During the 18th century, Europe increased its ability to win wars. Through advances in armaments and fighting formations, they were able to dominate their opponents with an almost unfair advantage. Both technology and military strategy have played a significant role in placing European countries at the forefront of world powers, but it has been the ability to integrate and exploit governments' economic resources that has separated them from much of the world when it comes to of superiority on the battlefield. .A well-oiled machine The European economy saw a notable boost in the 18th century, thanks to the focus on the production of exportable goods. Mercantilism, a theory that encourages a society to export more than import, has been promoted by economists. Military weapons have become one of the main products of this shift in focus. Private companies that supplied these goods to the government benefited from the steady demand as the government saw improvements in quality and innovation, thanks to the competitive market. European governments, at this time, began providing the majority of military supplies and services; this brought more coherence and better organization. When the British Parliament gained sovereign power in England due to the Glorious Revolution of 16881, the government controlled even more of the military and the cost to the states increased to support it. Surely faced with a government and army growing too large to be supported solely by its fixed tax revenues, Britain devises a new method of raising capital to finance military growth. The eighteenth century saw the beginning of governments borrowing against future tax revenues, a term we now call Sinking Funds. This gave Britain almost unlimited capital to constantly improve and grow sheltered education. This maneuver was only possible thanks to the mobility, discipline and leadership derived from an efficient relationship between government and military. The weak link Well dressed, well armed and well positioned, 18th century European armies were more powerful and prepared to defeat their adversary. It was only with the Americans at the end of the century; supported by the French, Britain indeed saw a great challenge outside Europe. While they had the ability to fight across seas, they were not as effective with smaller armies on foreign soil, in the Americas. When this weakness was exploited, it became the catalyst to divert favor from powerful Europe. Works Cited Morillo, Stephen, Jeremy Black, and Paul Lococo. War in World History: Society, Technology, and War from Ancient Times to the Present, Volume 2, McGraw-Hill, 2008