Technology In War Research Paper

The invention of guns, handguns, artillery, field artillery – changed warfare in ways that were unimaginable those days. Effective cannons meant that castles were no longer safe. Field artillery and handguns

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which took place primarily in Europe from 1914 to 1918.[2] Over 40 million casualties resulted, including approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths.[3] Over 60 million European soldiers were mobilized from 1914 – 1918.[4] The immediate cause of the war was the June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by Gavril Principe, a Bosnian Serb citizen of Austria-Hungary and member of the Black Hand. The retaliation by Austria-Hungary against Serbia activated a series of alliances that set off a chain reaction of war declarations. Within a month, much of Europe was

Light machine guns and sub-machine guns were invented during World War I as small arms, but the larger machine guns were modernized as well. Flame throwers were used as an offensive attack against trench warfare.[ix],[x]

World War One was a conflict that began in Europe and had a large majority of European countries as well as the United States and Japan and lasted four years between 1914 and 1918. As the war began it was quickly plunged into a stalemate due to the development of trench warfare, this meant that in order to win each side would have to develop more advanced military technology. The rapid advancement of technology resulted in many lost lives as killing was made easier, this was not helped the lack of knowledge of the new technology and how to combat it. Disease however did have a large impact on the death toll due to the ease of infection in the trenches. The claim that…“the high death rate on the battlefields in World War One can be attributed solely to the military technology utilised,” is correct to a reasonable extent. This is due to, firstly, the rapid advancement of military technology, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries Secondly, military strategy did not adapt as fast as the advancements in technology until much later in the war, thus resulting in many more deaths. However, other contributing factors such as disease resulted

Technology and weapons in wars since the Civil War have been progressing each and every day since then. There has been a number changes both good and not so good that has affected how our countries military forces react to the battle field. The advancements that has been made over the many years have killed millions and millions of people during time at war. Since the American Civil War there has been drastic changes to how war that have been fought. Why has technology in war been so important and helpful to us but at the same time been so devastating or us? Wars have also been started because of a new technology and using an antidote to those technologies have brought victory.

Weaponry plays a very large role in the war. While the soldiers were on their last legs, the nation decided to set foot and make a decision to improve the industry. The most common problem faced by all soldiers was the loading of guns. Soldiers typically carried guns that held one bullet at a time. A soldier who was trying to aim and shoot the target would have to stand much closer, as the weapon’s range was only about 80 yards. Hence, battles were fought relatively at a closer range. Rifles, were used for long range shooting, and were very accurate as the bullet could travel up to 1,000 yards. However, it was impossible to use the guns in battle since it took a very long time to load. Fed up with the trouble caused with the guns, Captain Henri Gustave Delvigne and Claude Etienee Minnie developed a cone shaped lead bullet called, “Minnie Balls”. When fired, the bullet expanded, and the lead would grip tightly against spiraled rifling groves. This would take a spin on the elongated bullet, leaving the muzzle at a higher velocity and following an accurate trajectory causing it to travel three-four times farther. The innovation of the rifle and Minnie Ball were just a few of the hundreds of weaponry inventions. Weapons fell under three categories—small arms, artillery, and edged weapons. These were developed after the society wanted to see a difference in the nation. They were placed under these categories based on their caliber (size of the

The Civil War was an extremely important time of crisis for our country that 620,000 soldiers were slaughtered in. This number is the highest in the history of any American war. Most people believe those soldiers died of gunshot wounds or amputations, but most of them without fatal wounds died from diseases that they had never before been exposed to. Two times the amount of troops died from these diseases than those were killed in battle. These diseases were caused because of the fact that people didn’t think they had to sterilize wounds. The Civil War caused many improvements in medicine and hospitals so they became much more efficient.

War always tends to accelerate the rate at which innovation and inventions tend to happen as fighting powers race to find ways to overcome their rivals. The clash of 19th and 20th century ideas led to large technological advances in military technology, never before seen in warfare before. Weapons of horror and mass devastation entered the battlefield, causing commanders and tacticians to adapt and change the ways the fought wars. Rapid firing machine guns and new machines of war such as the tank were introduced causing fear and heavy casualties for the soldiers entrenched on the front. As casualties continued to increase throughout the war, new medical innovations had to be put

“A nation 's ability to fight a modern war is as good as its technological ability.” An English inventor who was of great importance in the invention of the turbojet said these words. I partly agree with him, as technology is the basis of most aspects of war. If a nation were to fight a war without the use of technology it would fight with sticks and stones. Technological innovations in the First World War (WW1) have led to much of the technology that we have today, ranging form the various weapons modern armies are equipped with to the radios used for communication. If something is significant then it has an important influence on a thing, such as an event, that will happen in the future. In this way, did the technological innovations in WW1, such as gas, communications and the machine gun, not only have an effect on the outcome of the war but also have an effect on how our world is shaped today?

War has undoubtedly changed the vast majority of lives on this planet. Even the technology I am using to communicate this message is a product of war. Alan Turing developed the first computer, which was instrumental in the subsequent decryption of the Enigma code in World War II. The first jet aircraft was manufactured by the Luftwaffe to aid them in the same war, leading to today's primary mode of international travel. Countless medical breakthroughs and techniques are the direct product of war such as MRI, various drugs, and especially the laser. The United States even has a separate department, DARPA, whose contributions to the civilian lifestyle continue to innovate and impress. Many of these innovations, although funded for military reasons, have been invaluable to the human race, and we take them for granted day-to-day. From rockets, GPS, and Penicillin, to synthetic rubber, physics, and national defense, war may be hell, but it is certainly beneficial. The benefits of war are not restricted solely to technology; war is an effective catalyst for a nation's economy.

Technological advancements have played a crucial role in prospering a country's economic and social standing. Looking at it from a resourceful perspective, a country heading into war puts a strain on the nation's resources due to the high demand of goods. Generally speaking, wars do, however, accelerate the technological development of a nation in order to adapt to the needs of the military. Prior to the start of the Vietnam war which began in 1955-1975 technological equipment such as the helicopter, airpower, infantry weapons, booby traps, and anti-aircraft were not around. Only until the start of the war, we began to see an advancement in equipment. These improvements have altered the lives of citizens both on a large and a small scale.

American army officer Omar Bradley once said,“If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.” The meaning of this quote lies in the destruction and devastation of humanity and geography during war. If we do not stop advancing in ways of killing and causing suffering, we will soon face the consequences of these technologies. Throughout World War I and World War II, there was a ginormous technological boom in which countries were competing to invent new weapons or vehicles used in warfare. Specifically, World War I could be blamed for the start of the creating of new technologies used in warfare even today. These technologies were often invented or created during World War I,

Insurgent technology though not as advanced as the military technology was arguably more effective. The insurgent’s use of ingenious bomb technology was extremely effective against the U.S. civilians, U.S. soldiers, and the Iraqi people. It was effective against U.S. civilians because it made them want the war to stop so that the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan would leave, which is the goal of any insurgency. “A bomb’s ability to destroy a target depends on two things: its explosive power and its accuracy.” (Kaplan, 13). While the U.S. military was using satellites and lasers to accomplish this, the insurgents were using simpler means which created the same results, and since they often did not care about hurting civilian

“History does not teach that better technology necessarily leads to victory. Rather victory goes to the commander who uses technology better, or who can deny the enemy his technology.”

As technology progresses, so does warfare. We first saw the new dangers of modern weapons in World War One, with the introduction of chemical weapons. Then, in World War Two, we developed nuclear weapons that would destroy two entire cities. Today, in the war on terror, the United States has developed military drones to kill terrorists without putting our soldiers in danger. These weapons of mass destruction violate human rights because they cause many civilian casualties, put people through great physical suffering, and do not allow for a trial before execution causing many people to die unjustly. They can and are used to quickly slaughter many people at once, including innocent civilians and children, with complete disregard for human