The Western Way of War thesis posits that western societies throughout history have generally fought wars in fundamentally similar ways. The precise elements of the Western Way of War are described succinctly in Geoffrey Parker's introduction to the Cambridge History of Warfare. Critical to the Western Way of War is the purported preference of western militaries for costly, decisive battles fought principally by heavy infantry. One of the virtues of this thesis is that it serves as a powerful explanation for western military success against non-western opponents.

Drawing on your interpretation of the historical conflicts, critically analyze Geoffrey Parker's conception of the Western Way of War. Do you agree that western societies have generally approached warfare according to the same fundamental principles? Are there any exceptions to the Western Way of War? If so, do these exceptions disprove the thesis of a Western Way of War entirely? A satisfactory response will draw on evidence from conflicts from several different periods of history (i.e. ancient, medieval, early modern, industrial/modern)