"Gunpowder warfare" redirects here. For the early use of gunpowder during the Middle Ages, see history of gunpowder.

   Warfare of the early modern period is associated with the start of the widespread use of gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive, including artillery and handguns; for this reason the era is also referred to as the age of gunpowder warfare (a concept introduced by Michael Roberts in the 1950s).