to limit or effectively ban the use of firearms (lie the Japanese) or the inability to create them on a mass scale (like the Ottomans).






      share|improve this answer






















        up vote
        5
        down vote










        up vote
        5
        down vote









        The only examples I am aware of are the Samurai after the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and to a limited extent, the Ottoman Janissary armies into the 1500's, but these were results of particular circumstances.



        The Samurai were actually very enthusiastic in their adoption and use of firearms. Perhaps the most striking example was the Battle of Nagashino, where the traditional armies of Katsuyori Shingen were destroyed by mass volley fire from the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga.



        These sorts of battles were early examples of the "Infantry Revolution" in Japan, where weapons and tactics were being introduced to allow relatively untrained Infantrymen to take the field and contend with highly trained Samurai warriors. In Europe, the process eventually swept away knights and the Feudal system, but Japan was more isolated and insular due to the island nature of the country. Once the Tokugawa Shogunate was firmly established, a process of disarming the peasants was rapidly undertaken to prevent the overthrow of the established social and political order, and firearms essentially passed from Japanese history until the arrival of the Americans and the Meiji restoration.



        The Ottoman Janissaries are a slightly different case. The Ottoman Empire, dispite its size and resources, was actually rather poor in terms of deploying resources. While the Ottomans were well aware of gunpowder, artillery and firearms, they did not have the same ability to actually make cannon and firearms, often buying them from their Western rivals like Genoa or Venice (through black markets or renegade Western traders). During the Battle of Lepanto, the Christian fleet was armed with cannon and the boarding parties armed with the match and wheel locks common to the period, while the Janissaries embarked on the Ottoman fleet were armed with the deadly recurve bow.



        In practical terms, once the ships were closing in, the Ottomans could unleash hails of arrows with greater speed and accuracy than the Christian soldiers could reply. The problem was while the Christian soldiers could be shielded by light wooden barriers, coils of rope and so on, their shot could penetrate similar protective barriers on the Ottoman ships. An arquebus could deliver 1000j of energy with each shot, while a typical arrow delivered between 100-200j of energy.



        The other issue (which plagued the Samurai and European knights) was it took a lifetime of training to prepare Jamissaries, and the massive casualties from the battle of Lepanto would take a generation to make good, you could train people to use firearms in a matter of weeks. (English Longbowmen also took a lifetime of training, which explains why despite their fearsome reputation in the 100 years war, longbows were not commonly adopted by European armies).



        So in order to suppress the use of firearms, crossbows and pikes (the ,major enablers of the Infantry Revolution), you would need to have the existing Feudal social order which supported kKnights, Samurai, Janissaries or similar classes of highly trained fighting men, an understanding of the danger firearms and simplified but effective mass infantry tactics posed to their military and social status, and the ability to limit or effectively ban the use of firearms (lie the Japanese) or the inability to create them on a mass scale (like the Ottomans).






        share|improve this answer












        The only examples I am aware of are the Samurai after the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and to a limited extent, the Ottoman Janissary armies into the 1500's, but these were results of particular circumstances.



        The Samurai were actually very enthusiastic in their adoption and use of firearms. Perhaps the most striking example was the Battle of Nagashino, where the traditional armies of Katsuyori Shingen were destroyed by mass volley fire from the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga.



        These sorts of battles were early examples of the "Infantry Revolution" in Japan, where weapons and tactics were being introduced to allow relatively untrained Infantrymen to take the field and contend with highly trained Samurai warriors. In Europe, the process eventually swept away knights and the Feudal system, but Japan was more isolated and insular due to the island nature of the country. Once the Tokugawa Shogunate was firmly established, a process of disarming the peasants was rapidly undertaken to prevent the overthrow of the established social and political order, and firearms essentially passed from Japanese history until the arrival of the Americans and the Meiji restoration.



        The Ottoman Janissaries are a slightly different case. The Ottoman Empire, dispite its size and resources, was actually rather poor in terms of deploying resources. While the Ottomans were well aware of gunpowder, artillery and firearms, they did not have the same ability to actually make cannon and firearms, often buying them from their Western rivals like Genoa or Venice (through black markets or renegade Western traders). During the Battle of Lepanto, the Christian fleet was armed with cannon and the boarding parties armed with the match and wheel locks common to the period, while the Janissaries embarked on the Ottoman fleet were armed with the deadly recurve bow.



        In practical terms, once the ships were closing in, the Ottomans could unleash hails of arrows with greater speed and accuracy than the Christian soldiers could reply. The problem was while the Christian soldiers could be shielded by light wooden barriers, coils of rope and so on, their shot could penetrate similar protective barriers on the Ottoman ships. An arquebus could deliver 1000j of energy with each shot, while a typical arrow delivered between 100-200j of energy.



        The other issue (which plagued the Samurai and European knights) was it took a lifetime of training to prepare Jamissaries, and the massive casualties from the battle of Lepanto would take a generation to make good, you could train people to use firearms in a matter of weeks. (English Longbowmen also took a lifetime of training, which explains why despite their fearsome reputation in the 100 years war, longbows were not commonly adopted by European armies).



        So in order to suppress the use of firearms, crossbows and pikes (the ,major enablers of the Infantry Revolution), you would need to have the existing Feudal social order which supported kKnights, Samurai, Janissaries or similar classes of highly trained fighting men, an understanding of the danger firearms and simplified but effective mass infantry tactics posed to their military and social status, and the ability to limit or effectively ban the use of firearms (lie the Japanese) or the inability to create them on a mass scale (like the Ottomans).







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered 1 hour ago









        Thucydides

        78.7k676231




        78.7k676231




















            up vote
            2
            down vote













            Cost and maintenance.



            Since you know how to maintain a sword keep it oiled and such its low cost of ownership would make it attractive.



            Guns on the other hand have quite a few moving pieces and then you have to buy bullets which are costly if this were restricted and costly it would make me favour my sword.






            share|improve this answer






















            • This doesn't answer the question. The OP asks for "examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least". This post is about the advantages of swords over guns, not historical examples.
              – John Locke
              58 mins ago










            • @John Locke: In the title OP asked a different Question, which this Answer tries to answer. I requested OP to clarify ...
              – Daniel
              37 mins ago














            up vote
            2
            down vote













            Cost and maintenance.



            Since you know how to maintain a sword keep it oiled and such its low cost of ownership would make it attractive.



            Guns on the other hand have quite a few moving pieces and then you have to buy bullets which are costly if this were restricted and costly it would make me favour my sword.






            share|improve this answer






















            • This doesn't answer the question. The OP asks for "examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least". This post is about the advantages of swords over guns, not historical examples.
              – John Locke
              58 mins ago










            • @John Locke: In the title OP asked a different Question, which this Answer tries to answer. I requested OP to clarify ...
              – Daniel
              37 mins ago












            up vote
            2
            down vote










            up vote
            2
            down vote









            Cost and maintenance.



            Since you know how to maintain a sword keep it oiled and such its low cost of ownership would make it attractive.



            Guns on the other hand have quite a few moving pieces and then you have to buy bullets which are costly if this were restricted and costly it would make me favour my sword.






            share|improve this answer














            Cost and maintenance.



            Since you know how to maintain a sword keep it oiled and such its low cost of ownership would make it attractive.



            Guns on the other hand have quite a few moving pieces and then you have to buy bullets which are costly if this were restricted and costly it would make me favour my sword.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 4 mins ago









            a4android

            30.9k340121




            30.9k340121










            answered 1 hour ago









            JamesD

            633149




            633149











            • This doesn't answer the question. The OP asks for "examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least". This post is about the advantages of swords over guns, not historical examples.
              – John Locke
              58 mins ago










            • @John Locke: In the title OP asked a different Question, which this Answer tries to answer. I requested OP to clarify ...
              – Daniel
              37 mins ago
















            • This doesn't answer the question. The OP asks for "examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least". This post is about the advantages of swords over guns, not historical examples.
              – John Locke
              58 mins ago










            • @John Locke: In the title OP asked a different Question, which this Answer tries to answer. I requested OP to clarify ...
              – Daniel
              37 mins ago















            This doesn't answer the question. The OP asks for "examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least". This post is about the advantages of swords over guns, not historical examples.
            – John Locke
            58 mins ago




            This doesn't answer the question. The OP asks for "examples, through history, of military forces who deliberately refused to use strategical advantages, such as more advanced weapons, and still won some battles, at least". This post is about the advantages of swords over guns, not historical examples.
            – John Locke
            58 mins ago












            @John Locke: In the title OP asked a different Question, which this Answer tries to answer. I requested OP to clarify ...
            – Daniel
            37 mins ago




            @John Locke: In the title OP asked a different Question, which this Answer tries to answer. I requested OP to clarify ...
            – Daniel
            37 mins ago










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