Resources, transport, and security support national power

Coal, iron, timber, fertile land, and other accessible resources supported weapons, ships, food supply, and economic expansion. Yew for longbows and oak for ships show how locally available materials can shape military specialties before industrial resources are considered. Coasts and rivers made movement easier before national road and rail systems matured, while insular security protected skilled workers and infrastructure from repeated invasion. The cumulative argument is that resource abundance enables both growth and a less destructive contest over what is available.