Using the ecosystem concept as his starting point, the author examines the complex relationship between premodern armed forces and their environment at three levels: landscapes, living beings, and diseases. The study focuses on Europe’s Meuse Region, well-known among historians of war as a battleground between France and Germany. By analyzing soldiers’ long-term interactions with nature, this book engages with current debates about the ecological impact of the military, and provides new impetus for contemporary armed forces to make greater effort to reduce their environmental footprint.

Sander Govaerts is postdoctoral researcher at the Department of History and Art History, Utrecht University.

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Introduction
Part One: Landscapes
Chapter 1: Frontiers
Chapter 2: Fortifications
Part Two: Biotic Communities
Chapter 3: Disturbances
Chapter 4: Policing
Part Three: Pathogens
Chapter 5: Army Health
Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography