Essay on the geography of Guns, Germs and Steel Why did some early civilizations prosper and others fail? Jared Diamond, a famous author and scientist, explains in his book Guns, Germs, and Steel. He believes that civilizations like those of Europe thrived due to geographic luck. Geographic luck is the idea that people in some areas have been luckier than others. For example, the Fertile Crescent had a warm, humid climate and fertile soil for growing wheat and barley, while people living in places like Papua New Guinea had to hunt and forage for food. Geographical luck helped the European empire and was the reason they became so powerful. One of the main reasons why Europe was so successful was agriculture. Another reason they were able to conquer much of the world was their well-located civilization. Finally, European weapons, made of steel, were much more advanced than those possessed by the rest of the world and resulted from their good geographical location. Understanding the role of geography in Europe's technological progress is important, and to do so we need to look first at how they became powerful, through agriculture and domestication. Agriculture played a huge role in Europe's rapid growth. Jared Diamond believes that European domesticated animals gave them an advantage by providing skins and bones for tools and meat. Because they didn't have to hunt for meat or forage for food, they had more time to spend creating new inventions and ideas. Domesticated animals also helped Europeans develop immunity against smallpox, a disease that devastated other parts of the world. The disease originated in cows, but because Europeans spent so much time with them, their bodies became accustomed to the disease. Domestic... middle of paper... new technology manipulated into an instrument of war and killing. This is a clear example of how Europe's success was influenced by geographical luck. As you can see, geographical luck was the main reason why Europe was so powerful and was able to conquer much of the world. Agriculture allowed Europeans to form permanent settlements and spend time coming up with new ideas instead of gathering food. It helped them develop immunity to diseases like smallpox. Europe's technology, advancements, and superior societies were all due to its geographic location. Its position also helped them develop new metalworking techniques thanks to the knowledge passed down from their Fertile Crescent ancestors and brought them new technologies such as gunpowder. In the end, Europe's success was determined by many factors, but the main one was geographical luck.