Something that motivated Europeans for distant places is the search for money and other materials such as spices, silk , and more
During the Neolithic revolution, people started settling in river valleys and establishing cities because they developed agriculture. It was of extreme importance for the development of human society because things like states were established and laws and people started developing basic science and things like that. Just look at how Egypt and Mesopotamia developed and how they influenced many other nations that came later.
Blitzkreig a mix of armor and infantry but one giant wave like a spear